Decal sealing

[jphatton]

I've done the main spray painting of my Revell Skipjack using Tamiya TS spray cans (Tamiya fine surface primer L base coat TS-29 Semi gloss black for the upper hull, TS-33 Dull red for the lower hull). The Tamiya paints give a nice homogenous satin finish. Masts and other details still need to be done

I would like to use some of the stock Revell kit decals, what would be the best approach to applying & sealing the decals. I understand that the Tamiya TS clear coats (TS-79 semi glass clear and TS-80 flat clear) can attack the decals if applied as wet coats, but it may be able to use these over microscale liquid coated decals with several mist coats.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

I've done the main spray painting of my Revell Skipjack using Tamiya TS spray cans (Tamiya fine surface primer L base coat TS-29 Semi gloss black for the upper hull, TS-33 Dull red for the lower hull). The Tamiya paints give a nice homogenous satin finish. Masts and other details still need to be done

I would like to use some of the stock Revell kit decals, what would be the best approach to applying & sealing the decals. I understand that the Tamiya TS clear coats (TS-79 semi glass clear and TS-80 flat clear) can attack the decals if applied as wet coats, but it may be able to use these over microscale liquid coated decals with several mist coats.

What kills the look of a water-slide decal is air-bubbles trapped under the film, evidenced as 'silvering' under the markings carrier film. This problem results from application of the decal over the rough matt surface of the model. Before laying down the decals spot coat the areas of rudder, sail and hull where the decals will go with a gloss coat and later polish that to a luster. Then do your decal thing. The later matt clear coat should hide everything but the markings themselves.