Archer resin rivet transfers - what am I doing wrong?

[Compound2632]

Quite a few people on here have spoken highly of and clearly had great success using the resin rivet head etc. transfers by Archer. For me, they have simply failed to adhere, either to a bare plasticard surface or to a painted surface. What could I be doing wrong? Or, better, how have you been getting it right?

[micklner]

Use Microset/sol on them, never touch, seal with Primer after 12 hours .

Edited September 2, 2019 by micklner

[brack]

I brush klear on the surface first and let it dry, put rivets on then (when dry) carefully put another coat of klear on to seal them. I do one side of the loco at a time, as I discovered the hard way that trying to do a second side will result in your fingers dislodging the first...

[Dave John]

I have found that they stick better to primed metal. For plasticard I make sure I give it a really good wash and scrub with cif first. 

I would agree with the above posts , do a small amount then seal them with a varnish or paint before moving on to the next section. 

[Mikkel]

I combine two of the methods above: I find it essential to paint the surface in primer before adding the transfers. I then use Microsol to set them.

[Compound2632]

Thanks to all for taking the trouble to reply. I'm onto my next test. The plasticard surface has been primed - Halfords grey plastic primer - then I've brushed some Humbrol Clear gloss varnish onto the area to be riveted. Once that was dry, I've brushed Micro Set onto the surface, soaked the transfer in hot water, slid it into position, removed excess moisture using the corner of a tissue, added another dab of Micro Set, then put to one side.

 

Will report back!

[Hal Nail]

16 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

Thanks to all for taking the trouble to reply. I'm onto my next test. The plasticard surface has been primed - Halfords grey plastic primer - then I've brushed some Humbrol Clear gloss varnish onto the area to be riveted. Once that was dry, I've brushed Micro Set onto the surface, soaked the transfer in hot water, slid it into position, removed excess moisture using the corner of a tissue, added another dab of Micro Set, then put to one side.

 

Will report back!

I got the impression sealing them (with varnish, not micro set) is the critical bit.....

 

[jwealleans]

I have found that on plastic a spot of mekpak (or whatever adhesive you're using) also secures them.  It can as an added benefit slightly dissolve the backing film if that's visible.

[Compound2632]

Taken out after getting on for 48 hours, Humbrol clear gloss varnish applied with gentle dabs of a brush, set aside for another 24 hours, all good.

 

Many thanks to all for your advice!

[97xx]

I've been trying them and this is the result applying them to whitemetal body directly, then priming 24+ hours later.

 

The process was:

1. Paint MicroSol on to body
2. Use water to slide transfers
3. A touch of MicroSet where they didn't look flat enough
4. A day to dry off

FWIW, I did try Humbrol DecalFix: I think it was 'better' in that the transfer carrier was less visible when dry, but the issue I found with long thin lines of rivets was that it softened the decal so much that it was extremely hard to lay straight - which is sort of what you want with rivets/welds.

 

The tops of the cladding over smokebox and middle of boiler have arc weld line transfers, rest are rivets

[Compound2632]

The method I've settled on for bare plastic is to apply the transfers using neat MicroSet then once dry, apply a dab of d-limonene solvent - this, I think, helps bond the transfer to the surface and makes the carrier film vanish too. 

[ianLMS]

I followed these videos and they worked great. I did prime the model first, used water to soak the decal, then coated with microsol, drying in between using a hair dryer.

 

 

[Compound2632]

20 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

The method I've settled on for bare plastic is to apply the transfers using neat MicroSet then once dry, apply a dab of d-limonene solvent - this, I think, helps bond the transfer to the surface and makes the carrier film vanish too. 

 

I had forgotten that credit for this is due to @jwealleans: