I need advice on applying Tire Decals...

Hi. I feel like a noobie asking this but anyways... I'm almost done with my 2nd 1/12 Tamiya McLaren MP4/6 and I cant figure how to apply the tire decals.

According to Tamiya's directions; I'm supposed to cut the decal to shape, remove the protective paper, stick it face down on the tire (it KINDA sticks to the tire), then wet it like a regular decal.

I did that but;

1. The freakin decal barely stuck to the tire
2. When I wet it, since it was barely stuck to the tire, water went in between the decal and tire and made it impossible for me to make the decal stick again. Yeah this made me f$%k up a few decals already but i have a spare sheet so I'm good for now..

Here you can see I messed up both 'R's at the end and one 'Eagle'
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k232/Docta2002/DSC00914.jpg
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k232/Docta2002/DSC00915.jpg

The only specialized tool I have is Microscale's Micro Sol (which smells like regular Windex btw). It would be alot easier to get a stencil but I haven't been lucky to find one, and when I did it was for over $40. Wish I could rent it, lol. Anyways, let me know what you guys think I should do or how you did it in particular. Thanks in advance!

Give the micro sol a miss. Try good old fashion dishwashing soap and warm water follow by a gentle blow of hair dyer? Should be better especially on old fragile decals

It worked better but it still wasn't easy. I think the soap helps the water seep in quicker/better through the paper. Thanks!!

It's also a good idea to clean the tyre wall before applying the decal. You need to eliminate any traces of grease or dirt so that the decal will stick better. For this purpose I use auto panel wipe (available from most auto paint suppliers) very sparingly on a cotton bud/Q tip. Or you can use a mild solution of dish washing detergent if you can't get the panel wipe. Cut out the decal and apply in the correct place. Apply a little water with a small sponge or Q tip and allow it to soak for 2-3 minutes. You can then test the edge of the decal by lifting with a scalpel blade to see if it has loosened from the backing sheet. Once it has loosened enough very gently peel it back with tweezers and lightly blot away the excess water with a cotton bud/ Q tip. I then apply a very small quantity of Micro Sol to the entire decal and leave overnight to dry. This usually works for me.

in case no one mentions it; don't over soak the decal while it is still on the backing paper.

The idea is to moisten the carrier paper, so it separates from the letters. Apply the decal on the tire and GENTLY rub the back side, like you would do to a dry transfer decal. Then moist the carrier film with your finger of Q-tip. When the carrier paper is moist enough, it will come loose "on its own." You have to wait until it happens.

Thanks for all the responses but in my opinion, it came out like shit. I'll post pics later tonight. w/e...

Once the backing is off if you touch the backside that goes against the tire they will not stick due to skin oils. They must be cut and handled without touching that side. A coat of water based satin or Future on the sidewall helps them stick better than bare rubber. A white glue that dries clear can also be used under the decals also.

There is a little trick with these decals that results in a very good finish, what I do:

1. Mount the tire on the rim.
2. Cover the rim with masking.
3. Clean perfectly the tire walls.
4. Apply to the wall of the tire a thin coat of gloss lacquer.
5. After it dries, apply the tire decal, they stick very well and easy to a glossy finish.
6. Apply another thin gloss coat, this hides any transparent residue left on the decal.
7. Apply a coat of flat lacquer like Testor’s Dullcote for the flat finish.
8. Remove the masking.

I have kits with this technique and no cracks or peeling after several years.

See this one:
http://images102.fotki.com/v393/photos/1/113398/431530/McLarenMP4416-vi.jpg

It is not a shortcut but it is easy to obtain good results.

I'm not happy with the result of my work. I had to use two tire decal sheets, almost all of both, to have a crappy result. Now my spare MP4/6 has no tire decals but i'm ok with that as I intend to use a tire template, if I can find one. But I'm in no hurry as I still gotta acquire the PP brake set, PP PE, and everything else aftermarket they sell for this car... At least this car was built as a 'practice' build so next one will be better.