Here is my LSWR open recently painted and awaiting transfers. I've never had much luck with transfers which is why I very seldom use them or should I say, I make models based on early vehicles where lettering wouldn't have been used. However, I have a set of transfers for this wagon and would like to have a go at applying them. I have some Micro Sol and some Micro Set.
My question is, do I need to use both or can I get away with just using the Micro Sol? The wagon is painted gloss although it doesn't show in the picture very well.
A second question. I intend to spray the wagon with a matt varnish to take down the gloss of the paint and to mask the carrier film of the transfer. When I've used matt varnish in the past, I was left with a 'mist' over the paintwork, maybe another reason why I don't like using transfers. Can anyone please suggest a varnish that won't do this?
Jon
I carried out a bit of an experiment just now. I applied a transfer leaving it to dry. I then sprayed over it with Humbrol Matt Varnish, oil based, and it wrinkled the transfer! Well, I know that doesn't work :(. I'll have to get some acrylic and see how I get on with that.
Jon
the carrier film is always a bone of contention for me.
I have in the past done my own sign writing free hand using a good quality artist brush. All of my SR wagons in gauge 3 are sign written free hand. Why not give that a go?
The way you can do it is to have a stencil created to ensure the letters are uniformed. Letter S is one of the hardest to get right.
Mark
Jon, my skills at applying transfers are probably similar to your own! However, on an LSWR van I did exactly what you did - Precision matt paint, gloss varnish, apply transfer, spray Humbrol matt varnish - and the transfer wrinkled up dreadfully. In disgust I walked away and left it overnight. By the following morning it had all settled down and they were the best transfers I've ever done, with all the carrier film disappeared. Several years later they are still there.
No idea how or why, but if you have not yet scraped it off I suggest you leave it for a while, just in case!
Mike
Jon,
I have both Microset and Microsol but actually use only the latter.
Applying over gloss is usually straightforward. Apply the transfer and then give a good coating of Microsol.
Where possible, I lay the side being applied flat and level and apply a good puddle of Microsol. It will wrinkle the transfer (that it was it is supposed to do) but when it dries it will stretch flat over the detail and the carrier film will have dissolved. It is sometimes necessary to repeat the process to totally remove the film (in the case of the 45XX I recently did for Mark T, he supplied satin finish paint and it took three applications of Microsol to totally remove the film).
Regards,
John.
P.S. When the transfer has totally dried I give a coat of Johnson Klear followed by a coat of Micro Satin or Micro Flat varnish.
Mike
It was just an experiment so, no need to scrape it off at all. I'll check it tomorrow to see how it fares but already it has ironed itself out a little. I'll go back and check to see how the carrier film fared too.
John
Thanks for your tips. I had no idea that the carrier film would disappear so, that is a real bonus. I was going to have a go at applying the transfers for real tomorrow but after hearing about yours and Mike's exploits, I think I'll carry out a few more tests.
Thanks again
Jon
Quote from: Jon Nazareth on May 29 2018 18:35
I'll check it tomorrow to see how it fares but already it has ironed itself out a little.
We are all ears Jon .... ?
I'm still carrying out the tests with spray varnish with varying results. The crinkles did come out of the first one but on spraying another sample, the whole thing came out very misty, disappointing. That was with oil based varnish, the next will be with acrylic.
The pictures show my attempts at applying transfers. Yesterday, they had numerous coats of microsol and today two coats in an effort to dissolve the film. As you can see, it's still there. It may go when the varnish is applied, not sure.
On the transfer sheet that I had there were no weight numerals and so, thee are none on the wagon. My excuse is that it was painted before it was weighed ;)
Jon
P.S. The split in the W, I'll paint in with enamel before varnishing. I was a bit too forceful with the tip of the brush hence the split.
Jon
The sample on the right was sprayed with Humbrol oil Varnish and wrinkled almost straight away but in the morning the wrinkles had gone and the finish is good. The sample on the top right was also sprayed with Humbrol oil and has misted badly. They weren't sprayed at the same, the left first and the right second with some hours in between. The one on the bottom right was sprayed with Humbrol acrylic and is worse than the one above it!! At some point, I'm going to have to spray the wagon body and I can't have it go wrong, there's no turning back once the button on the top of that can is depressed, what a dilemma!
Jon
John,
My advice is to cut more closely to the edge of the printed transfer to minimise the surrounding area of clear film, which is very prominent in the right hand samples.
I use MicroFlat and MicroSatin (made by the MicroSet people) and apply with a brush (it is as thin as milk and covers easily without leaving brush marks).
Decal film can be of different formulations and MicroSet has clearly not dissolved the type used for your transfers.
Regards,
John.
John
The tests were to see which varnish would work over the gloss paint and looking at the above, none of them so far. Are you brushing the microflat over the whole wagon?
Jon
Jon,
Below is a wagon which has had the MicroSol treatment followed by "Klear" and then MicroFlat over entire side.
The yellow paint was a spray can from "Just Like The Real Thing" and was satin finish.
The transfers were printed on my laser printer and the MicroSol has totally dissolved the film.
Regards,
John.
(https://thumb.ibb.co/g4HTNd/Wood_Wagon.jpg) (https://ibb.co/g4HTNd)
I've now sprayed the wagon with Vallejo matt acrylic varnish and the finish was quite good really except for two places. The varnish came out very 'wet' and I think should have been put on with thin mist coats until the whole thing was covered but I didn't do that. There was a build up of varnish on the side of the wagon and it has formed these thick layers which are still a bit soft. There is also something going on with the end too. I'm not sure what has caused this but maybe a finger print although, I was careful to lift it only from underneath. I can live with the varnish on the end but am a bit miffed about the side. Does anyone know how I can cure this problem? They are still soft and it may be advisable to let them harden off completely before another coat. Any ideas?
Jon
My version of the 'wooden' wagon, all finished
Jon