SPA Modeler

I cannot remember precisely how long, but I did the paintwork and test the same day, so a few hours in between.

But as you say, can be the chrome is just more fragile than the polished aluminium

- Kari

I've spent around 8-9 hours today working on the decals I'm about halfway now

Aside from the insignia, they're all stencils, too.

Stencils usually take about 3-4 times longer than the basic insignia...

That ain't no joke. I see why they call it the flying data placard

She's close to done try as I might I had about a dozen decals silver on me. I knew two was going to right away ones at the wing root that had the don't walk border around them. I should of cut away all the excess film before hand but you know how that goes. The other decals I had problem with are all the same small black lettering reading caution then a paragraph under that is too tiny to read. I used micro set on every decal and also hit them all with micro Sol. I even wet sanded the top decals lightly before adding the second gloss coat on to protect them. I also tried adding a 3rd gloss coat on before a pin wash but that didn't help and made the wash harder to do since so much paint made the panel lines shallow. It's not my best work and I hope never to do a build with so many decals ever again lol
All the decals of course turned out well on the bottom side.

Can see the silvering reflecting in the light


Also I had order two packs of the Blu-27 cans I didn't realize when I ordered that they only had one in stock and the other is now on back order. So I added the cans to the inside pylons I figure it would be easier to add the outer ones when they come in.

I'm going through that same crap right now with my walkway decals on the 262. I lightly punctured them in the places with the silvering with the tip of an X-acto blade and hit the affected areas with some more Micro-Sol. Currently waiting the results.....

This thing is looking really good Clint. LOVE the paint work and weathering that you're putting into this bird.

Thank you.
Same I put a tiny pinhole into all the ones that silvered and tried adding even more micro sol but it's just the walkway decal and the one type of caution stencil that silvered, I'm guessing the problem was how they was printed on the sheet? It's not my best work but now I will have a F-4E on the shelf now.

If worst comes to worst, you can always use the "nuclear option": Solvaset. That is hot enough it should melt the decal into place once it seeps underneath through the pinholes.

But it looks like you’ve already applied the flat coat over the decals, so this will be an issue...