Carpena Decals

[Nergol]

I've heard lots of things about Carpena decals - lots of negatives. I've heard particularly that they can shatter easily and don't react well to setting solution. What do you all know about working with Carpena decals? Any lifesaving (or modelsaving, or sanity-saving) ideas?

[kitnut617]

I've used Carpena decals and I didn't have much problem with them. To prevent shattering though, use hot water (not warm). Shattering occurs when the backing paper expands quicker than the decal and using hot water heats both up quickly and at the same rate. Not all decals need this though, it depends on the manufacturer.

This is my P-47 using Carpena Decals:

Edited June 25, 2007 by kitnut617

[Old Blind Dog]

Kitnut offers good advice. I'll try and add a little based on my own fairly recent experience.

I had a h***uva time trying to use some Carpena decals on my Academy 1/72 T-6 (ultimately converting it to an SNJ-5c for the simpler markings!) This is what I found: some of the larger decals tended to break apart (could be the water wasn't hot enough, though I always try to use the hottest water possible); this is when I discovered what NOT to do with Carpena decals:

DO NOT under any circumstances try and treat these decals with Micro Liquid Decal Film; it will solve the break-up issue, but the decals will become so rigid that they won't settle down for anything.

DO NOT dip them in Future. This may help them adhere somewhat better but it will definitely NOT make them less rigid and will not help them settle into panel lines. (Also, they will be almost impossible to remove cleanly if you need to start over again!)

You CAN use Micro Set before applying these decals but DO NOT use Micro Sol to try and get them to settle. . .simply doesn't work! The decals will wrinkle up but never settle back down!

You CAN apply a coat of Polly Scale Clear Gloss to seal them, but be very careful and experiment on a scrap kit, as the results can be fairly unpredictable (I found that I could not use any type of clear-coat to seal them on the NMF SNJ-5 which I'd painted with Citadel Mithril Silver. . .but that was probably due more to the paint than to the decals; the sealed decals silvered something terrible and looked very unrealistic).

HTH

:wub:

Old Blind Dog

Edited June 25, 2007 by Old Blind Dog

[piper19]

I have a sheet for a 1/48th F-100. Did not apply them yet, but at first sight they look OK. Seems that some black lines are not crisp, and a badge with a tiger head in it doesn't look like it should.

Good to read the comments, I will try them out first.

[Nergol]

It seems like hot water is general good advice for any troublesome decals - someone gave the same guggestion re: Hasegawa kit decals, although I gather it was for different reasons.