discussion Decals

[Guest]

Hello I was just wondering how long decals would last after you put them on a model because I would think that after some time they would just dry out and fall off or am I just talking nonsense?

 

[PaulTRose]

ive got models 40 years old that the decals havnt even yellowed let alone come off

all depends on the surface of the model and age/quality of the decals

 

[Guest]

ive got models 40 years old that the decals havnt even yellowed let alone come off

all depends on the surface of the model and age/quality of the decals

Thanks no i know that I don't have to worrie.:smiling6:

 

[stillp]

You'd normally put a clear coat over the decals, which will protect them.

Pete

 

[Guest]

You'd normally put a clear coat over the decals, which will protect them.

Pete

That I do not because I don't have the room to top a model this big

 

[Guest]

Hello I was just wondering how long decals would last after you put them on a model because I would think that after some time they would just dry out and fall off or am I just talking nonsense?

Generally speaking they stay on well, unless the decals themselves aren’t very good and the surface isn’t suitable. If you happen to come across old Revell kits (ca. 1980s), they tended to have pretty poor decals that didn’t stay on well on matt-painted models, for example. Those also showed a lot of silvering, much like these on this image I just found online:

This is an indicator the decal isn’t sticking to the model properly, because it’s caused by air trapped under it.

Most decals, especially ones from modern kits, don’t seem to suffer from this much or at all. I’d be confident they stay on for as long as you’ll have the model.

There are some things you can do to make sure they stick well, though. Decals adhere better to a gloss finish than to a matt one (because gloss is smooth and matt is rough), so if you expect problems with the decals, you can paint the model with gloss paints or add a gloss varnish before adding them. A matt varnish afterward restores the model to non-shiny (not recommended for car kits ) and also seals in the decals so they’ll never come off. You can also (or instead) use decal setting solution, which softens the decal and lets it conform to the surface more closely, which also makes it stick better.