Doug's 1/72 Academy Ju 87 G-1

[Guest]

Hi Robert,
Micro Set and Sol are meant to be used together to help the decal adhere, and, crucially, conform to the surface contours and detail. Both soften the decal, but Sol is much more drastic and is meant to be put on once the decal is firmly attached to the kit. The process is:

• Soak the decal as usual in water (warm helps soften the decal if you think it'll be a bit hard or thick)
• Apply Micro Set to the area where the decal will be applied (this provides some lubrication to slide the decal around, and also softens it a bit)
• Press the decal down to remove air bubbles etc., as normal
• Apply Micro Sol to the decal. At this point the decal will probably wrinkle and look terrible - don't worry, it will settle down as it dries. I usually apply Sol a few minutes after the decal is applied - others may wait longer.
• When everything's dried, if the decal still doesn't look perfect, you can reapply Sol, maybe pricking any air bubbles with a pin, or cutting the decal if needed. Good decals settle in to the panel lines like magic, with just the basic steps outlined above. Less good ones may need a bit more effort.
• After I'm happy with the decals, I clean off the decals and the area around with water, to remove any residue from the solutions. This may not be necessary, but sometimes there's a slight 'tidemark' visible. This has never been visible on the finished model, after the last coat(s) of varnish are applied.
• I then apply a coat of gloss varnish over the decals.
• It should be fine to apply weathering washes, etc. at this stage. I use the Flory water-based ones, but I'm sue oil-based ones will be just as safe.
• Final coat of flat varnish.

It's important not to get Set and Sol mixed up - Sol is the 'dangerous' one as it almost melts the decal, and should only be used when the decal is in place. It's in the red bottle - I take that as a warning!

There's a video here:

, and there are other videos out there. Other decal solutions are also around, which do pretty much the same thing.

Sweet video, I like the look of that stuff, may have to give it a try.

[Robert1968]

Thanks Doug and it seems to clear up a lot of fears I had on using the stuff.
I'll defo need to chap Johns door and order some

Kind regards

Robert

[Guest]

Well, I've completed this one now. In 39 days (elapsed - not man-days!). I'll post a separate thread in Completed Builds, and reference this GB thread. Hope that's the right thing to do. Apologies to the moderators in advance if I've got this wrong.

[flyjoe180]

I'll post a separate thread in Completed Builds, and reference this GB thread. Hope that's the right thing to do.

I think that's the right way to do it Doug. Look forward to seeing the completed Stuka in the aircraft section