Applying waterslide transfers.

[wonwinglo]

It seems that a tutorial on this subject would be an overkill,but not so as modern waterslide transfers are so thin and fiddly that if you dont stick to a system you can get into a bit of a mess with them.What better than seeing how the experts do the job at the professional model building workshops,faced with a task of producing hundreds of airliner models for travel agents windows they have to get things right first time round.The problem is whilst modern decals have got better and more realistic with thinner carrier film they have their drawbacks,they tend to curl under as static takes effect,the solution is plenty of water applied with a brush onto the models surface,literally flood the area so that suspension of the water carries the decal before it is smoothed down,also dont be attempted to take the decal out of the water too soon otherwise proper wetting out will have not taken place,take the piece from the water and hold the backing paper against the model,wet your finger and start to gently pull the backing paper away at the same time hold the decal in place at the edge with a cotton wool bud,if the transfer is quite long then pull swiftly to keep the decal straight such as on a airliner stripe etc,too slow and undercurl will take place and difficult to get straight again,if this does happen dont panic but flood more water onto the transfer and with a small brush gently tease out the decal flat again,once this has been done take an absorbent tissue and hold it against the transfer,this will remove the excess moisture,once this has taken place put the model aside for a few hours,it is so easy to move a decal and ruin it should you stick your thumb inadvertantly onto it ! work slowly and carefully.

Once the transfers are dry always protect them under a coat of suitable clear finish,acrylic varnishes do not dry yellow as some of the older enamel based ones did,but my good old standby is Johnsons Klear,you just cannot beat it for this type of work,it sets beautifully clear,is thin to apply and seals everything,a bottle will last you years and you will find all kinds of jobs for it.

 

[bartley]

Johnsons Klear

Hi Barry, many thanks for the tip re. soaking the recieving medium when applying waterslide transfers, a big help and my roundels look pretty good.

Regarding Jhonson's Klear, is this the floor cleaning product? I hope so as I've tracked it down but am a bit twitchy as it seems to be wax based and I'd hate to spoil my roundels after finally getting them sorted!

Thanks,

Steve.

 

[wonwinglo]

Hi Barry, many thanks for the tip re. soaking the recieving medium when applying waterslide transfers, a big help and my roundels look pretty good.Regarding Jhonson's Klear, is this the floor cleaning product? I hope so as I've tracked it down but am a bit twitchy as it seems to be wax based and I'd hate to spoil my roundels after finally getting them sorted!

Thanks,

Steve.

*** Hello Steve,go ahead and use the Johnsons Klear,it is not a wax but an acrylic clear medium and quite safe to apply,it is a fantastic product which has very many uses in modelling,in transfer protection it has no equal and can even be used to stick back old decals into place.

The product is known as Future I believe in America.

Glad that you managed to find it on the shelves,they seem to hide it in the supermarkets !

 

[adzam]

barry, since we`re on teh topic of johnsons Klear, i guided my wife in teh direction of it when she tiled the kitchen floor in her dolls house, ( yes individual tiles!!) and i was delighted with teh result, a nice protective finish, and i then tried it on decals on a small model, EXCELLENT ! many thanx barry. a great tip !

 

[bartley]

Thank you, I'll Klear and be damned!

Steve.

 

[wonwinglo]

barry' date=' since we`re on teh topic of johnsons Klear, i guided my wife in teh direction of it when she tiled the kitchen floor in her dolls house, ( yes individual tiles!!) and i was delighted with teh result, a nice protective finish, and i then tried it on decals on a small model, EXCELLENT ! many thanx barry. a great tip ![/quote']*** Adz,as opposed to other types of varnishes it has one really excellent quality,it does not ruin the decal or any other piece of print you may wish to use,some varnises soak right into the paper and ruin it,but as ever if you have valuable material or hard to get transfer decals try a test piece first,but I have never personally had any bother,this is one product that once you have used it you keep finding new uses for it.You can add several layers to build up a beautiful shine,my Concorde model has a finish applied with Johnsons Klear and really gleams ! glad that you both like the material.

 

[Bluewavestudios]

I spotted this stuff in my local Hardware store the other day, anyone know if it is fuel proof or not..?? I notice from the instructions on it, you need ammonia to get it off floors.

Regards............Mark

 

[rapier]

I spotted this stuff in my local Hardware store the other day, anyone know if it is fuel proof or not..?? I notice from the instructions on it, you need ammonia to get it off floors.Regards............Mark

Do you airbrush Klear straight from the bottle or do find thinning is needed?

What do you prefer to use for a matt finish?

Regards - Mike

 

[wonwinglo]

Do you airbrush Klear straight from the bottle or do find thinning is needed?What do you prefer to use for a matt finish?

Regards - Mike

*** No need to thin,it flows out beautifully,as regarding matt finish,when used on matt paint to seal it one coat will still dry matt,subsequent coats get more glossy as the pores fill up,try mixing with a little talc for really flat finishes.

Yes regarding the ammonia treatment that alarmed me ! having seen the effects it used to have on the girls that used to work in the printroom,next to our office no thankyou ! the problem is when used extensively on floors for week after week it can build up,obviously the only way to shift it with ammonia.It appears to be an acrylic based substance,I dont know what modellers would do without this material now ? it is so very versatile.

Another use is to try it on decals that have a thin carrier film,you know the ones that break up in the water,by flowing a coat over the top and allowing it to dry overnight can save the decals.

 

[Nigel.D]

Johnsons clear is a fantastic product it airbrushes very easily straight from the bottle one word of warning though do let it dry throughly or it will crack! use micro sol and micro set after for your decals they will even conform to compund curves a quick coat of varnish then seals them nicely for that painted on look