Modelling Tip: What to watch out for when applying decals

Decals, or transfers, provide one of the finishing touches to a plastic scale model project. Decals have been around in one form or another for over a hundred years and were originally developed for use in decorating ceramics. Those used in plastic kit modelling are typically water-slide decals and if you want to learn more about their history and how they are made click on the links below.

• http://ceramicdecals.org/History_of_Decals.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decal
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_slide_decal

Decals come in all shapes and sizes and quality can also vary a lot, resulting in problems ranging from silvering, poor adhesion and tearing.
In theory applying a decal is really very easy. Simply cut out the decal you want to apply, soak it in water just above room temperature for a few seconds, lift the backing paper with the decal still on it out the water with a pair of tweezers, maneuvre the decal backing to the location on the model where the decal needs to go, and using a soft tipped tool slide the decal off the backing and onto the model surface. While there is still plenty of moisture under the decal  gently move it to its final resting place. Then wick away the excess moisture with a paper towel or cotton bud.
However, despite its apparent simplicity there are a number of pitfalls to watch out for. Below are a few issues that I can think of and work-around solutions.

• Make sure you apply a coat of gloss varnish to the model surface. This is because decals adhere to a gloss surface much better than a matt surface. If you don't, microscopic air bubbles will be trapped under the surface of the decal and give it a cloudy, silvery appearance. A surface painted with gloss paint or varnish has a much smoother surface.
• Plan you decal application project carefully. Make absolutely sure you know where each is due to be applied before you put the decal in water to soak.
• Have your model in a position that allows you to transfer of the decal to the surface in a comfortable manner. In other words hold the model in place with some sort of hands-free device or method so that you have both hands free to concentrate on applying the decal. I often use Blu Tack or helping hands.
• Only apply one decal at a time. By all means cut a number of decals out of the backing but only soak one at a time. If you do soak too many at a time you may end up over-soaking, causing the transfer to become very delicate and also float off the backing paper. Catching a floating decal is difficult at the best of times.
• Use a decal setting solution to prepare the surface and soften the decal so that it hugs the contours of the model surface better.
• Make sure you do not apply too much decal softening solution as it can melt or dissolve the decal. If this happens, often manifested by a rippling effect on the surface, do not touch it. Simply leave it and let the decal dry out. Obviously this approach is only appropriate if the decal is in the right location. The ripples should vanish of their own accord.
• Instead of sliding the decal off the backing, let the edge of the decal catch the surface of the model and slide the backing from underneath the decal. I find this gives me more control.
• Use the corner of a piece of kitchen towel or a cotton bud to wick away the excess water. If the decal is tough, I sometimes place a piece of paper kitchen towel over the decal and apply a reasonable amount of pressure with my thumb, taking great care not to apply any lateral movement, to help the decal hug the surface contours. N.B. Be very careful doing this when you have used decal softener. Probably best not done in this situation.
• If bubbles appear under the decal surface and cannot be removed by gently pressing, simply prick them with a sharp scalpel blade point or a sharp needle. Then press down gently to release the air from the pocket or roll a cotton bud over the bubble to force the air out. A coat of decal solution can then be applied to help remove any evidence of a cut or hole.
• When the decal has thoroughly dried apply a coat of varnish to seal it for good and to stop it lifting off the model as it ages.
• Sometimes old decals crack or turn yellow, however it is possible to restore them. The yellowing can be fixed by leaving the decals in the sun (e.g. on a window sill) to bleach and once this has worked apply a coat of Microscale Liquid Decal Film to rejuvenate the decal itself.

That is about it. If you have any decalling tips, get in touch using the contact us page.

How I created my scale model workshop!

As I mentioned in the last Kit Chat newsletter, one of the best things a scale model hobbyist can do is create their own bit of dedicated space to pursue their craft. In other words set up their own craft workshop.
It is the only way work on model kits can be progressed uninterrupted and more importantly be left out during hiatuses without the worry of someone inadvertently disturbing the workspace or even damaging your model aircraft or whatever you are working on.
I guess there is also the other side in that others in the house may not appreciate your hobby taking over a room they use too. And they are certainly unlikely to appreciate the room and its contents getting covered in plastic dust, paint over-spray and spilled glue and paint, not to mention the odours!
I suppose most plastic modellers might have a workbench set up in the corner of a room in their house, such as in a study, lounge or the kitchen. Obviously if space is limited there is no option but to use the space available in imaginative ways. Smart storage solutions then become essential!
However if you are fortunate enough to have a few hundred quid spare and some spare space, then what I did may be of interest.
To set scene let me give you a bit of background. Around July last year I moved with my family to a new house. This dwelling should do me till my last breath with a bit of luck, it will be a blessed relief because I am sick of moving house (five times since 1994).
And joy of joys the new house has a double garage. This really got the ideas flowing, not because I want to keep my cars pristine, but because it was a great opportunity to build a craft workshop. I couldn't wait to make it happen, however there were other pressing tasks to finish first, so the project got delayed a little.
This turned out to be a good thing because initially I was going to put up stud walls within one quarter of the garage to create an entirely new room. However that would have been expensive, would have been pretty much a permanent feature and would have taken me a long time to realise.

So as time went by, an idea evolved that had the potential of being a lot cheaper and much more flexible. Namely putting up a garden shed in the garage.
I know that sounds like a crazy idea but stick with me for a minute. Here are some advantages:

• It is pre-fabricated, so all I have to do is screw it together.
• As a wooden building within a brick structure there is an element of insulation, which can be further enhanced very easily.
• It is light and can therefore be moved around the garage without too much hassle; so if you want to change the configuration of the space it is not a big problem.
• The roof is sloped and flat meaning that the garage door can still open unhindered.
• At 7 ft by 7 ft it is big enough inside as a workshop and takes up less than a quarter of the space in the garage.
• Because the garage floor is already there you do not have to prepare the ground, as you would do if the shed was outdoors.
• Painting it (inside) is a doddle and only took a few hours.
• Electricity can be supplied by simply using an extension lead without having to go through the rigmarole of installing cabling and wall sockets as you would have to do with a purpose built room.
• Because it is only a single layer wall it is very easy to create vent outlets, such as for an Xpelair unit in the roof or in the wall for a mobile air conditioning unit to blow out waste hot air.
• And lastly, if at some point in the future you decide you would rather have your entire garage back and actually use your shed as a shed in the garden, it is a simple case of taking it apart (to the extent that it can be moved through gates and along alleyways) and relocating it to the garden, leaving the garage untouched.

So there is method in my madness! Naturally I had to keep this idea to myself initially so as not to scare the other half into an immediate and point blank refusal. (I find using the gentle approach, in which new concepts and ideas are introduced piecemeal, gets a much more positive response, even if it takes a little longer!)
So without further ado this is is a step-by-step guide to how I did it.

1. I bought a garden shed that fitted inside my garage. I took care to take accurate measurements of the three dimensional space available. I then browsed online for a shed because I had access to all the dimensions to verify the style of shed would fit in the space. Naturally if you want the garage door to open up over the top of the shed then you will very likely need one with a flat roof. The online shed retailer I have used on a number of occasions (and so too on this one) is http://www.gardenbuildingsdirect.co.uk/. They have always been excellent and I highly recommend them. The shed I chose was this one http://www.gardenbuildingsdirect.co.uk/Wooden-Sheds/BillyOh-Corner-Shed.
2. Once I had made my selection I made doubly sure that it would fit in the space it was destined for. I even marked out the footprint of the building with spray paint and created life size models of the furniture I intended to install to ensure there would be enough room. With my mind assured I placed the order. It arrived within a week if memory serves.
3. I followed the assembly instructions carefully until it was complete (although for obvious reasons I skipped the roof felt stage). Fine-tune maneuvering can still be done at this late stage by wrapping a rope around the base of the structure and dragging it. It would have been easier with two people but I just about managed. If you are going to try this it is important that the force is exerted on the edges of the floor because if you pull on the walls it will distort and damage the structure itself.
4. Once in it's final resting place I started fitting it out. The first stage was to install another layer of flooring as the floor that came with the shed is pretty thin and flexed far too much. I used a couple of sheets of tongue and groove chipboard floorboard, cut to shape using a jigsaw. These pieces were then dropped into place creating a much sturdier floor.
5. The second fitout stage was painting. Because I wanted as much light as possible I chose a bright white emulsion. I have to admit I chose emulsion to save money, however it was a mistake. On the next trip to B&Q I bought a decent white wood primer and a high quality bright white wood paint to finish off the job. I painted everything white, walls, ceiling and floor. It really did the trick and means that the best use of light is made.
6. When the paint was dry it was time to start thinking about the work table. I knew exactly what I needed and so started looking online and then at a couple of stores nearby for something appropriate. I found nothing and eventually decided to create my own from left over wood in the garage. I had a piece of plywood and a piece of the chipboard flooring left over so I cut them to size with the jigsaw and cleaned up the tongue edges of the latter. The chipboard was attached first. I decided to use the shed wall in lieu of legs on one end and a single leg bolted to the floor at the other. It is a little bit wobbly but no worse than a commercial flat pack table from Argos for example. There is a picture here of the underside of the table showing how it all fitted together. On top of the chipboard went the slightly larger piece of plywood, and was glued into place. After I was happy with it, this also got a couple of licks of bright white paint.
7. The next stage was to install a long fluorescent strip-light on the ceiling. This was left over from the shed at our old house so I didn't incur any additional cost there!
8. Then came the power. I am a big fan of keeping things safe and simple, and I am no electrician, so when it comes to power I simply use a trusty multi-socket extension lead with surge breaker fuse. The multi-socket is attached to the wall with a couple of screws and the cable is tucked away along the floor edges where wall meets the floor. It was held in place with cable nail-clips.
9. For a bit of storage and because I had enough space I installed a lightweight plastic shelving unit, held to the wall with a plastic cable tie on one side and a bracket on the other. This was nicked from the Garage, but I soon found extra space for the items already on it so no harm done. I also put up a shelving unit, also salvaged from the left over from the previous shed.
10. Two folding chairs and stools were purchased from Argos for seating and that was it.
11. Then all my modelling gear was brought in.

As is usual no job like this is ever fully complete. My father visited soon after completion and within a couple of minutes he made a fair point that there was no air extraction system. Luckily I had a spare one of those in the garage too and so that was put in the ceiling in a jiffy.

Then last week the hot weather came and after years of resistance I gave in and bought a mobile air conditioning unit. This is used wherever it is most needed but if it is in the workshop to allow the hot air to escape I made a hole in the back wall so that the unit can simply be wheeled up to the hole and the outlet pipe fed into the hole.
I also had a couple of vary painful knocks on the head while walking through the door. Hence the strip of black foam padding you can see in the image on the left!
So that is it. If I had bought everything new (except for standard tools used) it would have cost less then £500 in all. Not bad for an extra room in the house. The best bit of all is the drinks fridge is not three yards away from the door of the shed!

P.S. If you have done something similar do post a comment or email me to share your ideas and experiences.

The Battle of Britain

This is a brilliantly written piece in the Independent about the Battle of Britain. Makes me want to dig out the film again, crack open a bottle of Shepherd Neame and build another Mk1 Spit! Although I think I better do the building before the beer and film. Beer and model making don't go well together with me...
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/deadly-skies-the-bloody-truth-about-the-battle-of-britain-70-years-on-2015062.html

The birth of the Spitfire

This is a brief article I found in the Telegraph recently.  It makes for a very pleasant 5 minute read if you have a spare moment.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/world-war-2/battle-of-britain/7851060/Battle-of-Britain-the-spitfire-envy-of-the-enemy.html