As you come to the end of a scale model build, you often have a few decisions to make – do you go for a polished finish, or a more weathered look? Do you keep the traditional colour scheme, or go for something more artistic and original? And do you use the provided decals, paint your own designs, or keep it clean?

Your decal soft is a solution which will soften the decal film allowing the decal to conform more closely to the surface of the model, hopefully to get that painted on look we all want. There is no guarantee that it will prevent silvering. You might be able to mitigate silvering by piercing a decal with a needle or the end of a scalpel blade and flooding it with a decal solution, but again, there is no guarantee. It's far better to get it right initially and that's why I always recommend a gloss coat of your choice. It's only one more step in the process and the final desired finish can be achieved with a final coat of a suitable varnish.I use the Microset/Microsol system myself. It's the blue bottle (MICROSET) which should be brushed onto the model. A dilute solution of white vinegar will serve the same purpose of softening the decal film slightly. The red bottle (MICROSOL) is the one that should be applied later and is a stronger solvent. It's one, or several, applications of this which will get that decal snuggled down.

Once you are happy with the position of the decal, dab another paper towel on the decal to soak up any left over water. For any tight curves or areas that the decal needs to conform to that is not flat, you can apply a little heat using a hairdryer set to low (so as not to distort or melt the decal or model part). Once the decal is in place, carefully warm the area with the hairdryer to make the decal soft so that you can push out any creases or bubbles that may have appeared. Essentially the dreaded silvering, where the decal carrier film becomes visible, is caused by microscopic air bubbles under the decal. There is a much higher likelihood of this occurring on a rough, matt, surface than on a smoother gloss one. Start off by carefully selecting the decal that you are going to place onto your model. Use a fresh hobby knife blade to cut as close to the artwork/lettering as you possibly can, so there is little or none of the unwanted clear vinyl that the self-adhesive decal is printed on. You can use a pair of scissors to cut out the decal, but you may find that a hobby knife is better suited to the task. Once you have applied all your decals, and if you have done it correctly, they should now have the appearance of being painted on. From here, you can either leave the model with a gloss finish, or apply some weathering techniques.This type of decal is a little uncommon and should not be confused with water-slide decals or vinyl self-adhesive decals. Wet self-adhesive decals have adhesive on the rear of the decal, which when wet with water, allows the decal to be moved into the correct position before carefully wiping away any access water. This causes the decal adhesive to bond to the model permanently. A small amount of washing up liquid added to the water will help the decal to slide better until you are happy that you have it in the correct position. Below is an overview of the decal process, so give it a read and get your models looking as incredible as possible! While this is often enough to keep the decal in place, if you feel it necessary you can use the second paint brush to apply the second decal solution on top of the decal. This will set it firmly.

As always, model making is as much about follow instructions as it is about following your own creativity. Decals are a great way to enhance your model even further, so add them where you see fit and make your model stand out! We use a Secure Server for collecting personal and credit card information. The secure server layer (SSL) encrypts (scrambles) all of the information you enter before it is transmitted over the Internet and sent to us. All of the customer data we collect is protected against unauthorised access as per the Data Protection Act.Second, the blue Microset bottle looks a LOT like the bottle that the Liquid Decal Film comes in. You do not want to splosh this on your model instead of Microset unless you really want to start painting again! Another lesson learnt the hard way! This service does not deliver on a Saturday or Sunday. If you would like Saturday delivery please call us on 01782 409310. To seal the decal completely, you can now apply a thin layer of varnish or Klear and allow it to dry. First, although Microsol is not the strongest solution available it can be too much for some decals. I always test on an unwanted decal from any decal sheet to make sure it won't destroy the ones I intend to use on the model. If there is a problem you can always dilute the solution with water. I'd recommend this no matter which of the decal solutions you are using. This is a lesson I learnt the hard way! House of Hobbies may release account information when we believe, in good faith, that such release is reasonably necessary to (i) comply with law, (ii) enforce or apply the terms of any of our user agreements or (iii) protect the rights, property or safety of House of Hobbies, our users, or others.