Issues with transfer backing.

[Hilux5972]

Hi all. One small issue I've noticed after adding transfers to a coach last night and varnishing with matte finish this morning. Parts of the transfer backing are showing up between the lettering. Any idea what would have caused this? I'm planning on gloss varnishing the whole train anyway so it's as shiny as the real thing. Will this hide the backing?

Edited March 24, 2017 by Hilux5972

[Nile_Griffith]

Have just posted a reply on your other thread.

[Phil Bullock]

Hi all. One small issue I've noticed after adding transfers to a coach last night and varnishing with matte finish this morning. Parts of the transfer backing are showing up between the lettering. Any idea what would have caused this? I'm planning on gloss varnishing the whole train anyway so it's as shiny as the real thing. Will this hide the backing?

Its usually fine air bubbles that do this

 

Have you tried bedding them down with Micro sol?

 

http://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=PtA8IMet&id=D0307E6854339013DFC62B325BC1EF1A4986637C&q=micro+sol&simid=608047678370021943&selectedIndex=0&ajaxhist=0

 

The finish does look quite matt - for best results apply transfers on to a gloss finish, seal with a further coat of gloss and then apply satin or matt varnish as preferred

 

Phil

[Hilux5972]

Thanks Nile. Found that video you mentioned so will have a watch of that now.

 

Cheers Phil. I'm gonna try and locate some Decal Fix or Micro Sol before I do any more coaches. It was a gloss finish they got applied to, then a coat of Matte varnish was put on top. I'll try a coat of Gloss on top and see if that hides some of the silvering effect.

 

Cheers

[tractor_37260]

Hi all. One small issue I've noticed after adding transfers to a coach last night and varnishing with matte finish this morning. Parts of the transfer backing are showing up between the lettering. Any idea what would have caused this? I'm planning on gloss varnishing the whole train anyway so it's as shiny as the real thing. Will this hide the backing?

 

Looks very much like a classic case of "silvering" where the transfers have not bedded down properly, leaving air voids behind them, it's unlikely a further gloss coat over them will make any difference.  For best results with waterslide transfers, they need to be applied to a high gloss finish/surface, be it Acrylic or Enamel varnish or something similar like Humbrol Clear Gloss or the original Klear acrylic floor polish.

 

Regards

Edited March 30, 2017 by tractor_37260

[47375]

I used to have a similar issue until I asked for help on RMWeb, I now either apply gloss varnish or klears floor polish to make the side shined, apply the transfers, paint on some decal fix and then apply a light dusting of testers dull coat, the transfer backing is then totally transparent... this method works brilliant for Rail Tec transfers and the backing always disappears, I normally leave decal fix on for 30 - 60 seconds to not melt it too much etc

 

I recently did a respray of a 47802 and used R3spray gloss DRS blue to avoid the need of applying gloss varnish.

[clarkeeboy56]

IT does look like 'silvering' as suggested elsewhere. All may not be lost....when you get your Microsol, use a fine pin or needle and make a series of holes in the carrier film, the apply the sol....it should with any luck seep under the carrier film, and make the film less apparent. Micro set or decal fix can then be applied to bed it down

[GEOEng03]

Hi,

Just been reading through this and found it all very informative.  I understand the gloss coat, but my question is how does this work if i am applying waterslide decals to areas that are painted and decal already.  I am about to have a stab at applying Craigentinney 100 decals to a VTEC 43 PC. There is no other decals to remove, but will doing straight on the body cause the above effects.  I have a bottle of Klear and is it merely a case of applying this to the area of application.  Does the dulling down with matt afterwards remove the gloss. 

 

Sorry for a few stupid questions, but there are quite a few ways of doing this. 

Cheers

[clarkeeboy56]

Hi,

Just been reading through this and found it all very informative. I understand the gloss coat, but my question is how does this work if i am applying waterslide decals to areas that are painted and decal already. I am about to have a stab at applying Craigentinney 100 decals to a VTEC 43 PC. There is no other decals to remove, but will doing straight on the body cause the above effects. I have a bottle of Klear and is it merely a case of applying this to the area of application. Does the dulling down with matt afterwards remove the gloss.

 

Sorry for a few stupid questions, but there are quite a few ways of doing this.

Cheers

The "microsol/set" system was introduced a good 30-40 years ago and is commonplace in scale aircraft modelling. Water slide decals are much more prevalent in that hobby. The system works on the basis thay you need a good gloss finish for the decals to adhere to. If you imagine a cross section of a gloss finish to be like glass compared to a cross section of a Matt finish to be like a sheet of sand paper, you'll get the picture. A decal on a gloss finish should have little in the way of air trapped between it and the gloss paint, whereas the same decal on a Matt finish would have a shed load of air pockets - hence the silvering. So, how to avoid this . When I was building my model planes I mainly used specifically designed gloss paints. When the paint is fully dry you can then apply the decals. Good quality decals shouldn't really need that much in the way of sofetening or setting solutions, but they can help. One these applications are dry the decals should be fixed so any excess solution gently wiped off, with a damp cloth. Any minute 'silvering' can be tackled by using a pin to let the air out , and setting solution applied. After this stage a thin coat of Gloss varnish is applied to seal the decals - and to blend the decal and film with the paint. When that is perfectly dry you can then apply a coat of satin or Matt varnish to achieve the desired effect. All sounds a bit of a palaver, but it should improve matters. Friends in the aircraft modelling fraternity have used Johnson's Kleer as a decal setting solution ..by putting a thin coat of Kleer down, and when still wet, floating the decal into place...no reason that wouldn't work, though I'm quite happy with the process outlined above. Hope this helps.

 

So, if you're applying your decal it should be on a gloss surface, regardless of what's below the gloss. Johnson's is great for this. Apply your new decal and then give the whole model a uniform coat if varnish. Matt varnish will indeed tone down a gloss finish....

Edited November 23, 2017 by clarkeeboy56

[GEOEng03]

The "microsol/set" system was introduced a good 30-40 years ago and is commonplace in scale aircraft modelling. Water slide decals are much more prevalent in that hobby. The system works on the basis thay you need a good gloss finish for the decals to adhere to. If you imagine a cross section of a gloss finish to be like glass compared to a cross section of a Matt finish to be like a sheet of sand paper, you'll get the picture. A decal on a gloss finish should have little in the way of air trapped between it and the gloss paint, whereas the same decal on a Matt finish would have a shed load of air pockets - hence the silvering. So, how to avoid this . When I was building my model planes I mainly used specifically designed gloss paints. When the paint is fully dry you can then apply the decals. Good quality decals shouldn't really need that much in the way of sofetening or setting solutions, but they can help. One these applications are dry the decals should be fixed so any excess solution gently wiped off, with a damp cloth. Any minute 'silvering' can be tackled by using a pin to let the air out , and setting solution applied. After this stage a thin coat of Gloss varnish is applied to seal the decals - and to blend the decal and film with the paint. When that is perfectly dry you can then apply a coat of satin or Matt varnish to achieve the desired effect. All sounds a bit of a palaver, but it should improve matters. Friends in the aircraft modelling fraternity have used Johnson's Kleer as a decal setting solution ..by putting a thin coat of Kleer down, and when still wet, floating the decal into place...no reason that wouldn't work, though I'm quite happy with the process outlined above. Hope this helps.

 

So, if you're applying your decal it should be on a gloss surface, regardless of what's below the gloss. Johnson's is great for this. Apply your new decal and then give the whole model a uniform coat if varnish. Matt varnish will indeed tone down a gloss finish....

Hi There,

 

Thanks for taking the time to respond to me. All makes sense and clears up a few doubts in my mind, just need to give it a go now! Does seem a lot of work, but agree that the end effect is important and as with anything, patience gives the best results!

 

First up is decals being added to a Hornby GWR HST to show the OOC set in use. Hoping this is easier, given that this is the gloss set - time will tell.  I do have a bottle of Klear knocking around, so will look into that as well if I struggle!

 

Cheers

[The Fatadder]

As you are wanting a gloss finish, varnishing befor applying transfers would definitely help

 

Of course that doesn’t help the coach you’ve already done, where I have had that problem in the past the soloution I have used is to very carefully cut through the backing film and then wet and remove the film in the areas between the letters. I would certainly do this over the door gaps where it is espically noticeable