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I am at the point in the Blackfoot build where I have to apply the decals. I have the org sheet of decals that came with circa 1986. I need to know of any tricks in laying it down and getting it perfect. I am very anal about things being straight and correct. Can you use the soap and water method to make it forgiving a bit? Sorry this isn't exactly a paint question.

vwlvr1980 wrote:I am at the point in the Blackfoot build where I have to apply the decals. I have the org sheet of decals that came with circa 1986. I need to know of any tricks in laying it down and getting it perfect. I am very anal about things being straight and correct. Can you use the soap and water method to make it forgiving a bit? Sorry this isn't exactly a paint question.

Stickers are self-adhesive and soap & water won't work for those. Decals are water-transfer; soap & water might help with those, but the terminology of "decals" and "stickers" should not be confused for this reason.

I believe water will damage the adhesive of stickers and make them less sticky, or not at all...and certainly prevent them from staying stuck for a long time.

Applying stickers is one of my least favorite tasks in the hobby; getting them aligned right, without wrinkles or air bubbles is a pain. Wish I could offer more advice but all I can suggest is be patient applying them.

tamiya decals are always a pain. X2 on the soap and water . A heat gun on low setting or hair dryer helps with the wrinkles.

Soap & water can be used with some stickers. When applying graphics to full size cars you can use this method to help position the vinyl and then squeegee out the fluid. I didn't believe it would work before I tried it years ago, it does not affect the adhesive. Have not tried it with RC stickers (yet).

Being someone who can seemingly never get a sticker straight, I wondered if there was anything out there that could be applied to the surface to aid in the application. I vaguely remember finding a liquid you apply first which allows you to slide the sticker around until you get it positioned perfectly. Then you let it sit and the liquid evaporates. This was a really long time ago but it makes me wonder if something exists today which does something similar.

RC10resto wrote:Soap & water can be used with some stickers. When applying graphics to full size cars you can use this method to help position the vinyl and then squeegee out the fluid. I didn't believe it would work before I tried it years ago, it does not affect the adhesive. Have not tried it with RC stickers (yet).

I always use this method now - the problem with applying decals 'dry' is that you've only really got one chance to apply it on the shell in the right position... any attempt to remove that decal if you've got it in the wrong place can cause damage to the sticker - either causing it to stretch, risk getting finger print marks or even adhesive lines caused as it releases itself from the shell... which always show themselves through the clear areas of the vinyl when re-attached to the shell.

Have a look at my Gallery thread - the majority of the cars in there have had the decals applied using the method described in RC10resto's post

P.S - I also use the hairdrier method to push the decals into those tight spots/creases

Lowgear wrote:Being someone who can seemingly never get a sticker straight, I wondered if there was anything out there that could be applied to the surface to aid in the application. I vaguely remember finding a liquid you apply first which allows you to slide the sticker around until you get it positioned perfectly. Then you let it sit and the liquid evaporates. This was a really long time ago but it makes me wonder if something exists today which does something similar.

Literally all I do is pour some warm water with a little drop of washing up liquid into a small bowl - before applying the decal I remove the backing paper & put it into the bowl... then using a sprayer bottle I wet the area of the shell that the sticker is going to be applied to. The decal is then removed from the bowl (try to pick it up from the edges to avoid finger prints on the 'sticky' side) & apply it to the shell - on a flat surface of a shell the decal should be able to slide around a bit to find the placement that you are happy with, but even if its not easy to slide around it will be alot easier to remove & replace. Once i'm happy with the decal's position I push the water/moisture out with a paper towel & gradually 'work' the decal into the contours of the shell. After about 12hrs the decals should be securely applied to the shell & ready to use.

Superb tip! I didnt realise you could do that with normal stickers

I use window cleaner. Partially remove backing, spray and apply. You have plenty of time to adjust.

I've had very good success with:

Spray bottle
Fill with water
Add about 5 drops of Lemon Joy liquid dish soap

Then you just spray the decals prior to application, apply decal to body, squeegee off water with your fingers and a microfiber cloth. This method allows you to re-lift and re-apply a few times if you miss the intended location. It doesn't adversely affect the stickiness of the decals.

A hair dryer or heat gun can also really help make the decals conform to complex shapes when using vinyl decals. Heat won't help on the older style mylar (non-flexible) decals.