1⁄35Three Years and a BF-110 G-2
Preparation for Decals |
Now the real fun starts. When the final
color is dry, all masking, apart from canopy masking, is removed. I then give the model 2 brushed coats of Klear. You can spray it on and this has been discussed to death in the forums. I will outline brushing it on though. Klear (Future in the USA) is an acrylic clear floor polish made by
Johnson. It's self-leveling and dries fast. Were after a smooth, very thin layer on which to put the decals.
The brush is a Humbrol No 8 flat hobby brush and is about ½” wide. As you can see I have a film canister fixed to a piece of ceramic with double-sided tape with Klear in it. Dip the brush in the Klear and scrape most of it off on the edge of the film canister. What is on the brush will cover about 2/3 of the wing (one side) of a 1/48 P47 Thunderbolt. Paint it on
carefully. Going over edges, projections and details can cause bubbles to form.
If they do form, remove them using the brush but try not to linger for to long in one
spot-this stuff dries very quickly and when it starts you can end up dragging it. If that happens, a little more Klear on the brush and go over the offending area.
Don’t worry but don’t let it pool either. I tend to do the underside first
and after about 30 minutes it’s safe to handle. I then do the topside. Don’t forget to do things like undercarriage doors and drop tanks. You can do the second coat within 20 minutes but I tend to leave it for an hour or two. Don't worry if you get what looks like uneven coverage or odd light and dark
patches (this has only happen to me once or twice but disappears after the matt coat) as long as the finish is smooth. I normally wait until the following day before
decaling but I guess that you don’t have to wait that long. Clean the brush in clean tap
water when finished. If you stop applying the Klear for more than 10-15 seconds wash the brush. If you want to carry on applying it squeeze out the excess water, and carry on.