Modeldecal decals... functional despite age?

[Peter Lloyd]

Hi all. Big H are still selling Modeldecal decals, obviously they are fairly old stock.

 

Has anyone bought and used them recently?

 

I don't mind the issues with non state of the art printing, I just don't want to pay goid money if they fall apart. 

[Black Knight]

Use them all the time.

The old glue has perished so one needs to soak the decal off the backing paper, flip it over and use water to wash off the old glue, which looks like a yellow-white powder. Then apply the decal as normal Despite having no glue on it now the decal goes on real loverly and settles down, very rarely needs any decal setting solution on them

I can't remember ever having any that broke up or fell apart

[Selwyn]

6 hours ago, Peter Lloyd said:

Hi all. Big H are still selling Modeldecal decals, obviously they are fairly old stock.

 

Has anyone bought and used them recently?

 

I don't mind the issues with non state of the art printing, I just don't want to pay goid money if they fall apart. 

Quality items. Never ever had any issue with them, not even with the glue. If I ever see a sheet I havent got for sale, I buy it as a matter of course! last used by myself in July using an ancient sheet that I can't even remember buying, went on great no problems.

modeldecal phantom scheme

 

Selwyn

[Paul Thompson]

The old glue hasn't perished. It was always like that. It's supposed to dry clear. Usually still does. Anyway, most gets removed while pressing the decal down. IIRC, which I probably don't, they may have changed formulation later. The milky stuff is much like you get with some Almark decals, and a few other brands.  Whatever, I've used them a lot, and still do, and haven't noticed problems with any of the sheets, regardless of age (and I have some bought on first release).

 

 

Paul.

[The Good Sergeant]

Peter, thank you for asking this question here. With five or six Modeldecal decals in my stash, I've had intentions of asking the same thing. Glad to hear from the others that they should be viable. 👍

[Giorgio N]

Same here, never had problem with the adhesion of these decals. I usually remove the "milky stuff" but the decal sets nicely anyway, sticking properly onto the paint

Of course the print quality and the thickness are not on par with what others have done in later years, but they are still very useable and accurately researched decals

[Scott Hemsley]

I've got remnants of several of their generic RAF roundel and code letter/number sheets (purchased back in the 70's and 80's) still in my decal stash and have had no issues with them after all these years.  I must admit, thought ... contrary to Black Knight's mention of decal setting solution, I've never found one that works on them ... but what I did find is just plain 'warm' H2O - the stuff you just used to separate them off the backing sheet.   Once in position, just add a drop or two onto the decal, let it sit for a moment & then press down with a soft tissue. The process may have to be repeated a couple of times, but so far, I've not encountered any surface detail, raised or scribed, that the decals didn't conform to.

 

Scott

[Paul J]

I still use items from the generic sets like numerals and lettering. Absolutely no problems. 

[Space Ranger]

As I recall, Modeldecal advised the use of NO setting solutions, as they could cause the inks to dissolve and run.

[Daedalus72]

I still have a lot of Modeldecals from the days when I built 1/72 scale stuff. Despite some being 40 years old, they have never given me any problems.

As stated above, the milky white residue is normal and disappears when dry.

the instructions are also a valuable reference

 

[Paul Thompson]

1 hour ago, Space Ranger said:

As I recall, Modeldecal advised the use of NO setting solutions, as they could cause the inks to dissolve and run.

Yup, it's in the section on how to use them. Now, I do recall forgetting that and using Micro Sol once or twice, with around a 50% disaster rate. Glass hall-fullishly though, I got away with it half the time.

 

Paul.

[e8n2]

12 hours ago, Paul Thompson said:

Yup, it's in the section on how to use them. Now, I do recall forgetting that and using Micro Sol once or twice, with around a 50% disaster rate. Glass hall-fullishly though, I got away with it half the time.

 

Paul.

I never noticed a statement not to use setting solutions and have been using them with MicroSet and MicroSol and don't have any problems with them.  I've been doing it that way for over 40 years.

Later,

Dave

[Olmec Head]

I have used some inherited from my father when I found them in his loft from the 80s and 90s.  They still worked.  The only issue I have found on other old decal/transfer sheets is to soak the decal and remove from the paper backing and then wash any old glue from the reverse side.  I used Future to stick the transfers.

[Paul Thompson]

23 minutes ago, Olmec Head said:

I have used some inherited from my father when I found them in his loft from the 80s and 90s.  They still worked.  The only issue I have found on other old decal/transfer sheets is to soak the decal and remove from the paper backing and then wash any old glue from the reverse side.  I used Future to stick the transfers.

The point is, you don't have to do any of that. Don't wash off the glue and the things will stick. Any milkiness goes away on drying, so I don't see the gain in adding the extra step, and the second extra step of needing to add a sticking medium. Fine if you really need the peace of mind, but ...........................

 

Paul.

[Paul Thompson]

3 hours ago, e8n2 said:

I never noticed a statement not to use setting solutions and have been using them with MicroSet and MicroSol and don't have any problems with them.  I've been doing it that way for over 40 years.

Later,

Dave

I've been having a check and it isn't on all of them, but where it is you could easily miss it, buried in a huge wodge of tiny-font text.

Bear in mind these were in production for yonks so the ink formulation could well have been changed upon re-print, just to add some much needed obfuscation.

 

Paul.

[Moggy]

There's always the possibility of airbrushing the decals with clear - that seals the inks and thus facilitates the use of setting solutions.

The reprinted decal sheets I have used never had a problem using setting solutions ( Microsol); the really old (original) sheets I always airbrush with clear acrylic paint since having the ink dissolved by Microsol a VERY long time ago.

 

The "milkiness" disappears all by itself when dried.

Modeldecals have the most complete instructions I have ever seen.

 

Cheers, Moggy

 

[Scott Hemsley]

Back when Modeldecal enjoyed a percentage of the hobby market, the staff at my LHS mentioned that they had staunch 48th modellers come in & buy the Modeldecal sheets (they were exclusively 72nd) just for the references.  Like Moggy said, "Modeldecals have the most complete instructions I have ever seen" and IMO, that still holds in today's market.

 

Scott

[viscount806x]

Still using mine too, my ‘go to’ particularly for numbers/letters. Some of my purchases are now around 50 years old, always reliable still.

 

As an aside, I also used Almarks rub down sets too, the roundels were great at the time because no carrier film etc. Sadly, they deteriorated years ago and wouldn’t come off the backing sheet because the glue had dried out. Have a sheet of Maintrack 1/48 F.4 decals too with the same issue. Never worked out a way of using them unless anyone can help there.

[e8n2]

20 hours ago, Paul Thompson said:

I've been having a check and it isn't on all of them, but where it is you could easily miss it, buried in a huge wodge of tiny-font text.

Bear in mind these were in production for yonks so the ink formulation could well have been changed upon re-print, just to add some much needed obfuscation.

 

Paul.

I bought most of mine 40+ years ago.  I was on leave from my unit in Germany and stopped in at the "home office" in Portsmouth.  Bought a bunch of Rareplanes kits (many of which still haven't been built) and a large number of their decal sheets.  Instructions have always been excellent and they still work fine for me.  And yes I did take the time to see the HMS Victory as well.  This was also during the Falklands War and would watch the news for the latest developments.

Later,

Dave