Micro Sol and Micro Set

Dear All,

Am looking for solutions to help my home-made decals adhere to curvy/ bumpy surfaces (as found on most 6R4s!) and have been using Humbrol Decal Fix with mixed results. In one case, I have a nasty white tidemark where excess Decal Fix evaporated and have had problems removing this - any suggestions?

Before I purchase some Micro Sol and/ or Micro Fix, can anyone advise me of its suitability with home-made decals printed onto inkjet decal sheets? I use good quality paper from Crazy Computer Paper which works far better than stuff I'd previously bought over the internet, but I'm contemplating a particular project requiring fairly large decals to adapt to the shape of the body panels in all three dimensions.

Suggestions/ comments please. Many thanks, Steve

How do you seal your inkjet decals? I'm thinking that if I were you I'd be getting someone with a top quality colour lazer to print the decals.

David Napier wrote:How do you seal your inkjet decals? I'm thinking that if I were you I'd be getting someone with a top quality colour lazer to print the decals.

David, I seal the print in with an acrylic lacquer spray, which works very well. Being able to create the decals on my desk top publisher and print them off at home suits me very well in that I can experiment a bit and don't feel under pressure to get all the decals for one model ready all at the same time.

Besides, I don't have any friends with colour lazer printers! Cheers, Steve

Hampton Caught wrote:Dear All,

Am looking for solutions to help my home-made decals adhere to curvy/ bumpy surfaces (as found on most 6R4s!) and have been using Humbrol Decal Fix with mixed results. In one case, I have a nasty white tidemark where excess Decal Fix evaporated and have had problems removing this - any suggestions?

Before I purchase some Micro Sol and/ or Micro Fix, can anyone advise me of its suitability with home-made decals printed onto inkjet decal sheets? I use good quality paper from Crazy Computer Paper which works far better than stuff I'd previously bought over the internet, but I'm contemplating a particular project requiring fairly large decals to adapt to the shape of the body panels in all three dimensions.

Suggestions/ comments please. Many thanks, Steve

Be very careful and test it out first, in the past I have had Micro Sol dissolve home made decals. It is quite strong stuff and needs to be used with care as it can even effect some commercial decals but it is way better than Humbrol.

Thanks very much for the comments and the warning!! I'll get some and give it a go. Fingers crossed!!

Cheers, Steve

Guys,

I have my Micro Sol and Micro Set now, and have used a tiny amount of Micro Sol with some of Andy 'Rally Models' Howdle's decals and been very pleased with the results. At this stage, can't say whether I'd have had the same results sing straight water!

My queries are; what sort of concentration to use the Micro Sol/ Micro Set and when to use Sol and when to use Set in preference to the other? There's no instructions to speak of on the bottles!! Help! Cheers, Steve

Hampton Caught wrote:Guys,

I have my Micro Sol and Micro Set now, and have used a tiny amount of Micro Sol with some of Andy 'Rally Models' Howdle's decals and been very pleased with the results. At this stage, can't say whether I'd have had the same results sing straight water!

My queries are; what sort of concentration to use the Micro Sol/ Micro Set and when to use Sol and when to use Set in preference to the other? There's no instructions to speak of on the bottles!! Help! Cheers, Steve

Micro Set will help the decal adhere to the model, coat the area where the decal is to go and then apply.

Micor Sol helps the decal conform to the surface of the model, coat the decal after you have placed it in position. Sometimes you will need to use several coats for awkward areas.

Andys decals are first class and no dilution is required but many home made decals are very thin and you need to dilute at least 50/50. It is always advisable to test a spare piece of the decal sheet first, to see the effect of the solution.

Thanks VERY much for the clarification.

Think I'll have to experiment a bit on my own, home-made decals, but I now know to use the Micro Sol on my Ternco Metro 6R4, which I've had some trouble with. The decals around the windows are rather awkward, needing to be adapted in every direction down the side windows, across the roof and above and below the windscreen and rear sreen. Some of the decals haven't sat properly, so I'll give them some Sol!!

Thanks again, Steve

Dear All,

I've been using both Micro Sol and Micro Set on my home-printed decals, and have found they work very well together. The decal paper I get from Crafty Computer Paper vis the net, and is very good quality. having bought some cheapo rubbish from China via eBay, I wouldn't stray from Crafty Computer Paper's (CCP's) decal sheets again! The cheapo stuff wouldn't allow the level of detail I'm getting from my inkjet printer and used to run into itself, losing the definiition. CCP's products allow the level of detail I need.

The MicroSet helps the decals set/ adhere to the surface I'm decalling and whilst the CCP decal sheets stick very well to most shapes, when trying to cover the seats of a model which stretches off in three dimensions, the standard adhesive is beaten. But not with MicroSet.

I've been brushing neat MicroSet on to the model first and that's worked a treat when floating the decals off their backing sheets in water in the usual way.

Once th4e decal is in position and adhering to the surface nicely, I've been brushing on neat MicroSol, which helps dis'Sol've the decal sheet, leaving behind just the colour, as though the decal is painted on. Mmmm! Lovely!

Thoroughly recommend this lot. My earlier decalling efforts look second rate compared with the latest lot I'm doing. I'm a happy bunny and wanted to share my findings with you guys!

Cheers, Steve

Decalfix, CRAP END OF
I had same while lines ( and only used it as i was desperate and thats all the shop had left in carlisle) so i use Micro sol from hannants.co.uk setting solution for decals clear bottle red writing on it

Has anyone found a solution to removing the Decalfix white streaks and lines where I've used too much or over-painted the area where the decal is going? Any tried and tested suggestions would be much appreciated, guys.

Cheers, Steve

steve, sorry to hijack your thread m8, can i ask you or anyone else if microsol will also work to help decals conform to contours, when the decal has already dried in place..........ie will it help remove the wrinkles you can get around curves on an older conversion?

cheers m8

Billy,

That's not a problem, I don't mind at all. In fact, I'd like to know the answer myself as I have one model where some TLC is needed for some dried decals that are misbehaving!!

Cheers, Steve

anybody tried this before? how did it work on the wrinkles?

bmd wrote:steve, sorry to hijack your thread m8, can i ask you or anyone else if microsol will also work to help decals conform to contours, when the decal has already dried in place..........ie will it help remove the wrinkles you can get around curves on an older conversion?

cheers m8

try brushing the decal first with warm water to soften it.
Then apply microsol but depending on the quality of the decals watch what ya doing

Just watch for decal break up though

ah cheers for that mark, i'll give it a go............. i mean, whats the worst can happen?