Newbie with questions

[dryicebomb]

Hello everyone.
I'm a bit of a newbie and am quite confused on what to do next. I'm building a revell shelby 427 cobra and have a nice base coat of Testors Saphire Blue enamel. I have it sanded and polished and it looks decent. My question is, do i put on a clear gloss before i put down the decals, or do i put the decals right on the base coat? If i should put down clear first how many coats and what type, mist or full? How do i keep the blue base from bleeding throught the white decals? When it is time for a top coat, how many coats and what type?

Thank you for your time.

[tonioseven]

I would personally apply the clear and then add the decals last on this particular project.

[Didymus]

There's no right or wrong answer. I usually prefer uncleared decals, but it's a matter of personal choice. Some of the better decals have a slightly glossy finish; I would definitely leave those uncleared.

If you're applying clear over decals, keep in mind that some decals react badly to heavy, wet coats. So make the first couple of clear coats very light and dry.

Let those initial coats dry before adding more coats.

ddms

[MidMazar]

I really wouldn't spray clear over decals as your using enamels. What i would do is if the body has no orange peel, then polish the body. Get rid of the excess polish from panel lines with a tooth brush and then apply decals. And your done. Or you can clear before you put the decals on, making sure you use the same type of clear (enamel). Use the same brand of clear because if you don't it may lead to problems. Make sure you cut as close to the decal as possible. Good luck, and i think you should post a pic of the body so we get a better understanding of how the paint looks.

[dryicebomb]

Originally Posted by MidMazar

I really wouldn't spray clear over decals as your using enamels. What i would do is if the body has no orange peel, then polish the body. Get rid of the excess polish from panel lines with a tooth brush and then apply decals. And your done. Or you can clear before you put the decals on, making sure you use the same type of clear (enamel). Use the same brand of clear because if you don't it may lead to problems. Make sure you cut as close to the decal as possible. Good luck, and i think you should post a pic of the body so we get a better understanding of how the paint looks.

Thanks everyone for the responses. I'll do that and put up some pics when i get home next week. (Montery Bay Laguna Seca for ALMS final, I can also post some pics of that for reference if anyone is interested.)