Mark,
I've been using Solvaset as the final decaling solution in my tri procedure for years and never had an issue.

However, I keep the cap on the bottle till I dip my brush, then put the cap right back on. I don't do this for either Microscale solution. I do this because Solvaset isn't Vinegar based like the Microscale solutions, and it's base evaporates rather quickly, making the solution stronger then it was originally.

To dilute Solvaset simply use water, preferably distilled water so that you don't get any minerals mixing with the solution.

As I said the Microscale solutions are Vinegar based, and if they do evaporate, they don't get any stronger from more then 50 years experience.

Joel

Robert,
Excellent job on the touch up air brushing. Where you rubbed through is quite common. Corners and high spots have very little paint or clear coat covering them, so it's real easy to rub right through.

Joel

Thanks Joel. I thought they were all vinegar (acetic acid) based. I can smell it in the Micro Set, only slightly in the Micro Sol. I can smell something acidic in the Solvaset, but it's not the vinegar.
I should also learn to actually read the instructions. Solvaset sez not to blot, but let it evaporate. Plus I've let it set open during previous application. Need to snag some distilled water at the store this weekend. Micro Set sez to use it before and after applying the decal. I've always used Set before and Sol after. I need to try it their way.

Mark,
The only way I've ever remembered which is 1st is by putting a square of Masking tape on the bottles and just numbering them 1 & 2. Set/sol always confuses me.

I don't follow the Solvaset instructions that closely either. But then again I use it after the RED/Sol basically the same way. I apply it over the whole decal, then let it do it's thing, when it's almost dry I very lightly roll it with a Qtip to get any air bubbles or wrinkles out. Then I let it dry and shrink the decal into it's final resting place.

I copied Paul Budzik's decaling method to the T years ago, and I've never had any issues. Here's the link to his excellent decaling You Tube video. It's well worth the 10 mins IMHO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_rdwH1EGus&list=PLbIC1X9V7KK8hBOk269Fmtw4NybodAn8N&index=16


Of course the cover the Solvaset is something a fellow modeler told me about a million years ago.

joel

Thanks for the feedback everybody, I will work my way through with these decals and give it a good solid coat or two of Alclad Aqua Gloss at the end. No need for a super showroom shine on this one and I need to clear over the windows as well.




Joel, these are the only decal products that I have ever used!

I have laid down a few smaller decals and used manicure scissors to trim off the carrier film as closely as possible, and don't seem to be seeing the same issues.

Robert, neat recovery on the touch-up job, I'm sure a good dose of clear gloss will blend it nicely with the surrounding paintwork.

Cheers, D

D,
That's very interesting to say the least. We all get use to what we use on a regular basis and it becomes 2nd nature to us. I'm sure that if I switched to the Mr. Mark solutions, they'd work fine on all the decals I use, I'd just use less of the solution per application till I got comfortable with them.

Solvaset is different as it's not Vinegar based and is much more aggressive then then Microscale products I've used since the 1970s. I've also tried and didn't like the one step Tamiya decal solution.

Since you use the Aqua Clears, I'm looking for a Mat clear that I can hand brush on that's self leveling for small jobs that Air Brushing makes no sense to use. For those applications where I need a small amount of gloss, I use Pledge/Future. My one bottle will last for a few life times.

Joel

Unless your wife steals it to use. Ask me how I know. Just had to buy a new bottle and haven't had a chance to try it to see if it the same exact stuff.

D,


Joel

Ok, progress report on the decals. Don't look too close, they are a bit ugly, but it is what it is!






They've just had their third dose of Mr Mark Softer, after that they will just stay as they are!

The decals for the grille, markers and headlights laid down very nicely with the carrier film trimmed very close to the colour.

I decided not to attempt the paint job on the scoop, the orange grades up towards red and the midnight blue/purple I couldn't match.

Side decals next.

Cheers, D

D., looking good so far.

I have made some progress on my gasser, too. The body is painted & most of the decals are on.



These are the decals from the Revell kit, and they have to be some of the most difficult decals I have ever worked with. When they were on, they were on! Repositioning them was a real chore as one part would always grab. Well, they're on.

Jim

James Nice work on your decals sorry to hear they gave you problems, but they do look good, I will keep this in mind when i get back to my 57.

Damian it would appear that a lot of us are having decal problems, as you said the marker, headlights and grill do look good, maybe a few coats of clear will help.

Well the fight with my build continues with the interior (mostly my own fault) I forgot to allow for extra room to run my seat belts through the seats after i applied some super glue to the buckels, after i used glue they were so stiff at the ends i broke one of my seat mounts, tried to reglue and got glue on the seat, so i tried super glue debonder it removed the glue alright and the paint to i forgot that debonder removes paint, i removed the seat to repaint and broke the roll cage.

This sure seems like the week for all sorts of decal issues.

D,
Those decals will look a lot better after a few coats of gloss. Will you be touching them up with paint before clear coating?

James,
Both the paint and the decals look outstanding. One would never guess that you had issues with them.

Robert,
That's sure one tail of woe. But at least you got the seat out so you can repaint. How did you manage to break the roll cage at the same time?

You troubles with your build sure sounds like my daily complaining about my Revell Roush Mustang build. it fought me every step of the way. I'm still not so sure I won the war.

joel

Thanks for the compliments, Robert & Joel. Robert, I'm sure that some of my issues have to do with my technique.

Jim

Thanks Joel, While trying to pull the seat belts back through the slot in the seat i broke the support bar on one side that holds the belts to the main hoop. I know it sounds odd but i had to make the slot for the belts just fraction bigger because i could not position the belts it was so tight. I feel like the war is lost.

Robert,

Enlarging the slot for the belt makes perfect sense. Hang in there, you'll win the war soon then you think.

Joel

Jim, those came out real nice from what I can see.

D., I have every confidence you'll find a way to get them all sorted properly.

Thanks for the feedback folks!

Jim, your paint job is great and the decals are looking good. I am having the same problem with mine. They hit the paint and lock on! I have taken to putting a generous amount of Mr Mark Setter down under the decal first to allow it to move around, but also to have a little time to get it into position.
Thinking about it now, maybe that it what is causing the wrinkling of the edges. I might try the next one just with some water underneath and see how it performs.

Rob, sorry to hear that you are taking a small step backwards, but with your skills it will get sorted just fine!

Joel, no touch-ups required, the coloured parts of the decals are holding nicely. The variations in colour are by design. The fine silver lines between the blue and orange stripes are actually mock chrome like the grille.

Onwards and upwards everybody!

Cheers, D

Just one photo today! Man, this is stressing getting those pinstripes correct!

Your comments are ALWAYS welcome!

Best you keep stressing then mate, that looks awesome!

Cheers, D

The problem is this... there are no dimensions so you just eyeball. Some photos of the 312T have the single pinstripe right up against the top of the piece. Others have a gap. The double pinstripe below it kind of goes off the AGIP marker. Then then double stripes are broken at the Niki Lauda and the prancing horse logo. They then meet the HEUER logo on the front. So that double stripe from back to front is five pieces. And you have to keep them wet enough to adjust.

It really is quite a handful!

Thanks for the encouragement!

Patrick,
It's not really surprising that you have several pictures where each has the pin stripping in different positions. Back then it was more normal then not. Every time that a body shell was painted or repainted, the stripes where masked by hand and placed in approximately the same position, or where the guy was told to put them by his supervisor. Hence, no two cars were exactly alike.

You would find small differences in many of the car schemed for a host of different teams for anyone of a number of series for the same reasons. So just pick one and go for it.

BTW, as I said earlier, your decaling is just spot on.

Joel

D & Jim,

I to at times have had the dreaded sticking decal issue, making moving them into position a real issue, and I've damaged more then a few decals in the process. So I do what you did D, I then flood around the decal with the water I wet the decals with and gently using one of my 3 Sable only decaling brushes, push up against the sides of the decal so that the water wicks under it, and then the decals starts to slide into position. the bigger the decal, the harder to get it to move.

I've found that pushing at 1st is wiser then pulling to start it moving as you can easily damage the decal. Also, I have settled on a 1 8 oz cup of water tap water and 1 drop of liquid dishwashing detergent for that solution. It also makes a huge difference.

If the sticking issue seems to be happening with every decal, then I wet the surface with the water not with Micro Blue/Set.

Joel

Nice work Patrick, don't stress over it back in the 1970's i don't think you will find 2 race cars from the same team that look like twins there will almost always be variations from car to car.

Time for an update-The first pic shows the drivers fender and door i repainted and cleared, you can still see the difference in color but i am ok with it and the clear came out pretty good.

The body is pretty much done and the interior is installed. I can now see that the battle is almost over and this build will be finished soon, I feel better already. All comments welcome.

Robert,
Aces on the repainting. it looks fine to me. The decaling really came out great. I'd say that your on the start of the front stretch with the checkered flag waving not far off.

Joel