Hello all, Im currently in the middle of a 1/48 Fokker Dr.1 build and have applied the Microsculpt streaked decals to the wing and fuselage surfaces. Wanted to ask about masking over the decals with tape after they've dried. I used micro sol and micro set and have got them onto the model and they look awesome! I shot 2 light layers of future thinned with a little iso alcohol and let it dry for a day. When I tried to mask off the mid structure and layed the tape on the edge of the middle wing i noticed the tape easily picked up a small piece of decal! I am now afraid to let anything come into contact with the decaled surfaces. Can you recommend something that will really seal the decals down or should I just use paper or any other static method of masking things off? Definitely worried about under spray if I do that. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
Steve

It is never a good idea to use masking tape over an area with decals. Even painter's paper tape is not recommended. To paint over a decaled surface after you have thoroughly clear-coated the area, try wet /damp toilet paper as a mask. The trick is to pull the toilet paper away while the paper is still a bit moist but after the paint has dried.

Some masking mediums (like Eduard Express Masks) work well over decals to create borders / edges for your sprayed area.

Here I used chart tape over a painted area but also used a section of sticky note pad to mask off the fuel cell.

Thank you for the pointers! Post it notes, totally brilliant! That worked like a charm! Such a simple solution too. Totally left the decal in place and its easy to place and remove the post it a few times before applying to further remove more of the tac. Thank you again!

Hi Steve

Also worth looking out for is Post-It tape. You can cut longer strips when needed - great for cheatlines etc. Some of the cheap non-brand alternatives are good, because they are less sticky, so they'd be safer over decals.

All the best

Rowan