Here's the situation

[Just Mike]

I get extremely frustrated with modeling when something that should go right fails spectacularly. I had the Romulan bird-or-prey going and it was perfect. Then I get to the decals. A stage I very seldom get to. I remember the decals I've worked with in the past being soft and easy to position into place. Then all I needed to do was smooth out some bubbles and wrinkles and I was home free. But these were thick and hard to work with. In a rage, I heaved the whole thing, water and all across the room. It SHOULD be working! It's just not for some reason!

The only part I find relaxing and I can focus on is assembly and hand painting. That's it. Decals and spray painting is a pain in the a$$ for me.

I just don't know what to do about it. I mean, I think I got the seam work down and now I face another issue that if I don't do correctly, it'll ruin the model!

Someone please tell me what to do.

Maybe I should just watch instructional videos for a month or two and pick up the most simple model I can like a Kazon torpedo or a 1/2500 scale Enterprise.

 

[TRM]

HI Mike! I can see how this stage will frustrate some. Question....Did you apply a clear coat and/or a coat of Future to the model before applying the decal? My suggestion next would be a small investment....Micro Sol and Micro Set. Under $10 for both and a little goes a long, long way.

Check it out Microscale Industries

This stuff works great and virtually eliminates the lines around the decals. It also softens up the decals nicely so the mold really sweet to what your applying.

Good luck buddy!

 

[Just Mike]

Clear coat, two coats. Yes.

 

[Haggistom]

Hi Mike, some first post!

I am new to this scale modeling hobby, although I have dabbled with Games Workshop figures and kits for the past 18 months. I too get very frustrated when i cannot do things like the seasoned painters and modelers. It does not matter how many videos or tutorials I watch I never get better!!! I now know why.

I always do the things I am comfortable with and leave the bits I struggle with till later(Or till I'm better at it). This results in me spending time getting better at what I am fairly good at already and ignoring the things I should be working on to improve my techniques.

I too had trouble with decals till i decided to buy decal paper and practice. I scanned a decal sheet and printed it on A4 decal paper(Got 4 copies on the one A4 sheet) and started sticking decals everywhere I could. I also found that gloss varished surfaces, Micro Sol, Micro Set and warm water made a huge difference to the decals. Once we leave the comfort zone life becomes interesting.

These tips were picked up by watching others on YouTube and subsequently on this great site.

This or any hobby is supposed to be fun but when our expectations outweigh our ability then anyone and everyone quickly loses interest and drifts onto something else. You have started this hobby for a reason and whatever that may be you need to remember why you started it.

Why don't you clear up the mess before someone chastises you and take some pictures of what you have and post them here. Everyone here will offer advice and there is already a good few videos on decals.(Grendels - Space Shuttle with 747 part 14: Decals for the 747&
DreamKnight - How To: Apply Decals are two that spring to mind)

Please keep asking the questions and plenty of knowledgeable modelers will help. Before you know it you will be posting builds with the best of them.

Keep it real it this make believe world!

 

[Just Mike]

I don't think pictures at the moment would have helped. It's one of those time-sensitive things that I had to know at the moment and since I didn't, it's trash. Good paint job, bad decals.

 

[Haggistom]

No Harm, No Foul!

At least you know what the problem was. Hopefully you can get by it and start afresh.

Take it easy.

 

[Grendels]

Mike, here is what I would do. Start with a few easy to build kits. Something with either no decals like a car or a gundam, or something with small decals like a few planes. Build up your skill set and confidence slowly.

This is one of the reasons I stopped working on the Enterprise NX. I realized that my painting skills where not up to the task. So I bought a few simple models and worked with them. (Well I thought they would be simple but that 747 was nothing of the sort.) The whole purpose of the three aircraft was to build up my skills. I now feel I can take on that Enterprise, and I would have if the contest had not gotten in the way.

I would also try a few simple kits just to get the enjoyment back into building. Some of the Gundam kits would be great for this. They are very well engineered, and require little painting on a large scale. And very few of them have decals.

From what I have heard, the decals on the Romulan bird of prey and not very good. Much like the decals on that 747 I just built. My solution was to cut the decals into pieces and place them a tiny bit at a time. That is not a good solution for everyone because it takes a lot of patience to do and you have to be very precise in how you place the decals. But it will get you around your decals shredding and falling apart.

Microscale also makes a decal film you can paint on your decals to help them stay in place.

One thing to try is to have a very wet surface. A lot of water will help position the decals.

As for paint, in an air brush, I would start with Testors model master acrylics. They are air brush ready and you just put them in and spray. They require no thinning.

Tamiya paints are better in my opinion for thinning, they take a 50% paint to 50% thinner ratio. Pretty simple to master.

Glad to see you are back!!! ;D

 

[13aceofspades13]

hay man, trust me i know where your coming from, it takes time, decals are frustrating especually if they are cheep and tear easily, or wrinkle up.

 

[Just Mike]

thanks everyone!

I got to thinking today what might help is being tutored by someone in person. I went to my nearby gaming house and asked if there was anyone into scale modeling. Seems there are at least a couple people there who are and might be willing to tutor me like once a week or a couple times a month.

 

[Quaralane]

Glad to hear that, Mike