Removing printed on MTL decals on cars?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Hi guys,

I’ve long heard that rubbing microset onto a factory printed decal will get it off the model quickly -but I’ve been scrubbing at my Micro Trains ATSF reefer for about 5 minutes and nothing has budged! Do I need to soak it? should I break out the Microsol?

Cheers,

Will

2

Right - seemed I needed to use a pencil eraser rather than a cotton bud!

3

If it’s a separate decal, the Microset should work. If the lettering is printed directly on the model (most factory lettering is) then I would recommend starting with 91% isopropyl alcohol on a Q-tip, gently. If that doesn’t work, you can try progressively stronger thinners. But I think the alcohol will do the trick. Just be careful not to rub clear through the base paint. Monitor the color coming off on the swab, and when you start to see the base color, stop and let everything dry before you start again.

Good luck!