01-22-2009, 02:26 PM
Russ Bellinis Wrote:Microscale offers Microset and Microsol, it has been so long since I did an modeling with the ongoing house remodel that I'm not sure which is which, but I think Microset is the solution you use on the model to wet it before you put on the decal. After the decal is in place and dry, it will not be settled over details and around corners very well so you add Microsol, which will soften the decal and allow it to settle over the details and around the corners.
Yeah, I have a bottle of MicroSol (the solvent, that makes the decals soft and lets them snuggle down) too. Microset is the vinegar smelling stuff that makes a surface a little slippery, allowing repositioning of decals until it dries.
I was always planning to use Microsol to make the decal snuggle down close. But when I tried to bend the larger warning stripe/chevron decals around the corner of a GE 44-tonner lightly slathered (if that's the word) with Microset to position the decal, it would not stick to the side surface at all - just hanging out like elephant ears at the sides.
Quote: I have done a bunch of Santa Fe zebra stripes, and have never had a problem with the stripes not wrapping around the bodies of Gp7, 9, or the Sw7. The Microsol settled them right down. One word of caution, when you first apply the Microsol, the decal will wrinkly up and you will think you have ruined it. Leave it alone! As the Microsol dries, the decal straightens out and settles over the details and around the corners.
Thanks for the tip about the wrinkling - that's good to know!
I'll make another try with the stripe decals tomorrow - tonight I added the Microsol to the side decals I stuck on yesterday, and I want to let that stand in peace overnight and snuggle down good before trying the front and rear zebra stripes again.
Btw - thing I hope I have learned with this engine - next time I will not use white glue for masking windows, and I will not remove the window masking until I am done with the glosscote, decals, dullcote, weathering and dullcote again. The gloss cote fogged the windows up some.
Next one will (hopefully) be better. But this one will probably do okay from a foot and half away when I get it weathered.
Smile,
Stein