Tiny Decals

[unclescott58]

I ran across a problem last night as I'm working on Revell's '29 Model A roadster. One that I've seen a few times before. Installing small, tiny decals. Last night I was trying to install the instrument decals (30, 31, 32, and 33) into the instrument cluster. The first one I trying putting down is the smallest. #33. As soon as got it off the paper on the cluster, and start moving it into position, it disappears! I'm more than a little ticked off. I can not find that decal. Needless to say, the cluster would not look right with only three of the four instruments. So I didn't install the other three.

Now what do I do? Request anorther decal sheet from Revell for one little decal that looks to me like a little black dot? That seems a little ridiculous. Then it dawns on me. Since these decals are basically nothing more that black dots, why not just paint them in? So, with a micro-brush and a little Tamiya black paint, that's what I did. And I doubt, unless I point it out to anybody, they will never notice the difference.

But, what about other small decals. How does one go about installing them? Like I noted, this is the first time this happened to me. I noticed Revell included three of decal #36 for the blue dot taillights in the '29 A roadster kit. When you really only need two. Does this mean they expect that you'll lose at least one?

 

Edited September 8, 2016 by unclescott58

[Snake45]

I've had to apply many, many small decals on model airplanes over the years.

I spear them on the tippy-tip of a sharp XActo knife, put 'em where I want them, and then press them off the blade with my finger or perhaps a toothpick or Q-tip or something of the kind.

I've also applied the decal backward to my fingertip and just pressed it where I want it.

[peteski]

I usually use very small pointy paintbrush (like 4/0 or 10/0) moistened with water. I pick up the decal with the point of the brush and apply it to a drop of water placed earlier on the model where the decal is supposed to go.

[High octane]

I've applied tiny decals several times and found it best to hold the decal in water with a pair of 6'' 45 degree tweezers, then I would take a toothpick and move the decal off the sheet onto the area I wanted it, while still holding the decal sheet with the tweezers.

[unclescott58]

I've applied tiny decals several times and found it best to hold the decal in water with a pair of 6'' 45 degree tweezers, then I would take a toothpick and move the decal off the sheet onto the area I wanted it, while still holding the decal sheet with the tweezers.

Other than the using the tweezers, that's basically the way I do it. In this case the decal disappeared as I was moving it into place on the chrome cluster itself. Where the thing went? I don't know. I'm thinking maybe Snakes idea of using the tip of Xacto blade maybe the answer. But, at the same time, I doubt anybody with really notice in this case that I painted the gauges in the cluster, rather than use the decals. I can think of several times were I sweated to get a tiny decal in place that would never be seen again once the model was finished. Yet I keep trying.

 

[935k3]

Try a drop or two of Future under the decal this will make them stick and stay down better.

[Harry P.]

I've found that the easiest way to apply tiny decals is not to try and slide it off the backing paper into place, but to use a very fine-tipped tweezers to take the wet decal off the backing paper first, and then placing the decal using the tweezers. Then the tip of my Xacto blade to position the decal exactly.

[High octane]

The tip of the Exacto blade could poke a hole in the decal where the toothpick will not.

[Snake45]

The tip of the Exacto blade could poke a hole in the decal where the toothpick will not.

Oh, it does. But after the decal is settled, set, and dried (and in many cases clear-coated), the teeny-tiny hole/slit "heals" and is completely invisible.

[Warren D]

I use a wooden toothpick and small brush.  Use toothpick to nudge the decal onto the brush and then to nudge it off when in place.  If the brush is just damp it will wick away any water that might create a problem.

[peteski]

Yup, as I mentioned earlier, small brush works well for this.