By Geoff Coughlin (June 2012)
Decal softening solutions
There are a number of these solutions available to help get decals to settle down over and into moulded detail like panel lines. You may have heard of Microscale’s Set and Sol solutions (probably the most widely used around the world) or maybe Mr Mark Softer and Setter or Revell’s Decal Soft and others?
How do they work?
Decals need to be applied to a gloss, very smooth surface – this is because the glue on the back needs to adhere properly to the surface. So it’s logical that the smoother the finish the less likelihood any air will get trapped between the decal and surface. Should that happen you’ll get that horrible ‘silvering’ effect that can be very hard to hide.
The idea with using a decal softening solution (or solutions) is that they soften the decal at and immediately after application of the solvent, allowing it to settle down and conform to the moulded detail below. When the decal dries (I always leave them to dry overnight) it pulls down hard over the detail making the carrier film onto which the decal is printed invisible. The aim is to create a model whose markings look as if they’ve been sprayed on rather than having what is clearly a decal marking stuck on. Seeing this carrier film can ruin the look of an otherwise excellent model.
I can’t remember a time when I didn’t use the Microscale products but you have a choice and now there’s a new product available – Humbrol Decalfix.
Video – Using Humbrol Decalfix – Intro
This sequence of HD videos shows how to use the product and achieve great results with your decals – making them look as if they have been painted on!
To get started you’ll need a few basic tools, pretty much all of which I bet you’ll have to hand, so no extra expense needed here.
Video – Using Humbrol Decalfix – Tools