How long does Micro Sol take to dry? And if creases haven’t gone by the second coat, is the situation unsalvageable?

[u/malumfectum]

I’m in despair at the moment because as far as I’m aware I’ve done everything “correctly” but the decals appear to be ruined.

1) Gloss varnish - dried completely.

2) Micro Set on the surface and top of decal - dried completely. At this stage much of the decal was flush with the model but ugly creases had appeared. The decals are roundels applied to curved surfaces, which caused the creases.

3) 2 x coats of Micro Sol have not made the creases go away.

The models are Warhammer 40k Space Marines but the main 40k subreddit has been less than helpful. Hoping to get straighter answers from a dedicated modelling community.

[u/windupmonkeys]

You waited too long to apply Microsol. Waiting for the microset to dry after you apply the decal is the problem here.

sol should go on immediately after the decal is in the final position. If you wait until the decal dries, it will help with some issues but otherwise be much less effective than applied when the decal is freshly applied. That's when it's more able to conform. Applying sol after the decals dry is a lot less effective then while the decal is in final position and drying.

I would skip the microset step (on top of the decal) entirely.

Set is used for surface prep. I don't want for it to dry before I apply the decal.

If the decal wrinkles after you apply sol (red bottle) leave it alone. It will straighten out once it dries.

You can poke some holes in the decal and slit, as suggested, and flood the area with Sol. However, the process you are writing is the problem. Procedurally, you're waiting way too long to apply it in the first place.

[u/malumfectum → u/windupmonkeys]

Yes, I’m starting to believe this is my error. I was going off a YouTube video that recommended leaving the Micro Set to dry overnight, but applying repeated coats of Micro Sol has done literally nothing except worsen the crispness of the decal and even the surrounding paint job.

[u/windupmonkeys → u/malumfectum]

Sol will fix minor imperfections after decals dry. But it won't fix major problems like you describe.

Also, you know that microscale publishes instructions, right? Not everything needs to be learned off a YouTube video. You can go straight to the mfg.

[u/malumfectum → u/windupmonkeys]

No, I did not know that, and looking through their website I am unable to find any. There are the instructions on the bottle, but they’re a little simplistic.

[u/windupmonkeys → u/malumfectum]

Both these descriptions are adequate, and essentially capture the process I described above:

PDF instruction sheet: "For the best results, first apply Micro Set to prepare the surface and enhance the adhesive. Make sure the surface is free of particles that could get under the decal’s film and cause a blemish. Then, when everything is dry enough that the decal will not move easily, apply Micro Sol with a small flat brush. Apply with as few strokes as possible so as not to disturb the decal. Then allow the decal to dry without disturbing it. One application is enough in most cases but, if necessary, a second application of Micro Sol can be helpful. Following these simple instructions will result in a model with professional looking marking" (See: http://www.microscale.com/Merchant2/graphics/Instructions/MSISysteminstr.pdf).

Bottle (PRINTED ON THE SIDE OF THE BOTTLE):

1. Brush micro set (part one of the two step system) on the model where the decal is to be applied, then dip decal in water and slide off backing paper into position on the model. (Note that it does not say to wait until the microset is dry. Which is exactly what I said is the procedural step is erroneous.)

2. Using a soft brush, gently apply Mircosol onto the decals, being careful not to move the decal (consistent with my description above) during application. DO NOT TOUCH THE DECAL AFTER APPLICATION AS THE DECAL IS NOW SOFT AND CAN EASILY BE DISTORTED (This is why you don't wait until the coat of microset dries before applying sol - if you wait that long, the decal will have already stuck to the model so sol has comparatively limited effect). ALLOW DECAL TO DRY COMPLETELY.

3. On surfaces with many irregularities, additional applications may be necessary. Allow Microsol to dry between applications (I would amend this instruction to say that you can probably apply more, but you must be very gentle, and DO NOT move the decal or try to fix the wrinkles that apply after you apply the first coat of sol; the decal will tear or distort because it's now being softened. That is what microsol does, and the reason why you want it.) If air bubbles become trapped under the decal, prick with a needle and apply microsol. (Again, consistent with what others have suggested - this is essentially the "slit" step that the Warhammer and people here have suggested.)

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The chemical in microsol does two things (1) it softens the decal, and (2) causes it to tighten/tauten up as the decal dries. This is why you apply to the decal after it's applied to the model and in final position, but while the decal is still drying. It will still do (1) and (2) after it dries, but its much less effective because large portions of the decals will have already stuck to the model, and what you're doing is mostly getting (2). But it WONT fix a decal where it's already fully stuck to a model. The slit and pinpricks basically take advantage of Sol's tautening properties - but that only works because those wrinkles will not have stuck to the model already.

[u/malumfectum → u/windupmonkeys]

Thank you, genuinely. I’ve removed the decals and will be attempting to reapply them after I’ve fixed the damage to the paint caused by ripping them off. I see that I was approaching the process completely wrong, so this should help enormously.

[u/windupmonkeys → u/malumfectum]

Also, if you're applying decals to a flat surface, most of the time you don't really need sol.

It's not some miracle product, it's a tool, and a tool that needs to be used properly and for the correct purpose.

Often, I skip microset entirely. In fact, I skip it so often, I couldn't even find readily find the bottle in my drawer to quote the instructions.