Applying Decals

[misterryno]

Hey all. I posted this question in another topic but did not get any answers. So I figured I would start a topic with this question. I have been contiplating on stickering the hell out of my CM Legioss/TREAD and was curious if someone knew of a brush on or spray on "sealer" for decals. I noticed in the hobby shop where I buy my brush on paints that there is a "decal" something or other by Testors. What's that all about? PLEASE do help me for I would like to sticker these guys soon. THANKS.

[Rockhound]

That Testor's bottle says Decal Set. That pretty much just softens up the decal, letting it settle into panels lines and such. As for sealing it, some people use Future Floor wax as it dries clear and thick, others use a semi-gloss coat spray. The main function of this, besides protecting the decal from wear and tear, is to get rid of the clear border that surrounds the color of the decal by creating a clear layer up to the height of the decal.

At least, that sounds good to me...hehe.

[wraith1701]

Rockhound pretty much summed it up, but I'll add a little. I'm assuming you are applying water-slide decals, not actual stickers.

Unless the surface you are applying the decals to is already glossy smooth, you should prep the surface with either future or testors gloss-coat. In my experience, decals wont set right if applied to a rough or non-gloss surface. The more polished and smooth the surface, the better. This helps the decal to conform entirely to the surface, helping you to achieve a "painted-on" appearance.

After your surface is prepped, you can use decal set to soften up the decal. This will further help the decal to conform to the surface you are applying it to, and is handy if you are applying the decal to a surface that has raised details, like rivets or panel lines. Be sure to carefully blot the decal before it sets and dries to remove any air bubbles that might be trapped beneath it.

Once the decal dries, you can use any commercial overcoat to seal the decal to the surface. I personally like using testors semi-gloss coat. Just be sure to follow the instructions on the can-- use light passes, spraying past the surface. The idea is to apply the surface coat in miniscule layers at a time. Otherwise, you risk having a visible layer of laquer covering your surface, which wont look so hot.

After you have sealed the decal, you are pretty much done. Depending on how much you want to detail or weather your mech. The only thing I'll add is if the initial surface treatment leaves your subject looking too glossy (which isn't very realistic for a military subject), you can fix it with a light coat of testors dull-coat. This will cut any glare, and leave your subject with a matt, or non-shiny finish.

[Rockhound]

Rockhound pretty much summed it up, but I'll add a little. I'm assuming you are applying water-slide decals, not actual stickers.

Unless the surface you are applying the decals to is already glossy smooth, you should prep the surface with either future or testors gloss-coat. In my experience, decals wont set right if applied to a rough or non-gloss surface. The more polished and smooth the surface, the better. This helps the decal to conform entirely to the surface, helping you to achieve a "painted-on" appearance.

After your surface is prepped, you can use decal set to soften up the decal. This will further help the decal to conform to the surface you are applying it to, and is handy if you are applying the decal to a surface that has raised details, like rivets or panel lines. Be sure to carefully blot the decal before it sets and dries to remove any air bubbles that might be trapped beneath it.

Once the decal dries, you can use any commercial overcoat to seal the decal to the surface. I personally like using testors semi-gloss coat. Just be sure to follow the instructions on the can-- use light passes, spraying past the surface. The idea is to apply the surface coat in miniscule layers at a time. Otherwise, you risk having a visible layer of laquer covering your surface, which wont look so hot.

After you have sealed the decal, you are pretty much done. Depending on how much you want to detail or weather your mech. The only thing I'll add is if the initial surface treatment leaves your subject looking too glossy (which isn't very realistic for a military subject), you can fix it with a light coat of testors dull-coat. This will cut any glare, and leave your subject with a matt, or non-shiny finish.

That's what I said.... hehehe

[Ghostkiller]

After decal application : just use a flat clear coat ===> tamiya TS80 can

quick spray 3 times over the bird

flat = fighter finish

result below zoom on it they look painted

[thegunny]

Are you using decals or stickers. Two TOTALLY different mediums with totally different requirements.

Decals need to be applied to a smooth gloss surface to prevent the "silvering" that occurs around the edges, hence why some people use future floor polish as the acrylic layer it leaves gives the best surface for the decal to adhere to. As decals are considerably thinner than stickers they conform to the surface better and don't lift off with time. You can just finish them off with some sort of clear as a protective coat and also to blend in with the gloss or matte finish of the model. I find Vallejo works quite well.

Stickers tend to lift with time as they are thicker and don't conform to the surface as well as decals, especially when there are panel lines involved. Usually you have to use an additional adhesive to make sure they dont lift. PVA glue (watered down or straight) works best for this. Just put a thin coat around the edge of the sticker and it dries clear and forms a skin between the sticker and the model. Once it has dried just coat it with clear (matte of gloss) to even out the surface. Just be careful as some solvent based clears may eat the PVA so stick with water based clears.

[big F]

All of the above is really helpfull. I tend to use Future and matt Tamiya

[misterryno]

WOW!!! THANKS for ALL the WONDERFUL advice! To be honest I have not really looked that hard at the decals/stickers that came with the toy. The sticker/decals are the ones that came with the CM Blue Legioss/TREAD. Does anyone know weather they are stickers or decals, regular or waterslide? Anyone...anyone???

[nightmareB4macross]

WOW!!! THANKS for ALL the WONDERFUL advice! To be honest I have not really looked that hard at the decals/stickers that came with the toy. The sticker/decals are the ones that came with the CM Blue Legioss/TREAD. Does anyone know weather they are stickers or decals, regular or waterslide? Anyone...anyone???

If you can peel the graphics (usually die-cut) off the sheet with tweezers or your finger nails, most likely their stickers.

If you have to cut and place the graphics in water to loosen them from the carrier and activate the adhesive on the graphic, then guess what? Decals.

[misterryno]

If you can peel the graphics (usually die-cut) off the sheet with tweezers or your finger nails, most likely their stickers.

If you have to cut and place the graphics in water to loosen them from the carrier and activate the adhesive on the graphic, then guess what? Decals.

right on....I figured as much. I just was thinking that someone that owned the Legioss/TREAD set would know off hand. I will figure it out this evening unles I here otherwise. I figure the ones that come with that set are stickers.

[misterryno]

Okay Okay....I just took a closer look at what came with the CM Legioss/TREAD and they are stickers. They're not terrible but I've seen better.