Decal issues.

Hey guys,

Not sure what i am doing wrong here. I have had two revell models now and both times i had serious issues with the decals.

I cut out my decal and wet it in warm water for a couple of seconds, removed them and let them sit for about 10 seconds. I then used a small brush and brushed on some of the model master decal setter onto the model and then applied the decal. However i have had acouple of issues that onces they dried the decals just flaked off on me :(

If you leave the decal in the water too long, you can actually dissolve all the adhesive completely off the decal which could result in this.

Can you clarify which decals and exactly how long you consider 'a few seconds'.

They where the decals that came with the kits ( 69 Camaro and 360 syder modena ) both revell kits and a few seconds meaning 5-6 seconds.

when applied the decals they felt alittle slimy.

Is the surface you were applying your decals was glossy and smooth?
Sometimes decals won't adhere good to a flat paint, or "orange peely" gloss paint too.

I second Alex's comments, decals don't like being applied to an uneven surface.

The 'slimy' feeling you describe is actually the decal adhesive in its dissolved form, you don't want to lose too much of this.

I was applying the decals over the final coat of the clear coat.

Very smooth.

It sounds like water is still trapped between the body surface and the decal. Try rolling a cotton swab over a decal to get rid of the excess water, starting from the center (to fix the location of the decal), then moving outwards. (On the other hand, rubbing motion might keep moving the decal around, or even tear it, so I don't recommend.) You can also use a paint brush to do the same job.

Five or six seconds sounds like too little time for them to soak, not too much. If they easily slid off the backing after such a short soak, and then broke apart and "flaked off" when they dried, I'd say something was wrong with them - maybe they were very old, or they'd been wet before, or they'd been exposed to a chemical, or stored in the sun, or WTFK?

If you still have more decals to apply to the same models, or if you plan to build other models acquired from the same source, try coating them with Microscale Liquid Decal Film. It's available in hobby shops. It's good stuff, it's invisible, and it'll hold them together.

But if these are fresh decals from recently manufactured kits bought new by you, this is a definite case of :dunno:.

Ddms