Leaderboard

No, I'm not trying to blaspheme, but you can make the thinnest decals in the world this way. There are circumstances where masking the surface of your model is simply not going to work as I discovered during my SBD build HERE. So, keep this idea in you bag of tricks for future reference. You will need a quality clear decal film like the one available from Microscale and LACQUER paints. Assuming you have your Oramask 810 masks ready get started by painting your decals. Make extras! Carefully sliced through the clear film only leaving a small area to grip with my clamping tweezers. Do not cut the decal paper close because as you pull the paper out from under the decal you need the paper wide enough to support the width of the decal. Kinda like the slow motion version of getting a pizza off the spatula, or whatever it’s called. The decal is so thin that if you don’t support it, it will fold under itself and you’ll drive yourself insane trying to fix it. Make extras! Wet the decal from the bottom side so as not to dilute the adhesive, and removed the excess film with tweezers, but the part being clamped remains. The discarded film is that shiny thing to the top and right of the picture below. First some generous drops of Micro Set then carefully keeping the decal paper close to the model’s surface pull the paper out from under the decal. Then use a wide wet brush to work out the wrinkles the and then roll a cotton bud over the decal to work out the excess water and trapped air. You need some moisture under the decal because as the moisture evaporates the decal displaces the moisture. Setting solutions soften the decal to make it more pliable. Let it sit for a few minutes and airbrush a couple coats of Micro Sol over everything. This is typical of the results I got in all 6 positions. I chose this photo because you can see how well the decal was sucked down around the latch. So, how thin can a decal be? I defy anyone to tell the difference between a decal made this way and markings painted directly on the model. CAVEAT: Unless there is a situation like my SBD I will always paint my markings directly to the model. It's just too gratifying not to.

I've just started preparations for the painting stage of my Hawker Fury I (1/32 scale AlleyCat resin and white metal) having finally decided on the scheme: It's quite a complicated scheme which will require a lot of masking at various stages, and because of this I had more or less decided to use the transfers supplied with the kit, shock horror!! 😱 But no, fear not dear friends, t'was not to be.....just couldn't do it. So I found myself yesterday happily seated in front of my computer scanning the markings, importing said scans into the Silhouette screen, tracing etc etc. An idle thought came into my head, wouldn't it be a good idea to have a WiP thread in the forum specifically related to the masking part of the build. It would demonstrate people's differing techniques and experiences and be a good teaching/learning resource, which in turn may encourage more footfall in the forum. Any thoughts mates....and Kev, El Supremo?

Hi everybody, Just arrived here. Been a modelbuilder for life but always struggeling with decals. Used to make my own masks with tape but now I am trying to control the Silhouette. Not that good with computers I am afraid. First cut was the serial on this Beaufighter Currently working on a F4J Phantom, all masks here with the Silhouette so far. Now making the stars and bars. Glad to be here!! Rick