Clear coat on decals

[Jonesy66]

Hey all

 

a couple of questions that I ask for assistance with pretty please:

 

1. I usually give my models a clear coat (Tamiya TS13 or TS81) after I’ve put the decals on. Occasionally I find that the clear coat eats some of the decals but not all of them. Is this normal? Any tricks and tips around this? 
 

2. On my last model the Humbrol DecalFix liquid eats my paint. It’s fine on TS spray colours but it seems to destroy any Tamiya XF colour. Any ideas?

 

cheers. Alan. 

[Charles H]

Hello Alan - I won't be of much help, sorry, as I am very much a newbie myself! I was a keen aeroplane modeler as a teenager, and also when I was younger, when my dad really made the models, but now I've rediscovered the hobby after retirement, my aims are much higher as to the quality of finish I hope to achieve. I am in total and delighted awe at many models shown here, made by experienced and skilled modelers!

 

However, of course it is NOT a competition on a daily basis, but I strive to learn and improve!

 

I have learned that folks typically paint military planes, with matt finishes (which are microscopically a rough surface) with clear gloss, BEFORE applying decals/transfers to achieve a microscopically smooth surface for the film to stick properly. The additional use of decal adhesive (eg Tamiya), so no "silvering" occurs (air trapped between decals and surface features, such as panel lines or rivets) is also very common. Then, typically these planes receive repeated coats of a matt clear coat, applied OVER the decals, to re-achieve a final matt finish.

 

I've never yet experienced any such corrosive activity as you describe, in my albeit limited experience. Hopefully someone with more knowledge than me can reply to you here! Of course, I realise these "super modelers" were also newbies once, but achieved their expertise from much work on many models... and doubtless THEY had some disasters, which they learned from. You probably learn even more from perceived "failures" than successes, as long as you (note to self!) remember to learn, research, practice... and have fun!

 

I'm still practicing filling/sanding/scribing on scrap styrene, to learn how to repair poorly fitting parts, etc, before I attempt it on my current 1:72 Italeri Panavia Tornado.

 

regards,

 

Charles