My experience too (which as I stated previously is on plastic and metal, not wood) is a second gloss coat hides the decal edge better than just going immediately to a flat coat.
Yes I agree Wayne, weathering steps may be before flat coat, after, or both, depending on what you are striving for. Actually on structures I usually go with chalks as the last item, w/o sealing, since the structures aren't handled significantly and sealing tends to lighten the chalk effect too much.
Let's hope this works so I don't blow this expensive model!
G Paine ..... do not see the necessity of a gloss clearcoat over the decal followed by clear flat. The final clearcoat is to seal the decal surface, so one coat of either gloss or flat will do the job depending on desired final surface finish.
..... do not see the necessity of a gloss clearcoat over the decal followed by clear flat. The final clearcoat is to seal the decal surface, so one coat of either gloss or flat will do the job depending on desired final surface finish.
I use Solvaset which is stronger than Microsol / Microset, and never have had to slit a decal to make it sit down in the grooves. It softens the decal and it settles where it is supposed to go. Sometimes it takes multiple applications. The thing about Solvaset is, once you apply it, DO NOT touch the decal in any way until it is dry. The soft decal will stick to the paper towel or stretch and be ruined. If you need to remove excess liquid, tip the model so the liquid will go to a corner, then touch the puddle with the tip of a dry paper towel. Even in the decal looks wrinkled, it will smooth out as it dries. (Voice of experience!! )
As to your first comment, I do not see the necessity of a gloss clearcoat over the decal followed by clear flat. The final clearcoat is to seal the decal surface, so one coat of either gloss or flat will do the job depending on desired final surface finish.
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
That's the usual procedure, although I reverse the last two steps, unless the weathering is done with powders and the model is likely to be handled a lot.
Wayne
Thanks to all who answered. Doctorwayne, I agree, I've tried the "mask only a portion" method (on non-wood models) and found the area masked was noticable even after repeated flat coats.
Bottom line is it sounds like the best approach is gloss coat entire side, decal, set with solution, cut (if required) and set again, gloss coat entire side, weather, flat coat entire side.
I like to at least partially set a decal either during or immediately after application, and use Microset. Don't attempt to slit the decal while it's wet or even damp, as it can easily tear or become distorted. Once fully dry, I use a new blade to do the slitting, then apply Solvaset to allow the decal edges to settle into the grooves.
Masking an area to apply a clear gloss for decaling often results in that area appearing significantly different from the gloss-coated area, even after an overspray of flat finish. If the wood surface represents painted wood, apply the gloss over the entire surface, then, after decal work is completed, finish to suit. You can apply the decals over a non-glossy surface, too, but they'll be very noticeable as decals regardless of what you do for the final finish.
I've never found it necessary to slit the decals on my wood sided, or plastic wood sided cabooses. I simply use Micro-sol to soften the decal and I've always found it settles right into the grooves. That way I never need to worry about ripping the decal after all the hard work of positioning and orienting the decals.
NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"
Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association: http://www.nprha.org/
Whether to weather. The application of decals to wood can vary, depending on how you want the final sign to look. If you want a new-looking sign, then a smooth finish prior to application is essential. What you could do, though, is mask off everything else and just apply the coating to the space where the sign will go.
On the other hand, if you want the sign to look like it's been there for decades, you can apply the decal directly to the wood. As has been mentioned, use a softener, maybe a couple of applications, to get the decal to settle into the grain of the wood.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Hi
Are you saying you scribe the decal while it's still wet (soft)? Do you do it right after applying microsol or do you wait? Do you ever let the decal dry completely and go back and do more scribing with additional solution?
Thanks for your advice
Bob
That's the way I'd do it, but after the decals are in place and have had an initial application of setting solution, use a fresh blade to slit the decal film wherever it spans a scribed line in the siding. Apply more setting solution and repeat the slitting and setting until all "boards" once again appear individual. Then spray with another gloss coat and finish with the flat.While I no longer build wood kits, scribed styrene siding often suffers from the same too-wide gaps between boards. Incidentally, the slit-and-set method works well for dry transfer lettering, too.
Reference: Branchline Trains Crosby's Coal. Kit has scribed siding. Should the siding be given a coat of gloss coat before applying the decals, then apply decals, then another gloss coat, then a flat coat? This is what you'd do on a plastic model, but I am hesitant to spray gloss coat on my nice flat red siding. Any assistance would be appreciated, in particular if you have decaled a wood kit.