Tamiya decals... help plz

i have a Tamiya Mercedes-Benz DTM 2000 Team D2 and im waiting to start the body. i already finished most of the interior and engine (i need some more paint colors to finish) and im waiting for paint to start the body. i was wondering how u ppl apply decals cuz there are a lot of decals for the D2.

how hot is the water u use?

and how do u make the decals stay so they dont move ever again after u finish with them?

and how come i always have air bubbles under my decals? i put the mobile decals on the spoiler and i have some wrinkles and bubbles

and one last question... how do i make sure that the decals wont tear when i try slide them off the backing sheet and onto the model?

The water is room tempature.

Use MicroScale decal products to help keep them in place, and use roller squeegies.

Dont lay the whole decal on at once, start from one end and work youre way to the other end and use roller squeegies where applicable.

Just be careful.

wats a roller squeegee?

wats a roller squeegee?

Its a lot like a paint roller except smaller, and has a rubber roller instead of cloth.

nad if you cant buy that stuf just take paper and role it like a joint and then puss gently with it to make the water to disapera from the decal and then it stucks

I use a soft flat tip brush to gently push bubbles and water from under decals, works really well for me.

If a decal tears when you're sliding it off the backing sheet, it's usually because it's not ready to be slid off in my experience.
Dip the decal in the water for a few seconds then lay it flat on a paper towel. Gently test to see if the decal moves freely on its backing (this may take several seconds). Lightly brush some water on the area of the model you will apply the decal to then gently slide the decal into position.
Gently remove excess water as Mike or I described and using a paper towel to remove excess droplets of water.

Microsol will help you

but for a newbee, it's really not a kit to start with, this car have the most complex decal you can find

Lay the decal flat on to the body and gently reove the backing paper.
Use a very soft brush to then brush over the decal several times untill all the air is out and the decal is setting down nice and flat

after i got offline i worked on my window piece.

the front decal went on nice

the back decal in the rear tore while i was trying to get the air bubble out but...

the top decal in the rear covers up the tear ok

and i noticed that the decal cant be straight out of the water when u try to slide it off the backing sheet... it has to be dry-ish but still wet

is that just me?

I use cotton buds/q-tips, whatever you know them as. I wet one end and keep the other dry, i then roll the wet end over the decal to remove air bubbles and remove the excess water with the dry end. I also have my girlfriends old hair dryer, set on low!!!! as the heat helps the decals conform well, especially when combined with Microsol or Microset, you have to use these two IMHO, especially on complex work.

As for air bubbles, If you get them, prick them with a pin, hit them with microsol and the hair drier and squeeze them out with the cotton bud.

As was mentioned earlier though, you picked a hell of a decal sheet to try on your first attempt!!!!!

3 q-tips needed
1 wet
1 dry
1 with Microsol

will it stay without microsol?

Like FRay I use a wide "chisel" brush to flatten and take any air bubbles out of my decals. But I'd like to say that until you have tested, do NOT use MicroSol on Tamiya decals. MicroSet, go for it, but not MicroSOL.

How do you test on a decal? Isn't it nice of Tamiya to stick that little decal of the car and the Tamiya name on the bottom of the decal sheet???? ;-)>

Here's my decaling process...

1. Clean the are to be decaled with reverse osmosis(*) drinking water
* Guaranteed to leave no mineral residue
2. Cut decal as close to the actual image as possible using a #11 hobby blade. Some prefer to use scissors, but they tend to cause a lip in the cut edge.
3. I place the decal in warm (*)water. I use a small electric "hotplate" type decive used to keep a cup of coffee warm underneath to keep the water warm
4. I submerge the decal for 5-15 seconds, depending on their age (older decals seem to need longer soak times)
5. I remove the decal and place it in a room-temperature bowl of (*) water that contains a sponge who's height is 50% above the water level (i.e. it's VERY damp, but does not allow the decal to float.
6. I ten clean the surface to be decaled with MicroSet (the vinegar smelling stuff) to remove any finger residue
7. I place the decal on the model by using a pair of philatelist's tweezers to help slide the decal off the backing.
8. I use my finger to position the decal, adding the room temperature water if needed.
9. Using the flat chisel brush I gently verify that the position is correct and begin pressing the decal flat, using the bristles of the brush to squeegee the water out.
10. Lastly, I use the low setting of a travel hair dryer to heat the decal and help it to conform to compound curves.

10a. IF I need to, I'll then add the MicroSET and repeat with the hair dryer.

hth,
Bill

Tip. You can always dilute the MicroSET using (*)water or MicroSOL to get a less harsh setting solution!

nice tips, I have an additinal question, after the decals dry what should I do to prevent damage when I clean the model? Should I varnish over the decals or something?

Like FRay I use a wide "chisel" brush to flatten and take any air bubbles out of my decals. But I'd like to say that until you have tested, do NOT use MicroSol on Tamiya decals. MicroSet, go for it, but not MicroSOL.

How do you test on a decal? Isn't it nice of Tamiya to stick that little decal of the car and the Tamiya name on the bottom of the decal sheet???? ;-)>

Here's my decaling process...

1. Clean the are to be decaled with reverse osmosis(*) drinking water
* Guaranteed to leave no mineral residue
2. Cut decal as close to the actual image as possible using a #11 hobby blade. Some prefer to use scissors, but they tend to cause a lip in the cut edge.
3. I place the decal in warm (*)water. I use a small electric "hotplate" type decive used to keep a cup of coffee warm underneath to keep the water warm
4. I submerge the decal for 5-15 seconds, depending on their age (older decals seem to need longer soak times)
5. I remove the decal and place it in a room-temperature bowl of (*) water that contains a sponge who's height is 50% above the water level (i.e. it's VERY damp, but does not allow the decal to float.
6. I ten clean the surface to be decaled with MicroSet (the vinegar smelling stuff) to remove any finger residue
7. I place the decal on the model by using a pair of philatelist's tweezers to help slide the decal off the backing.
8. I use my finger to position the decal, adding the room temperature water if needed.
9. Using the flat chisel brush I gently verify that the position is correct and begin pressing the decal flat, using the bristles of the brush to squeegee the water out.
10. Lastly, I use the low setting of a travel hair dryer to heat the decal and help it to conform to compound curves.

10a. IF I need to, I'll then add the MicroSET and repeat with the hair dryer.

hth,
Bill

Tip. You can always dilute the MicroSET using (*)water or MicroSOL to get a less harsh setting solution!

so how long would i have to heat it and how far away do i hold the dryer? and thanx for the tips

Microsol is a gift of god.

Before I knew it, it was a paint to place decal on complex part. It's the best 3$ you can spend for decal

Maybe this'll help ya!

http://www.tamiya.com/english/howto/car1/tip5.htm

From the manufacturer too! Good luck!

nice tips, I have an additinal question, after the decals dry what should I do to prevent damage when I clean the model? Should I varnish over the decals or something?

If you mean cleaning up any residual decal glue and MicroSet/Sol or water spots, I use a triangle shaped cosmetic sponge dipped in (*) water.

As for once completed and on the shelf cleaning. I never do it. A good coat of carnuba wax (over everything including decals and "glass") will protect the models painted and decaled surface...just keep it out of direct sunlight and wildy varying degrees of humdity and temperature.

Bill

so how long would i have to heat it and how far away do i hold the dryer? and thanx for the tips

If you're using a TRAVEL hair dryer, put it on low and keep it about 8"-12" away and move it around. You'll notice that the decal will begin to conform to the surface.

As with any process that is new to you, test and practice on scrap first!!!!!

hth,
Bill

hmmm... so could i just use vinegar to clean the car? instead of Microset?

just a random guess...