Applying Decals

[XJ6]

Question: I have bought the Novus #1,#2 and #3 i want use the #1 and #2 to polish out the paint..But is it safe to apply the Decals after using the Novus products?..Thanks You All...Cheers

[LoneWolf15]

In a word ... Absoulutely , I do it all the time !

[XJ6]

Thank-You LoneWolf15 for the "Help"...Cheers to ya

[diymirage]

i always apply my decals underneath the clear coat

[Terry Sumner]

Absolutely as the other guys have said. But maybe I can explain why, so it makes sense because the smoother, more glossy the paint is...the better those decals will lay down and look like they were painted on. This is basic to most modelers but to the less experienced...well maybe this will explain the "why" we want that smooth glossy surface for the decals.

ALL painted surfaces have varying degrees of smoothness to start. Even a freshly sprayed gloss coat that looks super smooth does too. In a flat paint, the surface is chock full of microscopic hills and valleys. These hills and valleys trap air in the valleys under the decal and it is this trapped air that causes the silvering effect on the decals. The way to eliminate the silvering is to eliminate the trapped air. And the way to eliminate the trapped air is to eliminate all the hills and valleys! To eliminate those hills and valleys, the top surface of the paint must first be leveled by sanding with finer and finer grits. Hence the use of the polishing kits with grits all the way from 3600 to 12,000! And believe me, when you finish sanding with 12,000 grit, that paint surface is pretty darn level. And this assumes that you've used the rubber sanding block because it will do a much better job at leveling versus your fingers! Then finish up by polishing the surface to a super gloss with either the polishing compounds that come with the kit or Novus or whatever brand of fine polish you choose. It is only then that you will have gotten rid of all those hills and valleys and your paint is now super smooth. The decals will then go on nicely and look a WHOLE lot better!

To illustrate the power of these sanding kits one need look no further than aircraft modelers and the canopies on airplanes. Many of these canopies are made in 3 part molds due to their bulbous shapes. This neccessitates a mold seam line right down the middle of the canopy! To eliminate the seam it's gotta be sanded out. This of course messes up the nice clear "glass". Well you sand that seam line with all the grits in order up to that 12,000 and the canopy "glass" is almost perfectly clear again. A final polish and the canopy is perfect!

HTH!

Edited June 30, 2011 by Terry Sumner

[Scale-Master]

i always apply my decals underneath the clear coat

I find it easier to apply my clear coat over the decals... Just a little humor guys... We can still have that, can't we?

[XJ6]

Absolutely as the other guys have said. But maybe I can explain why, so it makes sense because the smoother, more glossy the paint is...the better those decals will lay down and look like they were painted on. This is basic to most modelers but to the less experienced...well maybe this will explain the "why" we want that smooth glossy surface for the decals.

ALL painted surfaces have varying degrees of smoothness to start. Even a freshly sprayed gloss coat that looks super smooth does too. In a flat paint, the surface is chock full of microscopic hills and valleys. These hills and valleys trap air in the valleys under the decal and it is this trapped air that causes the silvering effect on the decals. The way to eliminate the silvering is to eliminate the trapped air. And the way to eliminate the trapped air is to eliminate all the hills and valleys! To eliminate those hills and valleys, the top surface of the paint must first be leveled by sanding with finer and finer grits. Hence the use of the polishing kits with grits all the way from 3600 to 12,000! And believe me, when you finish sanding with 12,000 grit, that paint surface is pretty darn level. And this assumes that you've used the rubber sanding block because it will do a much better job at leveling versus your fingers! Then finish up by polishing the surface to a super gloss with either the polishing compounds that come with the kit or Novus or whatever brand of fine polish you choose. It is only then that you will have gotten rid of all those hills and valleys and your paint is now super smooth. The decals will then go on nicely and look a WHOLE lot better!

To illustrate the power of these sanding kits one need look no further than aircraft modelers and the canopies on airplanes. Many of these canopies are made in 3 part molds due to their bulbous shapes. This neccessitates a mold seam line right down the middle of the canopy! To eliminate the seam it's gotta be sanded out. This of course messes up the nice clear "glass". Well you sand that seam line with all the grits in order up to that 12,000 and the canopy "glass" is almost perfectly clear again. A final polish and the canopy is perfect!

HTH!

"Thank-You Terry Sumner...I can now see how important it Really is to get the Paint "Flat"..."Smooth"... This does explain to me, why i see models on here.. and the Decals look like they are Painted on...Thanks for taking your time and giving me a Good Detail Understanding on this matter..." Hats of to ya...Cheers...

[diymirage]

I find it easier to apply my clear coat over the decals... Just a little humor guys... We can still have that, can't we?

you say "potato" i say "tomato"

[MikeMc]

i always apply my decals underneath the clear coat

So how do you lift it up to slid those decals under...... :P

[Ben]

And, if you do decide to clear over your decals, be sure to spray a "test" decal from the same sheet to see if the clear will harm it!!!! Trust me, I just had 150.00 worth of custom decals ruined due to the clear attacking them.

[diymirage]

And, if you do decide to clear over your decals, be sure to spray a "test" decal from the same sheet to see if the clear will harm it!!!! Trust me, I just had 150.00 worth of custom decals ruined due to the clear attacking them.

interesting, i have NEVER had decals react to clear, not the kit provided decals nor the decals i print myself

(of course when i print decals myself i use the same clear to seal the decal as i use to clear the model)

[MrObsessive]

interesting, i have NEVER had decals react to clear, not the kit provided decals nor the decals i print myself

(of course when i print decals myself i use the same clear to seal the decal as i use to clear the model)

Certain clears with their hot solvents WILL attack decals! I've had this happen to me in the past, so I highly recommend testing the decals so there are no surprises.

I also recommend even if using a very mild clear such as Tamiya water based acrylics, that the clear is thoroughly dry before putting a decal over it. Failing to do this can result in the decal having a wrinkled appearance due to the clear still shrinking over time.