lesthegringo Posted August 2, 2020 Share Posted August 2, 2020 Guys, the reds on my Tamiya decals have either faded to pink, or turned a brown colour, is there anything I can do to prevent it other than use alternative decals? Obviously the ones on the models will have to be replaced, but I still have Tamiya kits to build. Not sure exactly what caused the discolouration, but the models do receive sun - UV light? Cheers Les Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan B Posted August 2, 2020 Share Posted August 2, 2020 It could be the UV doing the damage. Mr Hobby (Gunze by any other name) have a range of UV Cut (filtering) clear coats which are a very good to use (my go to clear coats now) and supposedly reduce the UV getting through to the base layers of paint and decals underneath. Link to the aerosol version here but they also do the regular sized pots for airbrushing if you don't like to decant: http://www.mr-hobby.com/en/itemDetail.php?iId=272 Duncan B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray_W Posted August 2, 2020 Share Posted August 2, 2020 59 minutes ago, Duncan B said: Mr Hobby (Gunze by any other name) have a range of UV Cut (filtering) clear coats Big thumbs up to Duncan's recommendation. I really like Gunze GX112 Super Clear III UV Cut. Now my go to gloss coat and for decal encapsulation. For some stupid reason it also seems to spray and level even more nicely than my previous old staple GX100. I then finish in what ever flat or satin or premixed is at hand. Not necessarily UV Cut. It does seem that UV light is the culprit. I have not had the decal fading problem so really do not know if the UV Cut has made a difference. My finished builds avoid the sun light - let's say hangared not desert strip or coral atoll. Ray 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luftmodels Posted August 2, 2020 Share Posted August 2, 2020 This is very useful to know. 🤔 Thank you so much for sharing it! How soon did they change the color after completion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesthegringo Posted August 3, 2020 Author Share Posted August 3, 2020 Cheers guys So next question - I need to remove the old ones to replace them, which I am sensing is going to be less than fun. Any tips? Cheers Les Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesthegringo Posted August 7, 2020 Author Share Posted August 7, 2020 Guys, in case you need to do so, I found that Gunze Mr Softer will basically dissolve the decal into a fairly easy to clean up mess without damaging the paintwork. It's not fast, but using a soft toothbrush you can work the stuff in locally and it will ball up and then you can rinse the residue off. My Spit is looking splendid again with its clear new decals Cheers Les 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luftmodels Posted August 8, 2020 Share Posted August 8, 2020 14 hours ago, lesthegringo said: Guys, in case you need to do so, I found that Gunze Mr Softer will basically dissolve the decal into a fairly easy to clean up mess without damaging the paintwork. It's not fast, but using a soft toothbrush you can work the stuff in locally and it will ball up and then you can rinse the residue off. My Spit is looking splendid again with its clear new decals Cheers Les Did it eat through varnish too? Congrats on repair! I bet you feel at ease now. 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesthegringo Posted August 8, 2020 Author Share Posted August 8, 2020 Thanks The discoloration took a few years, so not fast by any means. As for the varnish, I don't think this model had been varnished, either with Clear or Gunze semi-gloss, which are the two that I would normally use. Cheers Les Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luftmodels Posted August 10, 2020 Share Posted August 10, 2020 On 8/8/2020 at 2:27 AM, lesthegringo said: Thanks The discoloration took a few years, so not fast by any means. As for the varnish, I don't think this model had been varnished, either with Clear or Gunze semi-gloss, which are the two that I would normally use. Cheers Les Yeah, your luck here for not varnishing. If you varnished it that would be a loss because Mr softener wouldn't be able to go through varnish layer. Or maybe the issue didn't happen in first place. 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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