decal problems

[alecras234]

I attempted to apply decals to my hurricane using humbrol decalfix but i ruined the decals. I applied a oat of humbrol clear, them applied the first decal, it went on fine which was the serial number but then i tried putting on the letters on the fuselage. I brushed on the decalfix onto the decal to soften it so it would slide off the backing paper, i waited ages for the decal to loosen, then i applied to the model, as i slide it on the lettering broke and then it got stuck to the decal i previously applied which came off and the two decals were stuck together. I'm obviously doing something wrong with the decalfix, could you give me some help on how to use it please, is brushing it on ok or do i need to submerge the decal in decalfix?

 

[bhouse]

Hello.  The whole decalling process is confusing. Decalfix is not essential but warm water is! 

 

Decalfix should be brushed onto the surface of the model just before the decal is applied - a soft brush works best. It just helps the decal confirm to the shape of the model.

 

Trim the decal sheet so the decal you want is the only one you have to deal with.  Leave a border of a few mm around it.  Soak the decal you plan to use in warm,  clean water. The time required varies depending on decal thickness, but 30 secs is a good average. 

Take the decal out of the water and hold it over the relevant bit of the model (already freshly painted with decalfix if you wish to use it). Hold the corner of the paper backing sheet with one one hand and pull gently while you stabilise the decal itself with either a finger tip or paintbrush held in your other hand. 

 

If the decal is reluctant to leave the backing paper you probably haven't soaked it long enough. 

 

Nudge the decal into position using a finger tip or paintbrush. A bit of decal fix can make it easier to slide it around to its perfect position. 

 

I hope this helps!

 

Brian

[fewr9fkr9595]

Yeah what brian said above. You still need to use water to get the decals off the paper first. Decal solutions aren't a substitute for water, they are used once on the model. I imagine that the decalfix softened the decals too much leading to them breaking up on the paper and the subsequent application problems... 

[alecras234]

Yes that's what i thought that the decalfix softened the deal too much.   Since then i brushed some decalfix where i wanted the decal to go and used warm water to soak the decal, once on the model the decal stuck down straight away, so i then brushed on water to unstick the decal to move it into position. When it was in position I then brushed on decalfix to give it a final soften.  Should i brush decalfix onto the model before i slide the decal on?  Seeing as i brush on water to loosen the decal to get it in the right spot i don't see the point of decalfix until the decal is in position.

 

 

[Knight_Flyer]

Decalfix sounds like the equivalent of Microscale Micro Set.  Usually it is brushed onto the model just before applying the decal.  It has some softening properties but I think it's more geared towards improving adhesion.  If the decal still doesn't conform to the surface, then Microscale does offer Micro Sol and this really does soften the decal. I'm not sure Humbrol does an equivalent of Microsol.

[rio]

Which Hurricane you building?. Might have spare decals for it.

 

Rio

[Squibby]

I normally forget about the decal setting / softening solutions until you've applied the decal to the correct spot. Seems to work fine for me.

 

Soak for 10-15 seconds or so in water, (submerge it if it floats), warm water is best. Then lay on a kitchen paper towel to wick away the excess water. Leave it on the paper towel for about 30 secs and give it a gently nudge. It'll start to slide around on the backing paper. If it doesn't just wait, it'll eventually come loose.

 

Once it's sliding freely on the backing paper you can apply to your model. I'd wet the area you want apply it to slightly with a brush (or your finger :D).

Hold the corner of the backing paper in some tweezers and slide it off using a cotton bud or paint brush.

 

Once it's on nudge it around until it looks about right. If you need to move it and it gets stuck, don't force it. just brush some water over it and 're-float' it . When you're happy with it take a cotton bud or paintbrush and wick the excess water away. Then I usually roll the cotton bud over the decal to encourage it into the gaps / over bumps.

 

After the decal has dried a bit (a few minutes or so) you can get out your Decalfix. Just brush it over (lightly, don't saturate the area). and go do something else  The decal may horribly crinkle up, don't touch it, just leave it and after a couple of hours it should sort itself out. If not, once it's fully dry you can try rolling the cotton bud over again and applying some more decalfix.

 

Oh don't forget to gloss your surface before you apply decals, helps slide them around and stops the edges silvering. Once all your decals are on most people gloss the surface again to seal them in... And a word of warning, NEVER stick masking tape or put anything sticky (blutack etc) onto finished decals. Even if they're 'sealed' because you'll risk tearing and pulling them off.

 

 

Hope that helps