Does DecalFix "go off"?

[Vlad]

I have a 125ml bottle of DecalFix that I bought I guess about 3 years ago now. I'm not even halfway through it, but I feel on some recent projects it's not softening as well as I expect, particularly "sucking down" decals sink into recessed details (I remember being very impressed with it when I first used it). Now, this may be my bad memory, or coincidence that recent projects have just had thicker decals, but I wanted to ask just in case. Does DecalFix have a limited lifespan once opened? Does it weaken over time?

Edited June 23, 2021 by Vlad

[Head in the clouds.]

I am no expert but I also have this and the Daco range, Daco say a shelf life of 3(ish) years so there is a precedent for these chemicals to weaken over time. I have had my Daco set for about five years and it seems to me that I have to use the strong one to do the job, the other two just do not seem to cut it now, but like you I thought the same.

At the end of the day these solutions are a mix of elements/chemicals and like any such fluid I suspect they do break down with time, the big question is how much time.

 

Hope this is of help.

[Markh-75]

I used to use it, but I found it started going a bit sticky after while, it also left a whitish bloomed area, I switched to Decalset and decalsol by Microindustries and I never had problems since unless the decals themselves are rubbish. Decalfix doesn’t help to make the decals conform to the surface anywhere near as good as Decalset and decalsol, they help the decal settle down and they gently stretch and shrink the decal to fit curved or undulating surfaces.

I always seal my paint with Johnson’s Klear an hour or two before I’m ready to apply decals. Once the decals are fitted and dry I carefully varnish them with the Klear again.

All works perfectly for me!