Removing damaged decals

[Avgas]

I had a little disaster while applying a wash over a Klear sealed model (Humbrol enamel thinned with mineral turps - a method I've used for ages with no problem). Unfortunately the wash penetrated the layer of Klear and has soaked into the decals, spoiling them.

What is the best way to remove the Microset'd, Microsol'd, Klear'd decals without damaging the delicate metalcote finish beneath?

TIA

Andre

[arnobiz]

I don't think there is anything that would remove Klear without removing paint unfortunately. Klear is removed by amonia, and I guess that would remove the paint as well

I'm no chemist though, so there may still be hope?

[spitfire]

I managed to pull a decal off my P-39 with Tamiya tape after the matt coat, it wasn't really what I intended to do but it happened !

Cheers

Den

[Karl]

Rather than masking tape, I've used sellotape in the past as it's stickier than the masking tape - it grabbed the decal and ripped it right off.

I don't know how much damage it will cause to the rest of the surface though, so use with caution.

Karl

Edited June 5, 2010 by Karl

[T-Tango]

I've used tape in the past to get a decal off.

[Deon]

You might try a very gentle sanding down of the offending area, but working on metalic finish is always sensitive. Metalcote,if your using the Humbrol stuff, is a bit more resilient and you might get away with a light respray of the affected panels. I would try the tape method first, then try microsol (Mr Mark Softer from LSA models, Hove - would be better) and a tooth brush to remove the decal, sand and respray if all else fails, good luck

Edited June 5, 2010 by Deon

[Avgas]

Cheers gents - tried the tape trick and noticed the spoilt finish diminishing in size, so figured it must have been the 2nd layer of Klear which mopped up the wash, and not the decal. The initial Klear layer was left to dry for almost 2 weeks, the 2nd layer for about 48hrs, so it must not have been cured properly. Got a cotton bud dipped in window cleaner and got rid of the rest, leaving the decals intact.

*phew*

[Deon]

Nice save!