Hi all,

I'm just about done with my Hasegawa 1/48 Stuka and for the first time I use the Micro sol/set products with some interesting results, and I have a few questions about them. After putting Future on the plane and letting it dry and then the decals, they still silvered a bit and the larger ones bubbled a small amount and did not lay flat. In what order should I use the solutions? And how long should I wait to apply them?

Thanks,

-Derek

The correct method is this -

1) Gloss the model (future/gloss varnish etc)
2) Wet the area where the decal will go with Microset
3) Apply decal in the usual manner taking care not to get airbubles etc
4) Allow to dry - if there are any large bubles, pierce them with a pin now.
5) 'Paint' Microsol over the top and leave it. The decal will probably wrinkle slightly - DO NOT TOUCH IT. If you do you will probably ruin it at this point.
6) When it has dried it should have naturally snuggled down over details and into panel lines.
7) If it hasn't re-apply Microsol.
8) If it still doesn't bed down apply Microsol again and use a cotton wool bud and press straight down onto the decal (gently) - do not role or drag the bud across the decal as this may stretch it.

Allow all to dry and then wash with water to remove any stains/glue marks.

Apply varnish/future to seal the decals in.

As always with using chemical solutions, test on a small unused decal first.
Microset once totally obliterated a Tamiya decal (Number Black 10 on the Fw190F-8) yet it didn't damage any others on the sheet - there is not a lot you can do about that!

If you have silvering it is probably not because of your microset/sol methods - rather you didn't have quite a flat (meaning gloss!) enough surface. I generally use at least 3 coats of future over Xtracolor paint which is itself quite glossy.

Regards,

Lee

Microsol and Microset often do not work very well with Japanese decals (Tamiya, Hasegawa). You need the equivalent Mr Mark products which are formulated to deal with these type of decals.

http://www.shopcreator.com/mall/departmentpage.cfm/ModelDesignConstruction/54276/1/1/-/54276

Not sure about that - Almost all the 1:48 kits I have built have been Tamigawa and other than the black '10' in the Tamiya kit I have never had any problems. I have had lots of problems with some of the very poor east European decals that are just far to brittle.

Lee

Here's what happened to me.
Fw-109 A4 by dragon.
A few minutes after applying microsol:

(the cross on the yellow band had been applied before those other markings)

The next day:


I don't know what went wrong with those. The crosses snuggled down without problems, but most of the other decals wrinkled heavily after I applied microsol and didn't even out correctly. The yellow band was painted with a gloss enamel and the decal was applied directly on top. The rest of the plane was painted with vallejo acrylics and gloss coat was future. Perhaps I didn't let the gloss dry long enough? Or maybe the decals were old or defective? I don't know. I've never had this kind of problems with dragon decals before or after.
What do we learn from this? Always test with left-over decals before using setting solutions.

Watch that micro-sol, its powerfull stuff, you only get one chance at placement, then its stuck thier, you can move it after 10 seconds or so, go fast and be accurate

Micro SOL should only be used on decals AFTER they have been positioned and set using Micro SET.

Lee

Thanks all!

That answers my question as to what order I should apply these products. I think the end result I got was do to not having enough Future gloss on the plane. I'm still relativly happy since it is only my second aircraft model.

-Derek

I never had problems with Microsol - Tamiya - Hasegawa decals.
The Tamiya decals works specially well with the Microsol because they are very resistant. Inclusive the Airfix decals works fine.
Hasegawa decals:

Tamiya decals:

Airfix decals:

When you aplly the Future be sure that the surface looks really glossy. I apply several coats not only one.