Self adhesive decals

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compo

Veteran
Location
Harlow
I am watching model mania on TV at the moment and I have just seen something interesting. If common knowledge I apologise, but it's new to me. They were showing how to fix self adhesive decals to a model speedboat. The presenter gave a warning to never apply the decals straight on but to wet them in a bowl of soapy water. This allows you to precisely line up and position your decal by sliding it into place before sponging out the water and allowing the decal to stick in it's final position. I can never get decals lined up and they are usually slightly on the cant, so I am now wondering if this system would work on self adhesive bike decals. Has anyone ever tried it or are you all expert liner uppers!
 

Venod

Eh up
Location
Yorkshire
I do know that transfers are gradually becoming decals and its damned annoying, are you fitting them to an al-who-min-numb frame.
 
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midlife

Guru
The H LLoyd decal site has a good section on how to apply them :smile:

Using soapy water has been a trick since my 60's Airfix days and those roundels on the blue plastic spitfire :smile:

Shaun
 
OP
OP
compo

compo

Veteran
Location
Harlow
I thought water-slide decals were different to self-adhesive ones?

I'm about to have my first go at applying decals to a repainted frame - wish me luck!



Good luck!

Are you using self adhesive decals or water slide transfers?
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
Thanks. Self adhesives, for my sins! I am trying to figure out where to put them so the edges of the application tape line up with straight edges... I'd rather they were straight than exactly where the originals were.
 

Gravity Aided

Legendary Member
Location
Land of Lincoln
I was told, back in my railroad modeling days, that soap worked well to get the decal to adhere properly, and also to get it to conform to the surfaces better, a good consideration when contemplating the 1/87th scale (HO) rivet detail. Loads of help on the Airfix Hawker Hurricane rib detail as well. It seemed to me that we used dishwasher powder, very dilute.
 

raleighnut

Legendary Member
I've applied some mahoosive sticky decals in my shopfitting days and always used a 'misting' plant sprayer but just filled with water.
It allows you to slide it into the correct position then you use a plastic glue spreader to squeeze out the water working out from the centre (also helps prevent bubbles and ripples)
 
I make my own self-adhesive decals for my aeroplanes. They are stuck to the heat shrink film (painted or self colour) that we use to skin these models. The only way to position these is to wet the surface with some water and a drop of washing up liquid. Slide the decal into place, dab off the water with a paper towel, and leave it for a few hours. Don't ask me how the water dries from beneath a vinyl sticker on top of an airtight plastic film, but it does.
 
OP
OP
compo

compo

Veteran
Location
Harlow
Many interesting comments, however I think several people are talking about transfers rather than peel and stick decals. I know about transfers and I've watched vinyl being applied but they are not the things I was on about.
 

Smokin Joe

Legendary Member
Many interesting comments, however I think several people are talking about transfers rather than peel and stick decals. I know about transfers and I've watched vinyl being applied but they are not the things I was on about.
When I was a driving instructor I used to fit a length of sticky backed plastic film to the roof of the car to prevent the magnetic header board scratching the paint. Same technique as for transfers, soapy water first to slide the film into position and smooth the bubbles out. The stuff still stuck firmly.
 
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