Featured Discussion: Decals Dos and Don'ts
Fourteen people attended. We heard that seventeen BPMS members and two former members were at Replicon last Saturday, where Nestor's 727-100 was a winner. Congrats. Photos are on the BPMS Facebook page. Mosquitocon is next Saturday at the PAL Hall in Wayne, NJ. Pictures, please. Speaking of shows, Mark suggested people participate in judging whenever the opportunity arises, not so they can criticize others but to develop their powers of observation and improve their own work.
We saw Vaughn's F-106 A and F-101C (the Valom kit is a delightful mix of styrene, resin and photoetch parts) and Frank C's Harrier. There were acquisitions too, thanks to the vendors at Replicon: F-15, Phantom II Wild Weasel, Hornet, and A-4 M.
Gil found a new tool, a silicone stamper. It's designed to decorate fingernails but also works on models. Goblin Hobbies has a video on their website showing how to use their stamping set for miniature figures. Even if you're not into Warhammer (yes, Angelo, there are such people), the video shows how useful silicone stampers can be, even the cheap ones available online.
Decal dos and don'ts was the featured topic. We focused on waterslide decals. Dry transfers are hard to find, since Archer went out of business. Decaling can be stressful. Quality is unpredictable, particularly with aftermarket decals. Test the sheet with a decal you don't need for your build. Decal bonders are recommended for old or fragile decals. Frank C's favorite, Testor's Decal Bonder, is out of production, so he's trying Krylon Workable Fixative. Several people use Microscale Decal Film. Decals look best when applied to a layer of clear gloss paint, but must you gloss the entire model or just the parts that get decals? That depends on what you're building. Ships have few markings, armor has more, aircraft still more, and race cars can be completely covered in decals. Many companies make decal setting solutions. A lot of us use the two-part Micro Set - Micro Sol system. Walthers Solvaset is stronger so be careful using it. Tamiya's Mr. Mark is another product we've used. Dspiae recently came out with a setting solution, and Michael C will be trying it out. The amount (use a shallow tray) and temperature (warm is better than cold) of water makes it easier to manipulate the decal as it soaks and to remove the decal from its backing. Some slide the decal directly on the model; some remove it from the backing with a sponge or with tweezers.
Helpful tips: Scan the kit decals. The scans can be used as spares. Also, scans allow faded or damaged decals to be restored. In the absence of a gloss undercoat, lay a warm sponge on top of the decal. For smaller decals, scrubbing the model surface with a clean coffee filter smooths the surface almost as well as a gloss coat. Cut long decals into manageable sizes. A LIGHT overspray with a mist coat of the base color blends the decals into the paint scheme.
The next meeting is Tuesday, 4/7/26 at 7:30 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there.
~Russ
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