Does anybody here know how to get the decals off the paper without having them tare? Or is it a fantasy? Also, what the heck do you paint with: airbrush, spray paint or brush paint. PLEASE REPLY! This is getting frustrating as I never can make my own decaled engines, cars, etc. look official.
Thanks
Painting - air brush only. Anything else is way too thick.
Have you soaked the decals in water long enough? They should just slide right off the paper.
I guess I’am lucky,I don’t seem to have any problem getting them off,my trick is to to only soak them for 10 seconds,remove them from the water,and sit them on an old wash cloth for a few,then slide them off.(CAREFULLY) After they are on the model and dryed , I use a flat clear water based paint on them.[:D][^]
JIM
First things first, how are you trying to remove the decals from the paper. Your decals could be tearing for a couple of different reasons, including the age of the decal or how you are trying to remove them from the paper. I use tepid water with a drop of dishwashing detergent in it in a small bowl to soak the decal first. I usually soak for about 15 seconds. Try to keep the decal on the paper. Then slide the decal off the paper onto the model you want decaled with a soft bristled brush. Once I have the decal positioned in the spot that I want, I carefully dab the area dry with a paper towel. Be careful not to move the decal. If the decal moves on you, wet the decal and reposition. Then apply a decal setting solution such as Solvaset using the direcitons on the bottle. This will help the decal comform to any contours or ribs on the model. Before you decal the model, you will want to spray on either a clear gloss or semi-gloss to help the decal adhere to the surface. After you are done, spray on the desired finish, weather it be gloss coat, dull coat, or whatever. And aribrushing is the way to go is you can afford to get started. I hope this helps. I am no pro by any means but get great results!
Smitty
Do you mean that you airbru***he letters onto the item through a stencil? Wow.
Naw, didn’t say lettering. I do paint the cars & engines before decaling with an air brush. Spray cans of paint put out way too much paint and should be avoided. If you’re going to paint (not lettering) break down and get an airbrush. You’ll love it.
Okay, I understand. Thanks for the reply. (don’t think I’ll ever paint a loco, but who knows?)
I have the same problem every once in a while. I use decal bonder on my decals first let it set for a day then do the regular prosedger. It seems to work a lot better then the standred method.
Decalling ease or success can be greatly influenced by the age of the decals, the brand name, the size, the finish on the model, the age, brand, and type of setting solution, the direction of the wind, phase of the moon, and Daylight savings time.
This is good advice. If you’re moving a very small decal (I’m freelancing, so I have to apply letters separately), a hobby knife works better than a brush. I have had better luck getting enamels to take decals - you don’t need to gloss them, and since you’re probably going to dullcoat it all afterward, it’s one less layer of stuff you need to apply. Also, when you’re applying the Solvaset, I have found that you want to apply it very lightly - dip the brush, and then blot it against the neck of the bottle - and apply it only to the clear, filmy portions of the decal: too much solvent applied directly to the lettering can melt and smear it.