spraying clear over decals

[tin_indians]

I want to spray my cars with Tamiya #80 matt clear for the dull finish. Has anyone tried it over decals? I'm wondering if the reducer in the spray will wreck the decals. I'm going to try a test with a decal on a piece of styrene and once the glue dries then spray it and see what happens. But I was wondering if anyone had prior experience. :think:

[RichD]

You would be taking a risk spraying a solvent based clear over decals. If you do very light coats with plenty of drying time in between you might be OK. Sometimes doing light coats will give you a very rough finish however. A trick that I have used is to put a couple of coats of a water based clear, such as Future, over the decals to act as a barrier, then top that off with a solvent based clear. Future by itself is not very robust and will rub off fairly easily. Different clear coats use different combinations of solvents, and even for the same brand that can change from can to can. It is always best to do a trial run if you are using a new combination of paint, decals and clear coat.

[chrisguyw]

[mattb]

These decals were printed on Testors decal paper and clear lacquer coated before being used, then the whole car clear coated.

brawner 2.JPG

These are kit decals from Monogram

P1010012.JPG

these are Indycals.net

P1010009 (2).JPG

I use Tamiya or Testors lacquer over all my decals and usually there are no problems. I do like the decals to dry for a couple days and maybe use a hair dryer on them to be sure. Light coats are a must and let them dry to touch in between.

[Changing-Gearz]

I use Tamiya paints on everything I build.....

When it comes to clear - I use Minwax clear lacquer spray sold at Lowes or Home Depot... It's no where near as hot as model/auto clears - comes in a big can and the quality of the finish is the same or better than most model sprays.....and I've probably tried 7-8 different clears in the past 2 years including some crazy stuff from Japan that was $13 for a small can!! The only drawback to it - it seems a little more sensitive to humidity, so depending on the day - you may get a cloud in it.... But a second coat on a better day fixes it....
Comes in Flat, semi and gloss.... I used the gloss once for a show car..... I use mostly flat....

I'm particular about decal quality - but I've sprayed over everything and haven't had an issue.... Heavy spray can get under the decal if you don't sand between coats and prior to decals ~ and any dampness is the biggest enemy.... Make sure everything is dry

[Mayberryman]

I have been both a slot racer and modeler for many years and have applied many top coats over decals. I presently use Tamiya lacquer paint on all of my repaints after a coat of primer. For a top coat I use Testors wet look clear without any problems. I have even used it over some inferior decals I got from a local decal seller and with a few dust coats of the clear I have sprayed the top coat on without problems.

[REL13]

Hi, I am new to this site but I have painted and decal over 300 models from all the different scale of trains to plastic models and all scales of slot cars. Some of my work is in the Nascar museum in N.C. I do mostly airbrushing, but I have used spray cans. I always try to use a gloss paint finish. It make the decals stick better. When I finish putting on the decals I let them dry for a few days, Then I apply 2 or 3 THIN coats of Testors dullcote it dry's fast, and it hides the edges, and it does not do anything to the decals. Then I spray Testors high gloss clear or a matt finish. I hope this will help someone.

[waaytoomuchintothis]

That's pretty close to what I have done after lots of year's messing around. But I use Tamiya clear.

[HomeRacingWorld]

Not all decals are the same. Big....BIG difference between quality decals like you have in kits or Pattos, and the $5 cheapos from eBay.

So when we advise on clear...the decal itself is the variable. What can safely seal one brand may not work for the other.

Future (AKA Pledge now) is my sealer of choice and has been :)

[waaytoomuchintothis]

Yes, I jumped a step. Harry is right, Future is the way to seal them when they are applied and dried in place. I was thinking about making a decal stronger on the sheet before applying. There are several clears that will strengthen the decal before you wet it, and Tamiya clear is one of them. For drastic holes or contours to make the decal "sink" into, use Papilio Decal film (spray) to get the decal ready and when dry, Champ Decal Set when applying. THEN Future.

Another thing... to make crappy, fragile Ebay acquired decals worth bothering with, use the Papilio spray twice to keep them in one piece. Its very important.