How to deal with difficult decals?

[jchrisf]

I'm building the Tamiya 1/24 Castrol Toyota Tom's Supra GT and it has some decals that snake around the body and over ridges on the roof and panel lines. I can get them to fit into place like they are supposed to do but in the middle where it goes over a raised gutter on the roof it causes the decal to wrinkle on the edge by the window trim.

What is the best method to get it to settle into place over everything before it gets "Stuck" in place and can no longer be moved? I put my Micro Sol on it but by the time it settles into place it pulls other areas out of alignment. Should I use a blow dryer to get it to lay into place first so it can still be moved?

What's the best way to get it to completely settle into the panel lines?

Thanks

[ryan81]

Following this. I don't really have a good answer to that. I built this a few months ago and boy, some of those decals are a battle, especially around the rear wheels I found.

Keen to hear other thoughts on this

[Hawkmoon]

Firstly for decals I use a couple of tools Decal tweezers,Wet, dry brushes,, cotton buds and the decal solutions of your choice. What I do is get the decal to sit correctly over all first and making sure of position. Once you have it in position you can work on getting it to form round any bumps,ridges ect a hair dryer will help here too. Personally I still use my plastic film blower from my R/C aircraft days and it works fine. The last thing I do is panel lines with these I cover the decal over the panel line with decal softener then walk away for five minutes. I then use a cotton bud to wipe it into the panel line. Leave for around 24 hours to dry out completely.

Make sure you remove all the water from below the decal if its not removed then you will end up with bubbles under the decal. If you think you have removed it all then do it again to watch more water appear from nowhere and finally take your time it may take you ages to do one decal when you first start but over time you will get faster at laying them down.

[jchrisf]

Thanks Hawk.. looks like I need to purchase those Tamiya cotton buds that have the pointy end to get the decal into the panel line. Mine are rounded. Also looks like I need to use some heated air to conform it more before using the solution. It was sitting like a tent over that raised part of the roof you can see below. As it settled in with the solution it pulled it back from the window trim area and left a wrinkle. How do I get rid of this wrinkle? Sorry but my camera didn't focus good up close on this. That paint looks smooth to the naked eye but the closeup makes it look rough.

Capture2 by Chris, on Flickr

[LWWales]

I recently done this model and made some mistakes. The decals were a nightmare!

I found the Micro-Sol didn't do much, so I used very diluted nail polish remover which helped a lot more, though I had to be very carefull as the decal gets VERY soft. Hope that helps a tad!

[digger303]

10lb hammer works wonders too

[jchrisf]

10lb hammer works wonders too

If it gets too bad that will be the final solution

[jchrisf]

I recently done this model and made some mistakes. The decals were a nightmare!

I found the Micro-Sol didn't do much, so I used very diluted nail polish remover which helped a lot more, though I had to be very carefull as the decal gets VERY soft. Hope that helps a tad!

Thanks @LWWales . Did you ever finish yours? I don't remember if I saw the finished result. I'm going to be posting pics of mine soon.

[barryf1fan]

I'm building the Tamiya 1/24 Castrol Toyota Tom's Supra GT and it has some decals that snake around the body and over ridges on the roof and panel lines. I can get them to fit into place like they are supposed to do but in the middle where it goes over a raised gutter on the roof it causes the decal to wrinkle on the edge by the window trim.

What is the best method to get it to settle into place over everything before it gets "Stuck" in place and can no longer be moved? I put my Micro Sol on it but by the time it settles into place it pulls other areas out of alignment. Should I use a blow dryer to get it to lay into place first so it can still be moved?

What's the best way to get it to completely settle into the panel lines?

Thanks

I don't have a whole lot to add, Chris, I would just say to see Hawks post. He has given me tips over the last several months that have helped me get better at doing "difficult" decals. Now, I'm still not great at them but getting better every time I do a kit - especially when wrestling the larger ones.

I will say that the Tamiya Mark-Fit Strong and Solva-Set can help. With Solva-Set, be very careful with it as it REALLY softens the decal, and I mainly would use that for panel lines and going into recesses in the body (ex., a race car number over a louvered intake or something). In fact, I would practice with an old decal when using the solva-set - it makes the decal almost "melt" - but that's how it gets the decal into the recessed areas.

and like the 'ol saying, "practice makes perfect", or at least practice makes you better. I don't worry about being fast, I just want them to look good, and right. Good luck with it, and I hope I helped a little.

By the way, using a wet, soft paint brush helps too. I use one when I'm doing the Micro-Sol or Mark-Fit Strong.

[RangerNeil]

10lb hammer works wonders too

Ah - the good old "Tool - Fine adjusting - 10lb" so beloved of Squaddies the wide world over. Indeed all practitioners of the fine art of percussive maintenance.
Not so sure Polystyrene lends itself to that art though....

[LWWales]

Thanks @LWWales . Did you ever finish yours? I don't remember if I saw the finished result. I'm going to be posting pics of mine soon.

I did, or very well near. I need to add some weathering. I really want a happy with it as I made a few rookie mistakes, mainly the fact I panel lines before I put any clear down and after the decals, so it bled under the decals. Then, I want a bit to thick with the clear coat and the decals wrinkled a tad and it kind of burned the paint. This is as it stands, though.

I haven't decided if I wanna make it look old and used, or dust it up and make look like it's been in a garage a for years collecting dust!

[jchrisf]

I think if you make it look like it would after a race it will turn out perfect.

[jchrisf]

I'm building the Tamiya 1/24 Castrol Toyota Tom's Supra GT and it has some decals that snake around the body and over ridges on the roof and panel lines. I can get them to fit into place like they are supposed to do but in the middle where it goes over a raised gutter on the roof it causes the decal to wrinkle on the edge by the window trim.

What is the best method to get it to settle into place over everything before it gets "Stuck" in place and can no longer be moved? I put my Micro Sol on it but by the time it settles into place it pulls other areas out of alignment. Should I use a blow dryer to get it to lay into place first so it can still be moved?

What's the best way to get it to completely settle into the panel lines?

Thanks

I don't have a whole lot to add, Chris, I would just say to see Hawks post. He has given me tips over the last several months that have helped me get better at doing "difficult" decals. Now, I'm still not great at them but getting better every time I do a kit - especially when wrestling the larger ones.

I will say that the Tamiya Mark-Fit Strong and Solva-Set can help. With Solva-Set, be very careful with it as it REALLY softens the decal, and I mainly would use that for panel lines and going into recesses in the body (ex., a race car number over a louvered intake or something). In fact, I would practice with an old decal when using the solva-set - it makes the decal almost "melt" - but that's how it gets the decal into the recessed areas.

and like the 'ol saying, "practice makes perfect", or at least practice makes you better. I don't worry about being fast, I just want them to look good, and right. Good luck with it, and I hope I helped a little.

By the way, using a wet, soft paint brush helps too. I use one when I'm doing the Micro-Sol or Mark-Fit Strong.

I'm going to get some solvaset on my next order.. I believe it will work great in this situation once everything is in place.

[barryf1fan]

I'm building the Tamiya 1/24 Castrol Toyota Tom's Supra GT and it has some decals that snake around the body and over ridges on the roof and panel lines. I can get them to fit into place like they are supposed to do but in the middle where it goes over a raised gutter on the roof it causes the decal to wrinkle on the edge by the window trim.

What is the best method to get it to settle into place over everything before it gets "Stuck" in place and can no longer be moved? I put my Micro Sol on it but by the time it settles into place it pulls other areas out of alignment. Should I use a blow dryer to get it to lay into place first so it can still be moved?

What's the best way to get it to completely settle into the panel lines?

Thanks

I don't have a whole lot to add, Chris, I would just say to see Hawks post. He has given me tips over the last several months that have helped me get better at doing "difficult" decals. Now, I'm still not great at them but getting better every time I do a kit - especially when wrestling the larger ones.

I will say that the Tamiya Mark-Fit Strong and Solva-Set can help. With Solva-Set, be very careful with it as it REALLY softens the decal, and I mainly would use that for panel lines and going into recesses in the body (ex., a race car number over a louvered intake or something). In fact, I would practice with an old decal when using the solva-set - it makes the decal almost "melt" - but that's how it gets the decal into the recessed areas.

and like the 'ol saying, "practice makes perfect", or at least practice makes you better. I don't worry about being fast, I just want them to look good, and right. Good luck with it, and I hope I helped a little.

By the way, using a wet, soft paint brush helps too. I use one when I'm doing the Micro-Sol or Mark-Fit Strong.

I'm going to get some solvaset on my next order.. I believe it will work great in this situation once everything is in place.

My only advice, or warning, is to practice on a couple of decals before you actually use the solva-set solution on your model. I destroyed several decals on a model years ago when I used this stuff the first time. I have found that you pretty much can't touch it once you put it on (unlike Micro-Sol or Mark Fit Strong) and just let the decal "melt" into the crevices.

Anyway, just wanted you to be aware of the stuff - as (to me) it's not like any other decal softeners I have.

[jchrisf]

I don't have a whole lot to add, Chris, I would just say to see Hawks post. He has given me tips over the last several months that have helped me get better at doing "difficult" decals. Now, I'm still not great at them but getting better every time I do a kit - especially when wrestling the larger ones.

I will say that the Tamiya Mark-Fit Strong and Solva-Set can help. With Solva-Set, be very careful with it as it REALLY softens the decal, and I mainly would use that for panel lines and going into recesses in the body (ex., a race car number over a louvered intake or something). In fact, I would practice with an old decal when using the solva-set - it makes the decal almost "melt" - but that's how it gets the decal into the recessed areas.

and like the 'ol saying, "practice makes perfect", or at least practice makes you better. I don't worry about being fast, I just want them to look good, and right. Good luck with it, and I hope I helped a little.

By the way, using a wet, soft paint brush helps too. I use one when I'm doing the Micro-Sol or Mark-Fit Strong.

I'm going to get some solvaset on my next order.. I believe it will work great in this situation once everything is in place.

My only advice, or warning, is to practice on a couple of decals before you actually use the solva-set solution on your model. I destroyed several decals on a model years ago when I used this stuff the first time. I have found that you pretty much can't touch it once you put it on (unlike Micro-Sol or Mark Fit Strong) and just let the decal "melt" into the crevices.

Anyway, just wanted you to be aware of the stuff - as (to me) it's not like any other decal softeners I have.

Yeah, I'll make sure it is totally in place before I add it. Just in areas where I need it to settle into a groove. I've learned to use nothing if not needed. Once I had a decal on the roof that was perfect.. just on a flat place on the roof. Well, I added Micro Sol and next thing I knew it was all wrinkled and I never could get it totally out. In that pic above, the Castrol decal on the roof was a similar size and place. It looks perfect on this roof but I didn't add anything to it. I will say that I did put it in a dehydrator so that probably caused it because I'd never had that problem before... but I've had good luck with decals on flat surfaces without any setting solutions in the past.

[digger303]

10lb hammer works wonders too

Ah - the good old "Tool - Fine adjusting - 10lb" so beloved of Squaddies the wide world over. Indeed all practitioners of the fine art of percussive maintenance.
Not so sure Polystyrene lends itself to that art though....

Everything is guaranteed to be flat though

[Paul]

If only there was a you tube channel, video or products somehow linked and associated with ISM that could help

[jchrisf]

Thanks @Paul ! I've seen many of your videos but (fortunately) you have a ton out there and I have not seen this one. I was thinking I could easily do any of the decals you were doing and then you put that Shunko decal on the back bumper and that was a similar experience to what I was doing here. I'll definitely be getting your three pack with the holder. Then on the next build of this model (I have two) or any other with a similar issue I will be using your method. I was fairly familiar with it before, but this explained exactly how you do it. Thanks!

[jchrisf]

Thanks for all the tips everyone... I'm really getting the hang of this now. I think I can get them perfect on the next build (I have two of these cars).
IMG_0510 by Chris, on Flickr

[ryan81]

Wow looks great! What paint did you use for this? Looks matt?

[jchrisf]

Wow looks great! What paint did you use for this? Looks matt?

Yeah, I have a couple more decals to put on and then I am going to clear it. That is Tamiya white primer... every time I use it I wish the car I am doing is white so I can leave it in primer because it looks so good and goes on so smooth.

[ryan81]

Wow looks great! What paint did you use for this? Looks matt?

Yeah, I have a couple more decals to put on and then I am going to clear it. That is Tamiya white primer... every time I use it I wish the car I am doing is white so I can leave it in primer because it looks so good and goes on so smooth.

Ah I see - I like it, a little different. I agree, matt finishes look really cool so looking forward to seeing it with the clear. Which clear will you use? A dull or gloss?

Yeah Tamiya's primer is very nice, so thin and smooth. I've stopped using it just because its so expensive, but just ordered a can of the light grey for my current build as I want to give my yellow a slighly darker tone without losing its pop - it's worth the extra dime in some cases.

Not far from a finished beast now, looking forward to seeing it!

[jchrisf]

Wow looks great! What paint did you use for this? Looks matt?

Yeah, I have a couple more decals to put on and then I am going to clear it. That is Tamiya white primer... every time I use it I wish the car I am doing is white so I can leave it in primer because it looks so good and goes on so smooth.

Ah I see - I like it, a little different. I agree, matt finishes look really cool so looking forward to seeing it with the clear. Which clear will you use? A dull or gloss?

Yeah Tamiya's primer is very nice, so thin and smooth. I've stopped using it just because its so expensive, but just ordered a can of the light grey for my current build as I want to give my yellow a slighly darker tone without losing its pop - it's worth the extra dime in some cases.

Not far from a finished beast now, looking forward to seeing it!

Thank you Ryan... I'm going to use Tamiya TS-13 clear gloss decanted over it so hopefully I'll get a nice smooth shine. I plan to start using Mr. Surfacer when the Tamiya primer runs out as I think it is a better deal and equally a good primer. I also want to try some Tamiya liquid surface primer thinned with Mr. Color Leveling Thinner so I don't have to decant and I think it might be a better deal than the canned primer.

I like the look of TS-13 but I'm going to give Mr. Color 46 clear a try when I am out of it.