Stein's Minneapolis Warehouse district 1957 (HO)

[doctorwayne]

Stein, to get the decals to wrap around corners, some sort of decal setting solution is essential. Make sure that the decal has soaked long enough in the water before applying it, then use a brush to apply some MicroSet to the front of the hood. The loco should be standing on end for this - wrap the model loosely in a clean cloth or hankerchief, then stand it in a suitably-sized drinking glass - I find a beer mug works well, as the heavy bottom keeps it from tipping. Slide the decal into place, then apply some more setting solution to the top of the decal and also to the underside, especially where you want it to bend. I generally blot the top section fairly soon into the operation, then concentrate on getting the sides to wrap around. Don't blot or otherwise touch a decal once it starts to wrinkle from the setting solution, and don't blot it at all if you're using Solvaset, as it begins to "work" almost immediately. You may have to do each side as a separate operation to ensure that the decal doesn't bend over the entire length that's sticking out past the front of the hood, as you don't want the outer end to touch the side of the hood before the rest of it is in place - in other words, work your way from the front, around the corner, and then back along the hood to the end of the decal. You don't want the end to touch the hood and dry in place while you've still got a big "bubble" of decal between it and the corner. Once you have everything in place, there may be many areas where there is air trapped under the decal or it's not adhered to the details. This is where Solvaset can be especially useful. If you're worried about damaging the decal, you can thin Solvaset with distilled water before applying it. With the surface to which you wish to apply the Solvaset laying flat, spread some on with a soft brush and let it sit. As mentioned, wrinkles will appear as it works - these will disappear as it dries. You'll need three distinct applications to do the front and both sides of the large decal, always working only on the side facing up, as Solvaset can soften decals enough that they can sag from the effect of gravity.

A couple of tips for spray painting. If at all possible, remove all window and headlight "glass". Most is just snapped into place, and even the stuff that is cemented in can often be loosened by slipping an X-Acto blade between the joined surfaces.
For spraying into "dead" areas, such as where the hood of a loco meets the cab (remove the cab if it's a separate part) or where there's any inside corner, try lowering the air pressure when you paint these areas and direct the spray along the corner rather than spraying straight into it. This should result in better coverage in these difficult-to-paint areas.

Wayne