I recently experienced a problem during the finishing steps of decaling that has me a bit baffled. First some background: I normally airbrush acrylics (Tamiya, PolyScale, etc), and seal with Future floor wax. I allow the paints and clear seal a minimum of 24 hours drying time before the next phase of work starts. In this most recent episode I had allowed the future to cure for well over a week, and I was distracted with other domestic duties.

In any event, I was placing EagleStrike decals, using MicroSet for placement, followed by MicroSol for snuggling the decals down into panel lines and so on. I had a few difficult decals that I used Solvaset on, and after the liquid had dried I noted a snowy white material adjacent to the decal where the Solvaset had pooled and dried. I dampened a clean piece of cotton T-shirt and swabbed the white spots which only partially disappeared at that time. Where I had used the MicroSol, no such white spot were in evidence, so I suspect the Solvaset has some aggressive features that I may need to avoid in the future. I also swabbed the white spots with the bristles of a paint brush dampened with MicroSol, and the white material appeared to mostly disappear.

First, is this an unusual occurance? and if not what is normally done to avoid getting the white spots and to remove them when they do occur?

I recently completed a Tamiya Wildcat where I used several of the kit decals, and used Solvaset to get them to snug down around the many rivets and panel lines. I also used some old MicroScale decal numbers. Same white spots, but only at the MicroScale numbers, and same efforts to remove, and happy to say most of the white disappeared. I clear sealed the finish model with ModelMaster semigloss, and am more happy to report the white disappeared!! Please let me know if others have experienced this and what has been done to correct the problem.

Thanks to all for your help.

Michael:

I have had the same problem in the past when using both the Microsol and Microset togather. I found that if you only use one or the other this problem sometimes does not occur as bad or often.

The microsol is stonger and I only use if I have to shrink the decal over a panel line or rivots and such.

If it is a flat surface with no detail to go over such as a wing and such I just use the Microset only.

As long as the paint is sealed with a gloss coat such as Future or other medium and the surface is smooth either one will setlle the decal down nicely.. Unless the decal itself is extremely "thick" then both may be needed.

If the white spots do appear though. All that is really needed to get rid of them is a second coat of gloss coat or what you did with a damp cloth or brush.

If you seal the decals with a second gloss coat it also makes weathering the model easier and get rid of the outlines of the clear decal film and gives them a painted on look.

Hope this long winded answer helps

Paul

Had it happen to myself a couple of times, and a damp tissue always seems to cure the problem.
I wonder if it only effects models coated with Future ( thats what i use ) or if it effects other mediums as well, such as enamel glosses.
Andy

Andy and Paul, thanks for the responses. It's always nice to see that I am not alone with this problem. I will wait until tomorrow or so to clear seal my Spitfire with the mostly gone white spots. An oil wash will happen later in the week.

Several years ago, when I used enamels, I had finished a Monogram Skyraider and clear sealed it with a gloss finish of some sort (actual stuff used is long forgotten). The next day I went to admire my handywork and the entire model was frosted! I really did panic, but decided to see if I could salvage the model, so I applied a clear finish of Floquil flat finish, which always struck me as having a bit of a satin finish. As soon as the Floquil hit the surface the frosting disappeared never to return. I have spent the last several years trying to determine if I was just lucky, or just good. My wife says it was luck, so who is to argue??

Anyway, thanks again for the help.