painting with decals (support needed please)

[Chieflongshin]

Hi all

I've just acquired Tamiya's Toms supra kit.
This is my first car with such a large amount of decals.

I was wondering what the best order is to apply.

Once i've primed, sanded, painted etc do i then apply the decals followed by clear coat or do I do those as the very last set after the clear coat and polishing.

Thank you.

[stevenoble]

Originally Posted by Chieflongshin

Hi all

I've just acquired Tamiya's Toms supra kit.
This is my first car with such a large amount of decals.

I was wondering what the best order is to apply.

Once i've primed, sanded, painted etc do i then apply the decals followed by clear coat or do I do those as the very last set after the clear coat and polishing.

Thank you.

Either way is correct. It depends on you. Do you want the decals sealed by the clear coat or not..?? Personally I never used to clear over decals, but now I always do. I find it gives me a more uniform finish and most of all offers some protection to the decals. But it is personal choice...

[CFarias]

I like to put a coat of clear, the decals, and then at least one more coat of clear. After each clear coat on top of the decal I polish it smooth to remove the decal lines. This makes for a "painted-on" finish, but you have to be careful not to polish through the clear and onto the decal or you may scuff it. This takes a lot of time but is spectacular when completed.

[360spider]

Depends. On most race cars these markings are stickers, and it would be more correct to apply them after clear coat to give your model more authentic look. But... Sometimes it is just more practical to seal them. So it's up to you really.

[MidMazar]

Its nice to seal them so they are protected. But in your case i would sand,prime,paint,polish,wax and lastely put the decals on. Since this is your first time doing ssuch a big job i would ease into. See how it comes out and maybe clear them on your next W.I.P. Good luck.