Very tiny decals - do you use them?

[Jim R]

Hi all
A bit of advice please from the aircraft builders among you.
On my 1/72 Vampire there are decals for two versions. The one I'm NOT using just has a dozen or so decals. The version I'm doing has over 100. Apart from the main ones there are loads of ridiculously tiny decals. Tiny writing, tiny symbols, even dots and tiny lines. I can't see how they will be seen at this small scale and I wonder if the time and effort to use them is worth it.
My inclination is to use the main (largest) decals and ignore the rest. I would appreciate your thoughts. Has anyone been in the same situation?
Thanks in advance.
Jim

[Guest]

My advice is to do what feels right for you.
Personally, I take the time to put them on as i think it adds to the look, plus it’s just a matter of my time ultimately.

To be honest, I always pause once the main decals are on and reconsider whether I can actually be bothered before I commit to the first stencil!

Just do what feels right to you. I’m sure the result will be smashing regardless.

[spanner570]

Jim. Like most things modelling wise, to each his own.
I don't bother.
Three reasons -
I can't see well enough to put them on anyway.
Some can hardly be seen with the naked eye. Particularly the small writing were a magnifying glass is required.
If I tried I know I would only get annoyed with my own hamfistedness, and frustration would start to creep in, so off they will stay.

Ron

[SimonT]

I dislike decals at the best of times so go for the old Verlinden way that I learned years ago for such stencilling

Paint them on with a fine brush - because they are so small and unreadable you just paint short wobbly lines to mimic the general shape of the text

From normal viewing distance it gives the impression of stencilled data

[Jim R]

Thanks guys :thumb2:

To be honest, I always pause once the main decals are on and reconsider whether I can actually be bothered before I commit to the first stencil!

That sounds like a sensible approach.
These are what I was on about

Jim

[Guest]

I usually apply all those decals, but not all in one go, to avoid going crazy

It helps a lot to cross each one off on the instruction sheet once it’s applied, so you don’t have to keep comparing the sheet to the model to see which ones still need doing.

[Guest]

Sound advice from Jakko too!