How long should you let decals dry/set before airbrushing on a flat clear coat? The decals have been on for a few days and I just applied one more coat of Micro Sol to them last night. Would it be safe to airbrush them tomorrow or are they like paint that needs 3 days to cure? Thanks.
Hi,
I would say 24 hrs is a safe bet, but others may know better.
After I am done with the car in the evening, I then wash off the decal solution that is on the car with water in the morning, then dull coat that evening.
Rick Jesionowski
I have used clear coat a matter of hours after applying decals without problems. But more typically, my decaling projects involve several pieces of equipment at one time and I’ll do the decals one evening and apply finishes one or more days later.
Mark H
Parallel with what Rick said above, I found after doing the decal solvent thing, that there was sometimes a bit of decal glue on the surfaces. I wash that off with water before going further.
I wait 24 hours after the surface looks dry, visually.
Ed
12 to 24 hours should do ya, unless you have a lot of humidity then wait the full 24 hours.
I usually wait about 24 hours.Sometimes I will go longer but never more than 72 hours because by that time you will most likely be handling the model.
Ditto at least 24 hrs before dull coating or other clear coating, so all the micro amounts of moisture can evaporate. I always use those blue nitrile gloves (box of s/m/l or xl at Harbor Freight) when paimting, applying decals or handling immediately after.
“Once you get a smudge, it becomes hard to budge!”
Cedarwoodron
I concur with several of the above suggestions. The time required may vary with the size of the decal, as a small application of a locomotive number will dry faster than a large herald. The human nose is rather sensitive, and one could apply a “sniff test” to see if any of the SolvaSet or MicroSol can still be detected. Generally, though, I always allow 24 hours between decaling and dullcoat.
Bill
Good tips mentioned above. There are talented modelers on this forum that have performed stunning “manufacturer grade” decal work and, to me, it’s enjoyable seeing their photos (especially Doc Wayne).
I would like to respectfully add a tip that might be helpful in some cases.
After applying decals, allow them to fully adhere to the surface. Afterwards, instead of immediately applying dull coat or a flat clear, apply one thin even coat of a gloss or semi-gloss clear. Allow it to cure. Follow up with one to two coats of flat clear (or dull coat for those that use it). I’ve found that this does a decent job of hiding decal film edges well, especially on metallic and darker toned colors (ie: Black locomotives with light colored decals, such as Penn Central, Norfolk Southern, Atlantic Coast Line and metalized passenger cars with a weathered look).
I usually do that extra step for some models that I want to make “stand out” or that I plan on taking photos of that will be posted on a forum.