Decals

[hbgatsf]

I will soon be applying decals for the first time.  I have found a number of tutorials on how to do it but still have a question about solutions. 

When do you use Micro Set vs Micro Sol?  It sounds like Micro Sol is more aggressive.  Do you start with Set and then use Sol if needed?

Finally, when is Solvaset used?

Rick

[wrench567]

Rick.

 You will get a bunch of different answers for this question. This is what has worked for me.

1 apply decal with water and blot dry with an absorbent cloth or cotton swabs.

If the decal is on a flat surface and no bubbles and straight. Blot around the edges with the Micro set. If there are bubbles on a flat surface then apply more Micro set.

If there are depressions, rivets, or changes of surfaces. Then use the Sol carefully and liberally to soften the decal so it stretches and conforms to the surfaces. May need several applications. Don't try to move the decal. Just lightly apply it with the soft paint brush and let the decal conform on its own. Keep it wet with the Micro sol. Use the softest brush you can find.

  That's all I have. It has served me well over the years.

      Pete.

 

[doctorwayne]

Micro Set is the mild one, and Micro Sol supposedly the more aggresive one...I use the first one but not the Micro Sol, as I find Solvaset a better, more aggresive choice (and also less expensive).

At the risk of boring those capable of doing good decal work, I'll include my procedure for applying decals:

First, I would suggest that you wash the car (or locomotive, structure, etc.), using warm water and dish detergent, then rinse it thoroughly with water and let it air-dry.

Once it’s dry, airbrush it in an appropriate colour(s), then set it aside to let the paint dry/cure/harden, depending on the type of paint you use.

Once that is done, airbrush the entire areas which will be decalled with Glosscote (or your preferred clear gloss) then let it fully dry until there’s no odour of solvent present on the car.  
Don’t apply the gloss only where the decals will be applied - for rolling stock and locomotives, those areas are usually the sides and ends - cover them completely with the gloss, even if the amount of decal work will be very minimal.  
Allow the clear coat to fully cure/harden - there should be no noticeable odour to it, (this minimises the chance of the setting solutions reacting with the clear coat).

Next, use a sharp blade to cut the needed decals from the sheet, keeping as far away from the lettering as possible.  Once you have all of the required lettering free of the main sheet, use a sharp blade (re-sharpen or replace as necessary) and working on a hard surface (I use a sheet of glass on my work desk for this), to trim away as much of the blank paper from as close as you can maneuver the blade to the lettering, using a straight down chopping motion, rather than slicing it away.  If necessary, do this work under magnification (eyeglasses, Optivisor, or loupe).

The reason for the two-part cutting is that slicing the image, even with a sharp blade, raises the edges along the cut line, and when you apply that decal to the model, the setting solution is often insufficient to make those edges settle completely flat onto the surface.

Using a chopping motion has a couple of advantages, first that it allows you to position the tip of the blade as close as possible to the lettering, and second, that when you bring the blade down to make the cut, the chopping movement pushes the edge of the decal downward, which will allow better and easier setting of the lettering when it is time to apply that solution.



Another tip to decrease the chances that your lettering job will look obvious as decals, is to trim the excess clear film from rounded letters or numerals such as B, C, O, P, 2, 3, 8, 0, etc. which are at the beginning or end of a block of lettering.  
F’rinstance, on a CANADIAN NATIONAL car, I would use a simple diagonal chop to remove the clear film from the top and bottom left side of the “C”, and the clear film from the “L” at the end of NATIONAL - this latter chop could be a simple diagonal from the top to the right edge of the foot, but an L-shaped cut would give even better results.

The same trimming can be applied to dimensional data, too, even if you apply it in the blocks in which it’s printed.  For example....

CAPY        100000
LD LMT     120000
LT WT         49000

....trim the top left corner of the “C”, the top right corner of the last “0” in the top line, and the bottom right corner of the last “0” in the bottom line with a simple diagonal chop.
You will be surprised by how much difference it can make in the finished appearance.


Use distilled water for soaking the decal - it's available in gallon jugs at any supermarket, and not at all expensive.  This eliminates any dissolved minerals which might otherwise be present in tap water, and a gallon will do a lot of decals. 
Do not rush the soaking process for the decal, but allow it to release from the backing paper on its own.  If it's big enough to handle with tweezers (not something small, such as a single digit for dimensional data), dip the released film into water, submerging it completely, then, as you withdraw it from the water, drag the back-side of it over the lip of the container holding the water - this helps to remove any residue left from the backing paper.  Depending on the particular decal, you may want to repeat this a couple of times.  
Smaller decals, like blocks of dimensional data or single numerals, can be simply dipped into the water, then set on your work surface while the water frees them from the backing paper.

Most decals applied using only water can be re-wet and moved an almost infinite number of times.  For very small pieces of decal (a single letter or numeral, or even a period or comma, I place the dry decal near its intended place, then wet it with a drop of water on my fingertip or the end of a knife or tweezers.  It can usually be slid off the backing paper easily, then maneuvered into place.

Use references on the model (rivet lines, panel lines, doors, ladders, and other details) as guides to position the lettering correctly and level.  Where those details aren't available, I like to cut strips of masking tape as guidelines, and when lettering with individual letters or numerals, often use a pencil to denote, on the tape, the beginning and end of each word, so that the spacing is correct.
  
Likewise, individual letter spacing is not usually uniform, but rather depends on the particular letters and their sequence within the words.  Google "kerning" for more info.

Once the decals have been applied on the gloss surface and have been blotted using a clean cloth, I use a small brush to apply a fairly weak setting solution around the perimeter of each individual pieces of decal, and also on the decals’s surface - Microscale’s Microset works well for this step.  Let the decals dry fully - it usually takes 10 or 15 minutes at most.
Next, I use the brush-in-cap from the Solvaset bottle to apply this stronger decal setting solution, in the same manner as the previous operation.  I let this dry completely (a couple hours at least, although I often leave them overnight) then use a clean cloth over my fingertip, dipped in the distilled water to wet it, then gently rub the wet cloth over each piece of the applied and set decals - this should remove any marks left by the action of the Solvaset.  Use a dry portion of the same cloth to remove any remaining water from the model’s surface.
After the decals have been cleaned and have fully-dried,  I overspray them with another coat of clear gloss.  This step may seem unnecessary, but the gloss of the decal seldom matches exactly the gloss of the surface on which it has been applied.  This overspray ensures that the entire surface has a uniform finish.

  If you're using an airbrush for applying the clear finish, it will dry (to-the-touch, at least) very rapidly, and you can then apply the flat (or semi-gloss, if you're modelling a fairly new car) almost immediately.  After this step, the decal work is completed, and the car set aside, usually at least overnight or for a day-or-so to let the clear coats fully harden.

  
Airbrushing gives you the option of mixing that final clear coat to whatever sheen or flatness you wish for that particular model.

The car can then be weathered as you wish, but unless you're weathering using oils or chalk, I'd recommend no flat overspray over the weathering, as it usually makes the weathering effects too uniform.

You may, of course, skip what you feel isn't necessary, or ignore the whole lengthy thing, but it does work well for me.
Here's a small HO scale tank car, lettered with 168 individual pieces of decal, some of them simply the "period" at the end of a word in short-form.  Click on the photo to enlarge it.

Wayne

[SeeYou190]

Here you go...

Make sure that the model has a glossy finish. I use Scalecoat II glossy paints, or some of the old Model Master glossy paint I have stashed. If the model has a flat finish, I apply a coat of Future Floor Finish to get a glossy surface. If you cannot get Future Floor Finish, Testors Glosscoat will do OK.

Some modelers only apply the gloss coating where the decals will be applied, but sometimes this gives an uneven finish when Dullcoat is applied, so I cover the entire model with glosscoat if this is needed.

Make sure all the paint and gloss coat is fully dried before applying any decals. The sniff test works well for this. You should not smell any paint solvents.

When trimming Microscale Decals, I try not to trim the "blob" of decal carrier film on the sheet. Microscale prints the decal carrier film onto the decal paper, and this process gives the decal a tapered edge that is easy to hide. I have found trimming closely can make the decal carrier film more obvious on the finished model.

Microscale alphabets, trim film, and parallel stripe decals are printed on a solid sheet of carrier, and so are most other commercial decals and custom decals. For these, it try to trim the decal film to within 1/16" from the lettering.

Note: The best decals I have ever used are printed by Cartograf in Italy. Hopefully this company will begin making model railroading decals someday. If I had unlimited dollars, I would have them print a set of STRATTON AND GILLETTE decals. Oh, to dream.

For soaking the decal off of the decal paper I use an orange plate with ribs around the edge I bought at the Dollar Tree. Orange has turned out to be the perfect color for a decal soaking plate because so few decals are orange that they do not disappear into the background. When I used a white plate, sometimes it would be hard to find a white decal the floated away. The ribs on the edge of the plate help.

I only use distilled water for soaking the decal. Down here in South Florida we have very hard water with lots of dissolved solids. These can effect the finish of the decal. This might not be necessary where you live.

I always let the decal soak until it becomes free of the paper on its own. Some old decals can take an hour or two for this to happen. Newer custom decals from Rail Graphics come loose in less than fifteen seconds. Once the decal is loose, I let it float in the water for several minutes so any residue from the decal paper can dissolve away.

I have a tool I made for removing decals from the soaking plate. It is a teflon coated piece of thin metal that I attached a handle onto. I use this to get the decal out of the water and over to the model. It works wonderfully.

I slide the decal into the model surface using a bamboo barbeque skewer. I have used lots of different tools for sliding decals, and the basic barbeque skewer is the best I have found.

I keep plenty of 1 inch squares of lint free paper towels handy on the desk. You can cut about 100 of these from a single paper towel, and they last a long time. I think I have only ever made two batches of these. Once the decal is in position, I touch one of these to the model surface and it pulls the excess water away.

For moving the decal into final position, I apply some Microscale Micro-Set (blue label) to the decal. I lift the decal so it gets fullly underneath, then I use the barbeque skewer to move it into perfect position.

I allow the Micro-Set to completely air dry.

For small decals, I use this extra step. I apply a small amount of Microscale Micro-Sol (red label) to the decal and let it air dry. This makes sure the small decals are held in place prior to the application of strong solvent.

I apply all the decals to one side of a model before moving to the final step of setting the decal in place.

The final step is an application of Daco Strong Decal Setting Solution. This is not available in the United Stateas, and will need to be ordered from a hobby shop in Europe. It is worth every penny.

Once the Daco Solution is applied to the decal, DO NOT TOUCH IT. The Daco Strong will fully soften the carrier film and bond it to the model surface. If you touch the decal after the softening process has begun, you will ruin the decal.

Allow the Daco solution to fully air dry, overnight is preferred.

Microscale Microset is weakest, then Microsol. Solvaset by Walthers is stronger, but I never use it anymore. I use Daco Medium and Daco Strong instead. Daco Medium is about equal to Walthers Solvaset.

For most models, I apply a layer of Testors Dullcoat #1260 to the model. Later batches of this product do not work as well. I am experimenting with different products, and when I find one that I am 100% happy with, I will post an update to this process.

At this point the model is ready to be weathered as you wish, but that is a subject for a different response.

-Photographs by Kevin Parson

I hope this was some help. Please feel free to ask any more questions.

-Kevin

 

[FRRYKid]

I am probably in the minority with this, but I never have a problem with having a flat finish on any of my models when it comes to applying decals. The procedure I use is apply Microset to the area to be decaled. Carefully slide the decal into place on the Microset. Let the decal dry somewhat so that the decal doesn't move especially if you have to place another decal in the same area. That is especially true with my current project of putting decals on some CB&Q composite hoppers. The CAPY, LD LMT and LT WT decals are offset due to the side beams and I have to piece the rest of the dimensional data.

For those that grumble on the flat finish, I have only had silvering happen twice and that was many years ago. As I protolance and paint and decal a lot of my own equipment I have a lot of practice.

Just my  on the subject.

[hbgatsf]

Thank you for all the replies.  You answered all my questions.  

Rick

 

[dstarr]

hbgatsf

I will soon be applying decals for the first time.  I have found a number of tutorials on how to do it but still have a question about solutions. 

When do you use Micro Set vs Micro Sol?  It sounds like Micro Sol is more aggressive.  Do you start with Set and then use Sol if needed?

Finally, when is Solvaset used?

Rick

 

I am usually applying decals to a freshly painted car.  A lot of my fresh paint is auto primer from a rattle can which has a good flat surface.  Decals go on the flat surface just fine.  I don't believe that decals want/need a gloss surface.

   I cut my decals as small as possible with the sissors on my Swiss army knife.  I use distilled water to soak the decals off the backing paper since my tap water has a lot of ugly mud in it. I let the decals soak until I can feel them ready to slide off the backing paper.  I transfer the wet decal to the car and THEN slide it off the backing paper. 

   Next very carefully position the decal just right, lettering going horizontal.  Dampen the car slightly if you need to.  Once in place, blot up any excess water with a Kleenex, let it dry enough to stay in place, but not totally dry.  Then I apply Solvaset to "make the decal snuggle down" it used to say on the bottle.  I have been using Solvaset since long before Micro Sol/Set came on the market and I don't plan to change now.  The Solvaset softens the decal film to let it settle down around rivets and such.  Any attempt to move a decal after the Solvaset has softened the decal is bound to tear it.  If you get an air bubble under the decal use a little Solvaset to soften the decal again and pierce the bubble with a sewing needle.  Work a little Solvaset into the bubble and it will snuggle down nicely.

   After the decals have dried over night or more in a warm location, I spray the entire car with DullCote to blend the film into the paint job.  I tried an off brand "Dull Clear Cote" lacquer once, it made the decals crinkle up.  Since then I always use real DullCote. 

[SeeYou190]

FRRYKid

I never have a problem with having a flat finish on any of my models when it comes to applying decals.

There are several members of the Calusa Scale Modelers Club that feel the same way you do.

Their models are beautiful, and there is no way to argue with success.

-Kevin