I usually just stick the dry transfer on the back of some regular clear scotch tape and position it before rubbing with back of a hoppy knife then just remove the tape and its on. helps that you can see through the scotch tape and position it perfectly. this process looks a bit more complicated.
was thinking about doing this myself and how he is going about it in the video i may do to like a 1/60 so its 100% spot on but i feel like the tape way you said would just as good if not better o7
I've a Master Grade Sandrock I'm just finishing and saw one of the sticker sheets had the additional wax paper backing, turns out those are the dry application stickers you mentioned and I had no idea. Thank you for the quick rundown of each!
I find that gently "rolling" the tip of the cotton bud over the waterslide decal, while holding it in place, helps remove any bubbles and/or water from under the decal, as well as stopping it from moving around from the "dabbing" action, rather than holding it in place and "dabbing" it. A coat of matt varnish over the decal removes any of the obvious lines around the edge of the decal as well.
- Sticker decal, worst decal - avoid at all cost since later it will be a square of dust around the decal; - Water slide decal: easiest to use but most of the time the decal is a bit thick so you still can see the clear border if closer look or taking macro photo; - Dry transfer decal: hardest to apply but pay off well.
Hi Jada, thanks for the lovely feedback! It's a fantastic hobby to get into! If you would like to check availability of any models in particular feel free to send us a message and we would be happy to do what we can to help out. :)
For the water slide decals, i did not notice you mention, but did you just apply it straight to an unpainted plastic surface? I find you want to usually coat with a clear gloss coat to allow the decal to go on smoothly. And, if also helps to blend in and prevent "silvering", more importantly. Then, after all the decal setting solution has been applied and decals really set, go over the entire model with another clear coat, but, usually a matte/flat to make entire look cohesive and remove the glossy finish. I guess my question is the semi-gloss finish of the plastic as it is good enough to prevent silvering without needing a gloss coat? Then, towards the end, apply an overall matte/flat finish to make it all a cohesive look.
Hi Khronokraze, for unpainted Gundam models we have found the surface should be good enough to apply decals direct to the surface and then gloss/matt varnish the model for the finish required. If weathering the models or doing a panel lining ALL models need to be glossed, panel lining done and the gloss/matt varnished as desired
I have model kit that uses tiny waterslide decals for color stripes, and they refuse to stick to the piece after drying. Can I just apply the Mark Fit after sliding them on and drying them to lock them in place?
Just built my first master grade the GAT-X103 Buster the only gripe I have with decals is the sticker ones that leave a visible border no matter how well they are placed
Do Gundam kits need a pre-wash in hot soapy water to remove mold release agent, or have they already been treated? I added some of the stickers to my MG RX-78 ver 3.0 a week or two ago, and they are curling and peeling off.
It's not necessary to pre-wash Gundam kits before building them, but we do have some modellers who will always give them a pre-wash or wipe them down to remove any oils. You could try applying a decal adhesive over the top of the ones you have applied to re-apply them.
Awesome video, very informative. For the mark fit, do I just use it on the surface and then as a seal or can i also use it to release the decal from the sheet?
You are unable to use the softer to release it from the paper. Put the decals in warm water for about 3-10 sec, once removed from water separate film/paper from decal using tweezers, then place mark fit on surface, apply decal using tweezers and pat down with a cotton swab, let dry for about 30 sec then place another layer of mark fit on top, pat down again and your good go.
How does the tamiya mark fit fair with applying and softening decals compared to the strong version? Heard the strong version makes the decals pretty weak and sometimes needs a top coat
Hey there! Strong mark fit is best used on modern decals as they tend to be a bit thicker and built tougher than back in the day, the strong stuff penetrates deeper into the decal and there for adheres better, though it does have the negative of dissolving older and thinner decals, that's were the regular stuff is better as it is a bit easier on the decals
Late to this, but some tips/info to add: Dry Rub decals- They don't seem to age well, nor handle different environments equally. In my experience, the older they are (how long they've sat around, not the kits actual first printing age), the less they like to stick. Also avoid touching with bare hands, more so if you tend to sweat more than others. Natural oils, or any moisture, pretty much kills the adhesion. Tip- Better than the masking tape, clear/scotch tape works really good for placement, since you can just 'hold' the entire thing in place with less worries, and still pick it up to reposition if needed, before rubbing them onto the part.
Hello :) Waterslide decals have a very fine film layer that looks almost invisible. You need to cut around the decal before dipping it in warm water for about 30 seconds. As for a "sticker," they can simply be peeled from the backing paper because it has a thick film around it. As for dry transfers, the backing paper is peeled away. The decal is placed in the appropriate place and "rubbed on" with a pencil.
Can i use the mark softner/setter for regular stickers? I'm having some trouble doing the 50+ ones on my real grades. Being able to place them an have that extra wiggle room to slide them into place would be a life saver.
No, unfortunately if you use setter/softener for regular Gundam stickers the adhesive will wear off and the sticker will not stick to your model at all, or will fall off over time. Sadly there is not really a product you can use to help with your issue, only patience and hard work.
![HOW TO APPLY DECALS FOR GUNPLA [EASY] | TUTORIAL TUESDAY](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/_Cl1dYHb25E/mqdefault.jpg)
I’ve build so many but i’ve never used the decals, this is my first time using them so this vid’ll be great
I usually just stick the dry transfer on the back of some regular clear scotch tape and position it before rubbing with back of a hoppy knife then just remove the tape and its on. helps that you can see through the scotch tape and position it perfectly. this process looks a bit more complicated.
was thinking about doing this myself and how he is going about it in the video i may do to like a 1/60 so its 100% spot on but i feel like the tape way you said would just as good if not better o7
After building a good number of gunpla kits and have tried all 3 of them, I like the water slide decals best
Agreed
I've a Master Grade Sandrock I'm just finishing and saw one of the sticker sheets had the additional wax paper backing, turns out those are the dry application stickers you mentioned and I had no idea. Thank you for the quick rundown of each!
Read the wording on the bottom right of the sheet it will tell you
Thanks for this! Working on my first MG and the water slide decals looked like witch craft to someone as new as me.
Man tysm I’ve always suck at those decal and sticker, this vid helps a lot
I find that gently "rolling" the tip of the cotton bud over the waterslide decal, while holding it in place, helps remove any bubbles and/or water from under the decal, as well as stopping it from moving around from the "dabbing" action, rather than holding it in place and "dabbing" it.
A coat of matt varnish over the decal removes any of the obvious lines around the edge of the decal as well.
- Sticker decal, worst decal - avoid at all cost since later it will be a square of dust around the decal; - Water slide decal: easiest to use but most of the time the decal is a bit thick so you still can see the clear border if closer look or taking macro photo; - Dry transfer decal: hardest to apply but pay off well.
Thx for the summary
I like the dry decals look pretty easy
This saved me on my ez-8 decals that I thought were water slides but weren't 😂😂, they were dry decals
Great video! I been thinking about starting gunpla model building. I want to get the origin red comet & RX-78 origin version hg models
Hi Jada, thanks for the lovely feedback! It's a fantastic hobby to get into! If you would like to check availability of any models in particular feel free to send us a message and we would be happy to do what we can to help out. :)
For the water slide decals, i did not notice you mention, but did you just apply it straight to an unpainted plastic surface?
I find you want to usually coat with a clear gloss coat to allow the decal to go on smoothly. And, if also helps to blend in and prevent "silvering", more importantly.
Then, after all the decal setting solution has been applied and decals really set, go over the entire model with another clear coat, but, usually a matte/flat to make entire look cohesive and remove the glossy finish.
I guess my question is the semi-gloss finish of the plastic as it is good enough to prevent silvering without needing a gloss coat? Then, towards the end, apply an overall matte/flat finish to make it all a cohesive look.
Hi Khronokraze, for unpainted Gundam models we have found the surface should be good enough to apply decals direct to the surface and then gloss/matt varnish the model for the finish required.
If weathering the models or doing a panel lining ALL models need to be glossed, panel lining done and the gloss/matt varnished as desired
@MetroHobbiesAus very good info. Thanks!
I have model kit that uses tiny waterslide decals for color stripes, and they refuse to stick to the piece after drying. Can I just apply the Mark Fit after sliding them on and drying them to lock them in place?
Hi Benjamin, Absolutely! That is exactly what we would recommend you do :)
Thanks for this. I was trying for days to put on waterslides but they turned out to be simple stickers which I didn't know about... :/
just did the same thing yesterday😂
Just built my first master grade the GAT-X103 Buster the only gripe I have with decals is the sticker ones that leave a visible border no matter how well they are placed
if your ballpoint pen isn't flowing ink then you can see the design adhere to the surface as you press!
Do Gundam kits need a pre-wash in hot soapy water to remove mold release agent, or have they already been treated? I added some of the stickers to my MG RX-78 ver 3.0 a week or two ago, and they are curling and peeling off.
It's not necessary to pre-wash Gundam kits before building them, but we do have some modellers who will always give them a pre-wash or wipe them down to remove any oils.
You could try applying a decal adhesive over the top of the ones you have applied to re-apply them.
What kind of tweezers should i get for applying the stickers?
Hello! We would recommend fine curved tweezers such as www.metrohobbies.com.au/products/hobby-basics-fine-curved-point-tweezers
@@MetroHobbiesAus thanks
Awesome video, very informative. For the mark fit, do I just use it on the surface and then as a seal or can i also use it to release the decal from the sheet?
You are unable to use the softer to release it from the paper. Put the decals in warm water for about 3-10 sec, once removed from water separate film/paper from decal using tweezers, then place mark fit on surface, apply decal using tweezers and pat down with a cotton swab, let dry for about 30 sec then place another layer of mark fit on top, pat down again and your good go.
@@MetroHobbiesAus awesome thank you.
A lot of these kits come with stickers that have big, horrible borders - best to trim each sticker individually beore application.
How does the tamiya mark fit fair with applying and softening decals compared to the strong version? Heard the strong version makes the decals pretty weak and sometimes needs a top coat
Hey there! Strong mark fit is best used on modern decals as they tend to be a bit thicker and built tougher than back in the day, the strong stuff penetrates deeper into the decal and there for adheres better, though it does have the negative of dissolving older and thinner decals, that's were the regular stuff is better as it is a bit easier on the decals
@@MetroHobbiesAusthanks for replying, so with something like bandai gunpla waterslide decals would just mark fit still be alright to use?
I appreciate it. I just built my first figure and it's been so hard to add the stickers 😂
I always stop after building each section and do the decals (as much as I might not feel like doing them right then).
Late to this, but some tips/info to add:
Dry Rub decals- They don't seem to age well, nor handle different environments equally. In my experience, the older they are (how long they've sat around, not the kits actual first printing age), the less they like to stick. Also avoid touching with bare hands, more so if you tend to sweat more than others. Natural oils, or any moisture, pretty much kills the adhesion.
Tip- Better than the masking tape, clear/scotch tape works really good for placement, since you can just 'hold' the entire thing in place with less worries, and still pick it up to reposition if needed, before rubbing them onto the part.
How can i recognise the different types of decals?
Hello :) Waterslide decals have a very fine film layer that looks almost invisible. You need to cut around the decal before dipping it in warm water for about 30 seconds. As for a "sticker," they can simply be peeled from the backing paper because it has a thick film around it. As for dry transfers, the backing paper is peeled away. The decal is placed in the appropriate place and "rubbed on" with a pencil.
@@MetroHobbiesAus thanks🙏
Well, I'll need proper tweezers to do this because the ones I have are definitely not up to par
For dry decals i let my thumbnail grow abit and use that it works
Can i use the mark softner/setter for regular stickers? I'm having some trouble doing the 50+ ones on my real grades. Being able to place them an have that extra wiggle room to slide them into place would be a life saver.
No, unfortunately if you use setter/softener for regular Gundam stickers the adhesive will wear off and the sticker will not stick to your model at all, or will fall off over time. Sadly there is not really a product you can use to help with your issue, only patience and hard work.
this is part i ahte about building gundam, its js skill issue for me
Getting a good quality tweezers is key. I thought a basic one would work but its grip was so crap it couldnt even hold onto the sticker.
>Watches whole video, ends
Yup, never doing any of that.
nice try fed, im still not giving my gunpla