discussion Help with a disaster

[Guest]

Hi all;


Can anyone help with a disaster? I've been doing the new Tamiya 1/32 Mosquito, and had reached the decal stage. Two large decals needed a lot of Micro Sol and Set to get them to go down properly (over a Klear base, I hasten to add), but even so, silvered badly. I hoped the matt varnish coat might help, but no joy. SO, I decided to remove the decals with sellotape. No great luck again - they had so much adhesive on them, and probably all that setting solution, that they refused to come off completely, So I decided to spray over them with a little base coat. Oh God - the paint has come out a lighter shade than the original base coat, despite being out of the same jar. The model now looks ruined - it's awful. Maybe the new paint will dull down if I Klear, then weather, and then matt, like the rest of the kit has been done? If not - what can I do? I don't really want to strip the whole thing. At the moment, it's £150 of kit, plus all my time and effort, down the drain.

 

[Guest]

Sorry to here of your bad luck I'm sure somebody will help you out I know from experience that base coats can look a different colour after a coat of future if you then need to touch up finally before the Matt coat but I have usually got away with it sorry I'm no help

 

[Guest]

For future reference if you get silvering try stabing the decal with a scalpel blade like loads of times this then allows the setting solution to get under the decal then roll a q tip carefully over the decal this is a last resort though as the q tip can pull the decal off the model

 

[PhilJ]

My word, I really feel for you mate. I'm afraid I'm not experienced enough to help but why not post some pics, it might give people a better idea of how to help.


For future ref applying liberal amounts of micro set is fine but only over a smooth clean dust free surface, I keep an eye on mine after applying sol and if I see problems arising I apply a little more sol to the decal and a round metal burnishing tool and gently roll the silvering out.

 

[Guest]

The micro sol and set were done over a clean surface - a coat of Klear.

 

[eddiesolo]

Crappo indeed, bad enough on a £30+ model but on this that is just tragic. I would go for the easier option-ditch the decals and get a new set, stop faffing with overpaints, klear etc. Gently take the the decal off, clean the area, add a gloss coat and let that sit for a day or so then add the new decal, once settled a coat of matt should sort it...hopefully.

 

[Guest]

The decal didn't come off - they were stuck fast, which is why I overpainted

 

[dave]

I would try to complete the section to the same finish and see if that helps.


I have not tried the technique but some people swear by adding a liitle paint to the varnish, that might help to darken the area but I have no experience.


I generally find that a brush coat looks slightly darker than a spray coat, that may help.


Best suggestion I can think of is go get a spare piece of plastic prepare with a base coat and then methodically darken your base paint and paint test strips of each, leave to dry, compare and the use the closest match.


Try whatever you plan on a spare bit of plastic first if you can.


And finally good luck I hope you find a solution.

 

[Guest]

As Si says Ron do not fath about. a really lovely description which my Dad from Sunderland used to use.


For me Ron the only option as so much has gone wrong that trying anything but being bold will bring more frustration.


Wet and dry 1000 (with loads of water) first to get rid of all the junk. Then a nice 1200 or 1500 gauge wet and dry all over.


Make sure your new finishing coats are really smooth before any decals. Wet and dry between finishing coats with a 1500


gauge paper. Wash away dust before next coat of paint or varnish.


Then if you have Humbrol Clear two coats or two coats of Vallejo Gloss Varnish. Leave if possible 48 hours.


Then decal. The decals have a light adhesive between paper and decal. Flood with water and the adhesive


is gone.


I rarely use anything other than water. Take a smooth dish drying cloth place on the decal paper side up and lightly spray


so just damp until the decal will just move. (not the decal side as this is impervious to water). Place decal and paper


directly on the fuselage and slide decal onto the varnish finish. There should be enough liquid at position if not take


a brush just damp and brush the varnish surface.


That works every time for me. I cannot remember when I last used Micro stuff. For me they just soften the decal and


make life so much more difficult.


Laurie

 

[PhilJ]

As Si says Ron do not fath about. a really lovely description which my Dad from Sunderland used to use.
For me Ron the only option as so much has gone wrong that trying anything but being bold will bring more frustration.


Wet and dry 1000 (with loads of water) first to get rid of all the junk. Then a nice 1200 or 1500 gauge wet and dry all over.


Make sure your new finishing coats are really smooth before any decals. Wet and dry between finishing coats with a 1500


gauge paper. Wash away dust before next coat of paint or varnish.


Then if you have Humbrol Clear two coats or two coats of Vallejo Gloss Varnish. Leave if possible 48 hours.


Then decal. The decals have a light adhesive between paper and decal. Flood with water and the adhesive


is gone.


I rarely use anything other than water. Take a smooth dish drying cloth place on the decal paper side up and lightly spray


so just damp until the decal will just move. (not the decal side as this is impervious to water). Place decal and paper


directly on the fuselage and slide decal onto the varnish finish. There should be enough liquid at position if not take


a brush just damp and brush the varnish surface.


That works every time for me. I cannot remember when I last used Micro stuff. For me they just soften the decal and


make life so much more difficult.


Laurie

I would agree with that point Laurie to some extent, by just using loads of water and making sure the decal has been left saturated before applying is good enough to get a decal down but that micro sol stuff really does a great job in thinning the decal to give it a painted on appearance in my opinion.


My wife is a beautician and I got her to bring home some different buffers/polishers and some of them are quality. On the model that I am currently unable to finish (frustrating) before I laid down a gloss coat I went over the whole thing with a buffer/shiner and this worked really well in leaving a super smooth clean finish.


Phil

 

[Dave W]

As Si says Ron do not fath about. a really lovely description which my Dad from Sunderland used to use.
For me Ron the only option as so much has gone wrong that trying anything but being bold will bring more frustration.


Wet and dry 1000 (with loads of water) first to get rid of all the junk. Then a nice 1200 or 1500 gauge wet and dry all over.


Make sure your new finishing coats are really smooth before any decals. Wet and dry between finishing coats with a 1500


gauge paper. Wash away dust before next coat of paint or varnish.


Then if you have Humbrol Clear two coats or two coats of Vallejo Gloss Varnish. Leave if possible 48 hours.


Then decal. The decals have a light adhesive between paper and decal. Flood with water and the adhesive


is gone.


I rarely use anything other than water. Take a smooth dish drying cloth place on the decal paper side up and lightly spray


so just damp until the decal will just move. (not the decal side as this is impervious to water). Place decal and paper


directly on the fuselage and slide decal onto the varnish finish. There should be enough liquid at position if not take


a brush just damp and brush the varnish surface.


That works every time for me. I cannot remember when I last used Micro stuff. For me they just soften the decal and


make life so much more difficult.


Laurie

Who's Ron?!!

 

[Guest]

Who's Ron?!!

Ron. Just thought it was a better sounding name than Andy.

 

[papa 695]

I've had the same problem with my Meteor build Andy, but I had to strip the entire model and re-paint

 

[Guest]

Who's Ron?!!

Actually Andy got mixed up. Saw Snapper and read it as Spanner which is Ron's outfit name.


Laurie

 

[Guest]

Andy if its as bad as you say, strip the entire kit using oven cleaner and start again, that's what I did with lil mary my mustang.


scott

 

[Dave W]

I think Decals have always been poor win Tamiya kits.Which is baffling as their Kits are the best there is in my opinion.Im using Xtradecal replacements for most of the decals on my 1/48 Lancaster build.And I agree with the others.I think your going to have to strip all the paint off and start again.