Okay, I ruined some more Microscale decals by just normally soaking them and then trying to apply them. They literally disintegrated ( being very thin to to begin with ) as I very gently tried to slide them onto a boxcar surface, already glossy, already wetted with Micro Sol. They were purchased just last year from Microscale directly, stored in their original envelope and then in a plastic bag indoors. When I make my own decals, I have no such problem. I tried spraying some acrylic gloss on another few of them, as I do on my home-made decals, but it caused them to wrinkle (and become useless also). Is there something I can brush on to reinforce these commercial decals? What am I doing wrong? Cedarwoodron
Contact Rachel at Microscale 714-593-1422. You probably received a bad run of decals. Just tell her you bought a set from them directly and the set disintegrated. They’ll send you a new set.
You can fix some of the older sets or even a set you know may be fragile by lightly spraying a thin coat of LiquidDecal Film to shore them up some.
Chris Palomarez
Just for future reference, try using Micro Set to pre-wet the surface. Micro Sol dissolves decal film, and should be used only after the decal has been placed in its final position and let dry thoroughly. Microscale decals are thin to begin with, and will disintegrate when moved while in contact with Micro Sol, or any other strong setting solution. That’s probably why the decals fell apart in the first place.
A Hint: I use Walthers Solva Set for my final setting agent. Microscale decals are quite reliable, but require some care in application. And Micro Sol is a pretty harsh setting solution.
In fact, here’s my full procedure for applying decals, created when I made custom decals for modelers:
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Begin with a glossy or satin finish. Flat paint has talc in it to scatter the light striking it so that the light does not reflect uniformly back to the eye. In short, it’s a rough finish. and the decal film is thicker than the depth between particles, so it will not snuggle down properly.
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Cut out the decal. If using a commercial decal set (Microscale, etc), the individual decal is often on its own film (check the sheet closely). If so, cut around the outside of the film. The individual film will have a tapered edge, and will be harder to spot on the model. If the sheet is all one piece of decal film, then cut as close to the edge of the printed part of the decal as possible, with a new #11 blade. If possible, tilt the handle of the knife towards the inside of the decal as you cut. This will give the decal film a tapered edge, thus again making it harder to see on the model.
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Dip the decal in lukewarm distilled water. If the decal is large enough, (e.g.: a large herald) you can allow it to soak until the decal film is loosened. Otherwise, lay the decal on the end of your finger with a drop of water added (I use tweezers to pick up the dr
As they like to say on the Mythbusters, “There’s your problem!” Micro Sol is powerful stuff and should only be used after the decal is in place and has dried for a while.
Steve S