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[quote]QUOTE: Originally posted by Big_Boy_4005 Patience, and be thankful that you aren't in N scale. [:)] [/quote] Well, I *am* in N-scale, and yes, some of those decals are really difficult. What I use to maneuver decals into position is a soft, thin paintbrush, along with a basic shirt pin (any fine point will do). I don't like to use a knife blade because it is usually sharper (I do save my used-up blades for service such as scenery carving or scraping chalk for weathering). A shirt pin is just sharp enough to catch the film and tug it without tearing. I use the bru***o first apply the decal; by dipping in water, then touching the bru***ip to the cut-out decal, I pick it up by surface tension; touch the bru***o the back side of the decal. The paper will soak up just enough water, and then you lay the decal down onto the model with the brush beneath. Use the pin to pull the decal off of the brush and onto the model; this way, you maintain a laminar layer of water between model body and decal, prohibiting the formation of bubbles. The decal will still need some time to soak before it comes loose from the paper, so be patient. When it starts to slide, tug it off with the pin or push it off with the brush (use the brush for larger decals, as it will move a larger area at once); you can add a half-drop of water as needed to give you time to position things, and as others mentioned you can soak up the excess once it is in position. Get about 50 percent of the decal off the paper, and stuck to the model, then pull the rest of the paper out from under it; again, this maintains a layer of water between decal and model to prevent bubbles. As for alignment, I don't yet have any real tricks to help out here. If you tilt the model to an extreme angle and sight down it, you can visually check that lines are straight and level. I am wondering if using masking tape might be an option, but I would be fearful of placing such over any already-placed decals before they had been fully set; usually when I do decaling, I do it all at the same time, just waiting for one to air dry before going on to the next. Utlimately, the decals should be set with Solva-Set, and probably covered with a clear coat, though I just apply weathering after the Solva-Set.
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