Hello everyone, I need some advice about decals. I’ve repainted some MOW cars (CN red) using acrylic paints and an airbrush. The problem is when I applied the new decals, when they were dry, the body of the decals were visible. Sooo, I sprayed the car’s bodies with Dull-Coat thinking that the finish including the decal area would have a uniform patina. WRONG! If you look at the cars from certain angles, the decals are still visible. Any tips from the old hands as to how to make the defals disappear? Thanks Gerry S.
You have apparently done everything right as to applying the decals. I don’t believe you have any “silvering” issues applying over the acylic. The edge/ film thickness is what is showing. This could be relative to what decals you have used. I can only suggest additional coats of clear to somewhat hide the film edge. I use Microscale almost exclusivly. I find that they have a much thinner film and on the larger heralds and lettering have some tapering of the film. I will never trim these type decals and cut into the film just for the reasons you have found.
Not knowing what decals or how they were trimmed I can only speculate. Did you use a solvent (Solvaset or Microsol) after applying?
If you didn’t want the decals to be seen, why did you put them on in the first place?
Ummmm, wait, that isn’t the right answer! I presume you mean that you are seeing something through the decal film around the lettering. There are names for this, most of them unprintable, but I call it “blush”. A lot of times you’ll get this if you apply the decals over a rough finish. There have been other threads here where the posters have claimed that they have successfully applied decals over rough surfaces, but I have never had any luck doing so. The smoother the surface, the better chance you will have of having a good result.
Depending upon the type of paint you used, you will either get a dull finish or a glossy surface. If the finish is not glossy, then you need to use a gloss coat finish before the decal application. And sometimes even if you use a paint that should leave a gloss finish, you will end up with a rough finish because of airbrush technique. I know this because I have had this problem.
You can mitigate the blush problem by the application, and re-application, of decal setting solution. After the initial application, look at the result under a good light. If you seeany blush, you’ll need to re-apply the setting solution. It is sometimes helpful if you use a sharp needle to puncture the decal surface in the blushed area. This will allow the setting solution to get behind the decal film.
Again, looking at the finish under a good light is key. As you found, no matter how much dullcoat you apply you won’t be able to hide the blush. I also know this from experience.
If you want to try to save what you have already dullcoated, you can try the needle trick. You will be trying to puncture the decal film as well as the layer of dullcoat. If you can get the blush to disappear, then you c
Maxman, good info as to eliminating the “blush” or silvering, but the OP says the decal is visible at an angle to the light. I believe it is more of a film edge issue. Hope he can shed more light and offer more info.
And thats the exact reason why I prefer dry transfers!
In my own experience, the edges of the decal film can never be hidden completely (especially with thicker decals). I like using Microscale decals, because not only do they have excellent quality printing, but they’re also extremely thin. Their edges disappear for the most part after Solvaset and a clear coat, but a tiny bit of film is always visible at certain angles. Since they’re so thin, I don’t even notice most of the time.
You may be able to hide the edges a little more with some weathering and another clear coat, but that’s all I can think of to hide the problem.
The only other info is that, yes, I used Microscale decals and applied them over Model Master acrylic paint. I use a double action airbrush and the surface of the paint is a “semi-gloss” finish (ie. not flat but not a gloss). I did not use Solvaset (my bad!). I’m thinking that maybe the problem is the color on the car bodies as I used the same decals on some locomotives (GTW blue) and no problem? Thanks for the insights. Gerry S.
The problem is the paint surface wasn’t absolutely smooth when the decals were applied, most paints, particularly “dull” colors have microscopic irregularities which help prevent the decals to completely settle on the surface. One should apply a clear, smooth, glossy finish after painting and before decaling. I use something like Floquil’s crystal-cote. When applying the decals, use Microscale’s micro-set or micro-sol to “settle” the decals. After that all dries, apply something like Krylon’s matte finish (its answer to dull coat) to seal the decals and help dull the finish.
I just finished painting/decaling this flanger using rattle-can paint and the above-described procedure. Without additional weathering, it looks like it just left the paint shop.
Mark
I prefer decals because one is able to maneuver a decal on the surface to its final position while with dry transfers one is stuck where one starts rubbing it on. Also, transfers are thicker and give an appearance to being a half-inch thick.
Mark
I’ll add my two cents also. something else that you might be seeing is the difference in gloss between the painted surface and the decal itself. I find this is usually the culprit. My method is to apply a good gloss coat of Future floor finish over the paint. This being an acrylic clear paint and mostly water it levels out to a nice smooth glossy surface. When I apply the decal over it i let the solvent melt the decal into the clear. After a couple applications the decal film is undetectable. With the paint surface and the decal both of the same level of gloss the dullcoat layer completly hides the edges and film making the decal look to be painted on.
…or I could be wrong.
Dan
I’ll probably apply an alcohol-thinned solution of acrylic burnt sienna to further dull the surface and “fade” the lettering. Then apply Bragdon chalks to further weather the car. Those chalks cling quite well by themselves so I don’t apply something over them to “seal” it because that almost eliminates the chalks’ effect.
Mark
I apply the paint. (I generally use acrylics)
Then a coat of gloss (I use Future floor finish).
Apply the decal.
Apply solvaset and let dry.
Apply solvaset and let dry.
Cut or poke any bubbles and apply solvaset and let dry.
Coat with flat finish.
Thanks everyone for all the great tips. I’m in the process of repainting a ballast hopper and will try the above methods when I apply the decals. Actually, on the MOW cars that I’ve done, the numbers came out great, but I used a large size “wet noodle” CN decal and that’s the one that gave me trouble. So now I’ll try some of the tips from “y’all” and see how it goes. Thanks Gerry S.