Decal Problems

[skippygp123]

I'm having problems getting the decals I make to stick completely on the kits I paint with acrylic spray paint.  Some of the edges roll up. 

I've been using Testor clear decal paper and printing the decals using my inkjet printer.  After the ink dries, I seal it with decal bonder.

I blot the decal well after application and allow the decals to dry undisturbed overnight.

I've tried spraying the applied decal with Krylon clear acrylic finish, but that only made matters worse.  I also tried using Model Master decal setting solution but it made the paint on the model pucker and I ended up having to redo the entire car.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks!

Ed

 

 

[Southwest Chief]

How long do you wait for the paint to dry on the model before applying decals?

I usually wait at least three weeks.  Maybe up to a month with Floquil paint.  Acrylic paint should dry relatively fast, but sometimes local climate messes with drying times.

But the only time I've ever run into trouble with applying decals (or even dry transfers) was when I just couldn't wait for the paint to fully cure on the model.  So now I wait.  Hard to do if you're as impatient as I am

[ttrigg]

#1 - Echo Matt's comments.

#2 - Extreame temp change during the curing time of the deacls/transfers. +/- 20 degres in 3 hrs?

#3 - UNPROBABLE thought - any chance of local contamination from near by source? Solvent vapors? VOC contamination from nearby painting? NOT very likely, but possible. 

If your color coats (and primer, if any) are completely cured, the surface clean, you should be doing fine.

[dwbeckett]

And my two cents worth, are you using a gloss finnish. I don't normaly wait more then a day to add my lettering . The two car's I decaled all ( most anyway )of the decals came off after wintering outside in the rain ( 2009/10 ) The year I was not allowed outside for 5 mounths.

Dave  

[skippygp123]

I'll try to answer all of the questions I've received in this one message.....

First, I'm using flat paint.  Second, I waited about 2 weeks before applying the decals.  Third, there have been no temperature extremes. 

The car had been in my house, sitting on a table, since the paint dried and I was able to pick up the car. 

I'm going to try again in the next few days...ordered some Micro Sol setting solution.  Will see how that goes.

Thanks!

Ed

[kstrong]

Disclaimer: I've been building models for 30+ years, and have yet to have consistent results when applying traditional waterslide decals. I've done everything the "experts" say to do, but I still have issues every other time.

Having said that, your first "goof" is applying the decals over a flat surface. Decals like a glossy or at the worst, satin finish (such as you'd get on an unlettered loco from the factory). If you've got a flat surface, spray or brush the area that the decal will be applied with a gloss coat of some variety. I use Future floor wax, which is really just a clear gloss acrylic, not wax at all. The model airplane guys swear by this stuff, and I can see why. You can airbrush it or brush it on with a regular paint brush. It smooths out very nicely so  you don't get brush strokes. (That, and one bottle will last you a l-o-n-g time!) If you're just brushing it on, there's no reason to do the entire side of the car. Just do the area where you're going to apply the decal and feather the edges out.

Once dry, apply the decal to the glossy surface. Here's where things get dicey for me.

The "experts" suggest brushing a decal-setting solution such as Micro-Set on the surface prior to applying the decal. I've also heard it's better to apply the decal on a dry surface then apply the solution on top of the decal. I've tried it both ways, and have had successes and failures with each method. So you pay your money and take your chances. Generally speaking, the decal solvents (Micro-Sol) that are designed to help decals conform to rivet details and other irregularities are pretty good, but about 80% of the time, I still get significant "silvering" where the decal doesn't want to settle down onto the surface.

I've developed some unorthodox work-arounds for dealing with this issue. Apply the decal as described above, using a setting solution to "prepare the surface" whatever that really means. If it does silver, take the tip of a sharp X-acto knife and pepper the decal with small holes where it's silvered. Take the Future floor wax (maybe dilute it 50:50 with water) and brush it over the decal. It will leach through the holes in the decal and fill in between the model surface and the decal. You can gently press down with a Q-tip during this process if you want to use a bit of "friendly persuasion" for areas of significant silvering. Once this is dry, you should be good to go. I've also experimented with using the Future as a decal setting solution in the first place with decent results. I don't like doing that if I'm going to have to use a decal solvent to get the decal to snug down over details, though, as I'm not sure how the two materials may react to each other. But on smooth surfaces, it works pretty well.

Later,

K