HELP Decal nightmare!!!!!

[Vaughan]

Hi all

Things were going great with the BF109G6 until I tried to apply the Trumpeter decals this morning. A quick dip in luke warm water ready to apply to the model. Revell decal soft at the ready. I gently slid the decal from the backing paper to the model having pre wetted the area. Disaster struck the decal just fell apart. It cracked and had the consistency of brittle cellophane. I then tried another one and exactly the same thing happened this one didn't even get off the decal sheet before it fell apart. All the decals that I have used before from Airfix and Revell have been fine and have been very flexible and not brittle. Don't know if this is how Trumpeter Decals behave but if this is anything to go on they are of a very poor quality and near impossible to use.

I also noticed that the klear where wetted with the Revell decal soft has lost it's sheen don't know if there is some chemical reaction going on there?. I did allow it to dry for over 24 hours so should have cured properly. Any suggestion would be welcome as I now have an incomplete set of decals for the model and don't want to carry on trying to us them.

Vaughan

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[papa 695]

Hi Vaughn the last time my decals acted like that was an OLD kit and i didn't store them. But for the dulling i have no answer

papa 695

[Vaughan]

Decal Test

Thanks for the info Ian.

I have just carried out a test with a spare decal from another Trumpeter kit, that I'm yet to build, a Bearcat and that one has gone on fine it's feel and texture was completely different. Looks to me like it's down to the quality of the decals in the Bf109G6 kit as that one dates from 2003 and maybe they weren't stored well. Will have to look at aftermarket decal sheets but they can be expensive. Can anyone recommend a good place to order them from? Hannants are selling Eagle Strike sheets for £9.99 plus postage. Is that a good price? and are they good quality?

Vaughan

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[stona]

Is that a good price? and are they good quality?Vaughan

Yes,about average. I can't imagine that you'd save much ordering fom the U.S. and they'll take a LOT longer to arrive.Yes they are good decals.

It's not specifically a Trumpeter problem. The decals for my Trumpeter Me262 were very good,printed by Cartograph I think.The large roundels from a Techmod sheet for 1/32 scale Spitfires broke up on me a few years ago and they were new! I've no idea why,I just bit the bullet and forked out for another (different) sheet.

Klear can be affected by decal softeners,sometimes even taking on a milky appearance. Don't panic,when you seal in your magnificent new decals with another coat the problem should be solved.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

I've had AFV club decals fall apart on me, it was a newish kit too. Just one of those things I s'pose

[Vaughan]

Thanks for that Steve.

Hannants is just down the road from me in Lowestoft so might take a trip down there and pick some up. Shame that this is holding things up. There are a few bits and bobs still to do like fitting the underwing canons but I don't want to fit too many things that might get damaged.

Vaughan