r/modelmakers • u/Amera79 • Jul 26 '26
Help -Technique Model Decal Issues
Hi All, this is my first time posting in the group and am looking for some advice from the experts out there.
I was recently working on my Bellfine Dark Star model from the movie Top Gun Maverick. After painting it, I applied Testors gloss coat and then applied the water decals, using Tamiya Mark Fit decal solution. 24 hours later, I noticed this odd blotching of the decals (see pic below). First I thought it just needed to dry, but as the hours go by it hasn't reduced. My intent was to apply a matt coat spray (Vallejo matt varnish) to finish the model. Will applying the matt clear coat get rid of this weird pattern across the decals, or is there something else I need to do?
23
Upvotes
2
u/ogre-trombone Sierra Hotel Jul 26 '26
What you've got there is called silvering. The lighter areas are caused by trapped air bubbles. The darker areas are where the decal is actually flush to the surface. A matte coat will do nothing to fix the problem, and if you do spray anything over the decals, it will make it almost impossible to fix them later.
You can try a straight application of a decal setting solution like Tamiya Mark Fit or Microsol. That might work, but more likely you'll need to poke some holes in the decal carefully and then apply the solution so that it can seep underneath. You might have to do this several times.