Decal Help

Did you apply the decals over flat paint?

Rob

Both applied the same time, dried in the same area and clear coated together. 

The only difference is the type of decals.  The numbers I used ont he cab are champs and the lettering on the tender are custom made using an alps printer.  I did use some champs numbers on the back of the tender for the number and those came out perfect.  

I guess I will strip and repaint.  not a big deal, as I have plenty more decals.  

What happened is called 'silvering' and it can be caused by a number of different issues.  A less than glossy surface, glue failure of the decal, trapped air or incompatible paint, solvent or clear coat. 

If you had not clear coated it more than likely you could have saved it by taking a new hobby knife (like a #11) and making as many as possible tiny cuts in the decal carrier (clear part). Do this by using the very tip and 'poke' the decal carrier. You then apply some Walthers Solvaset. Do this until all the silvering is taken care of.

Also never clear coat a decal in less than 24 hours after applying it. I wait a week if I can before any clear coating. Best thing now is to remove it and try again.

I speak as a decal manufacture of over thirty years and making my own decals since I was 5! Good luck!

Well, "different decals", yeah.

You can try piercing the clear coat and applying more decal set (Solvaset is stronger

than Micro-set). I've had this work out; I've had it fail.

The advice above is good; wait at least 24 hours to seal decals; I wait longer.

Furthermore, I wait 2 - 3 days for the PAINT to cure, especially gloss or satin, before

applying the decals. Flat paint's solvents blow off quickly, but gloss/satin paints take

far longer to cure. I have waited a full week before applying decals. Check the odor;

if the paint smells, it's not cured. (All this concerns old-style enamels, not acrylics.)

Been there, done that, as we used to say. Also, some decals are just cr*ppy. 

D500 nailed it. Thats what I do.

Rob

So is Scalecoat 1 an enamel? 

If not what is the difference between acrylics and enamels when it comes to decals?

What you should have done is after applying the decal to a gloss painted surface, use PLEDGE with Futureshine and brush over the decal as a setting solution. The Pledge does NOT cause the decal to Silver and dries quickly. After 24 hrs, you then could have gloss painteded over the decal and new paint.

So is Scalecoat 1 an enamel? 

I believe it is a solvent base paint.  Scalecoat II would be the acrylic base.

FWIW

Need to make sure everything is dried and cured before doing the next step. Paint, decal, and clear coat all in the same night? Even decal and clear coat is too much in the same night.

Depending on the decal setting solution, and the age of the decals, it should be thinned before using it. Especially Solvaset, it's super strong, so mixing 1 to 1 with isopropyle alcohol will suffice. I'm not sure about the Champ setting solution, but their decals are older...and they need to be dry and cured before trying any type of clear coat.

Here is what I do - gloss Scalecoat, put on so it is really shiny.  Bake at 180 for an hour, then let it sit for a week.  Decal, and let them dry.  Then Solvaset or Microsolve a couple or five times.

Wait another day before the Future wax, which is applied by a Q-tip, going in one direction only.  Let that dry a day.

Finally, hit it with clear - it is at this point that you choose flat or semi- gloss, or even gloss.

bob2

What a very interesting looking locomotive!

Thanks for the help everyone.  I have stripped the paint and applied another coat of locomotive black.  I will wait until the paint is 100% cured before applying the decals and then I will try the pledge trick.

Jim

I decaled a car a while back and once it was ready for the final clear coat I took it out to the garage to spray.  After spraying the clear flat coat and was able to touch it I took it back inside (where it was air conditioned).  Within minutes the clear started to fog over, making the finish look more like weathering than a new car fresh out of the paint shop.  I thought about stripping it and doing it again, but decided the weathered look wasn't that bad.  It wasn't that hot or humid outside, but my taking it back inside before it had cured was enough to more or less ruin an otherwise nice paint job.

Not a good way to get a weathered model, I'd rather add the weathering than doing it by mistake.

Fogging clear is almost always a humidity issue....or the clear has gone bad somehow. The difference between home and garage must have been enough to turn it.

Thats why I bought and use, a humidity gauge. If its over 65% humidity I don't paint.

I have seen clear coat fog for the same reasons mentioned.

Make sure you let those decals set and dry completely before clear coating. If the decals are old, I would again suggest thinning the setting solution, don't use it full strength.

Locomotive black, at least Scale Coat's version, has some "flat" in it, and will give you problems.  You need gloss black to start.

Opinion.

Thanks to those who posted. I've been lurking with interest on this thread because I have several relettering projects to do soon and the info here has been very useful. 

I agree with the Hiawatha...this is a very helpful thread.

Found an easy fix.  I am doing dry transfers on the cab.  I really think it is the age of these decals that is giving me issues.  They are camps and knows how old they are.  I didn't have a single issue with the tender.  The numbers on the cab will be with dry transfers that match the gold lettering on the tender very well.  

I built an oddball model of a '59 caddy smoothed over with USAF decals and a sharks mouth, but did like the eyes and mouth afterwards...and everything was clear coated by then. I took a piece of tape and stuck it on the mouth and eyes and when the tape was removed, so weere the decals...paint undernieth was fine. 

Here is the almost finished product.  I ended up using dry transfers on the cab numbers.  

I am waiting on my decal maker to ship me my herald in gold for the tender.  I only had white ones left.

I also still have to change the headlight, repair the rear of the tender for the spot I messed up the kadee install.  Paint the white on the drivers and wheels black and weather.  I might install a rear headlight.  

Sir,

Can you give me your decal maker's contact point. I will be needing some soon. My e-mail is in my profile if needed.

Joe B

Here is the guy I use

www.bedlamcreations.com

Thank you, I appreciate it.

Joe B

Scalecoat I is a lacquer base paint, while Scalecoat II is an enamel.

Stuart