Decal fluids

[landman]

I've been reading threads and watching videos on attaching decals and there seems two be two juices needed, one for before and one for after. I looked in my old stash and found those two:

1. Gunze Sangyo MS-231 Mr.Mark Softer. I seem to remember this being "decal set".
2. Microscale Industries liquid decal film

Have I got all I need?

[chunkypeanutbutter]

Walthers has Solvaset which softens the decal to make it conform around rivets, lines, etc. It air dries, and it works quite well. Maybe someone experienced with those you listed can help with their effectiveness.

[Snake45]

1. Microscale Industries liquid decal film

That's not a decal setting solution. That's for coating old (or new but fragile) decals to keep them from cracking or breaking up when you put them in water.

[landman]

Ah! That's what they mean by Decal restorer. What about the first stuff?

[Snake45]

Ah! That's what they mean by Decal restorer. What about the first stuff?

No idea, never used it. I use the Testor stuff (world's most expensive white vinegar) as a "wetting agent," which is all about 90% of modern decals need. If a decals doesn't snuggle down after that dries, I hit it with Walther Solvaset (which might be the world's most expensive diluted rubbing alcohol).

[jbwelda]

there are also, and preferred by me:

microset: wetting agent to get decal down initially on surface. some amount of acetic acid so that smell to it. hardly ever necessary in my experience

and

microsol: (note the "sol" in name) this is a heavier duty brew that you apply once your decal is set down, and possibly not conforming well to the surface you are attempting to apply it to. it will literally melt many decals into the surface below them. but to let them do that you have to apply it and pretty much leave the room because that decal is gonna be going through some changes as they used to say. and if I stay in the room with it I will be sure to mess with it and end up destroying it. on the other hand if you leave the room for about an hour you will either have a crinkly mess or a nice smoothly blended into the surface decal, most often the latter case. I find myself using this stuff pretty much all the time though it works in varying degrees with different decals.

that stuff you have (the gunze stuff) will be equivalent to the former like you said. what I think you need to do is get some Microsol and that will pretty much do whatever you want to do with decals

jb

[Roadrunner]

No idea, never used it. I use the Testor stuff (world's most expensive white vinegar) as a "wetting agent," which is all about 90% of modern decals need. If a decals doesn't snuggle down after that dries, I hit it with Walther Solvaset (which might be the world's most expensive diluted rubbing alcohol).

I've got a bottle of Champ solution (the hobby equivalent of battery acid) for the really difficult decals.

[935k3]

Try using a hot damp cloth pressed over decals to set and conform them. The car below was painted white all other colors are decal. I could not have done this car without this technique. Most solvents are too strong for modern decals.

[Drake69]

there are also, and preferred by me:

microset: wetting agent to get decal down initially on surface. some amount of acetic acid so that smell to it. hardly ever necessary in my experience

and

microsol: (note the "sol" in name) this is a heavier duty brew that you apply once your decal is set down, and possibly not conforming well to the surface you are attempting to apply it to. it will literally melt many decals into the surface below them. but to let them do that you have to apply it and pretty much leave the room because that decal is gonna be going through some changes as they used to say. and if I stay in the room with it I will be sure to mess with it and end up destroying it. on the other hand if you leave the room for about an hour you will either have a crinkly mess or a nice smoothly blended into the surface decal, most often the latter case. I find myself using this stuff pretty much all the time though it works in varying degrees with different decals.

that stuff you have (the gunze stuff) will be equivalent to the former like you said. what I think you need to do is get some Microsol and that will pretty much do whatever you want to do with decals

jb

I love Microsol, but you have to watch what you put it down on. Revellogram decals are pretty heavy-duty and can survive it, but AMT/Round 2 and 3rd party decals don't like it at all, like fracture-into-a-million-pieces not like it.

For anything but Revellograms, start by coating the entire sheet with Liquid Decal Film to strengthen the decals, then you can use the solvents if you have one that doesn't want to behave, like putting a decal on a round air filter cover.

[jbwelda]

I rarely have that problem but I rarely build American kits so maybe that's why. seems to me the American kits that I have used decals from, they weren't really affected by the stuff. I know the Cartograf decals I have used seemed to have loved it, especially if I also used a hair dryer and/or warm moist cloth to firm them down around corners and stuff. when everything dried up it was like they were painted on the surface of the body.

but the key is: always test first before committing yourself to it on the actual piece. and it takes patience no matter what.

jb