Decal Details

Well it has been a little longer then I would like with a post.  Currently I am wrestling with an Ork Battle wagon trying to get the Bad Moon yellow I want.  However that isn't the topic today.  I hope to be done with the truck in a few days so I can post about it and catch up with my one post a week pace.  What I am covering today are some handy tools to use with decals.  I have seen a great post covering those items at Pit of the Oni.  Since I recently put these products to the test I thought it might be useful to post a review here.

We are talking about four products for finishing models created by Microscale Industries.  They have a number of products in their line the four I mention here best fit the typical needs of miniature hobbyist.  The majority of these products work with decals.  And these products works as advertised

Liquid decal film is is intended to restore old decals.  It can also be used to create custom decals.  I'm not sure about the custom decal process what I can comment on is the restoration.  In my situation I had some great Forgeworld Tau decals from about five years ago.  I was pretty sure they were finished.  I used a small brush applied the decal film and let the decal dry for 20 minutes.  I then wet the decal like I would if it was brand new.  The decal came off without a problem and slid right into place.

Now the area where I wanted to apply the decal was a circular surface at the back of a crisis suit.  I was concerned the decal may not be as flexible as I needed to work it into the spot in question.  That's where Micro sol comes in handy.  First you apply some Micro Sol to the location on the model then place the decal.  Lastly apply Micro Sol to the decal when it is placed.  The decal will sort of slip into place.  Micro Sol softens the decal dramatically so you want to be careful in application as it can move and get distorted.

Micro Set existentially does the same as Micro Sol.  Micro Sol would be the maximum strength and Micro Set regular strength.  It is applied in the same way and strengthens adhesion as well as making a decal softer.  I would use Micro Set on decals in typical situations and Micro Sol on sections of a model that from a glance look like they would be a challenge to apply correctly.

Micro Flat is basically a clear flat coat you can apply to surfaces.  Its best use is on decals.  It flattens the glossy finish of a decal without distorting the color and finish of the decal.  Micro Flat can also be used to try and soften the frosting effect you can sometimes get from some finishing varnishes.  It won't totally remove the frosting effect it does improve it and depending on how frosted a model is it can salvage a mini.  I don't have pictures on this but the blog I cite earlier Pit of Oni does have pictures to show this effect if you search his keywords section.

Above you can see the decal applied to my model.  I used Micro Sol, Liquid Decal Film and Micro Flat on the above mini.  I don't think the picture does justice to how well these products work.  The decal looks perfectly blended and has a wonderful flat finish.  I have not seen these products at my local gaming store I have seen them however at a traditional hobby store that does military models.  You can also find Microscale products online at Armorcast.  Till next time happy painting