Yellowed decals question

citjet · 07-29-2008, 03:21 PM

I have a TWA L-1011 kit that I am half way through building and was wondering if the decals that are old and yellowing are good to use. Will they clear up when emersed in warm water or should I just go ahead and order reproduction decals?

I've build many models but never used old decals.

Help is appreciated.
Thanks guys!

B-16707 · 07-29-2008, 03:48 PM

slightly yellowed decals can be "bleached" if left out in sunlight ironically\.

but in your case, i bet those decals are beyond saving so just order new ones.

citjet · 07-29-2008, 11:46 PM

Ok, I figured as much but was curious if there was a remedy of sorts to save them.

Thanks for the advice.

Bill-ay · 07-30-2008, 12:20 AM

No no, give them a try. Get some future floor wax and put three coats of if on using an ear cleaner. That should fix anything.

B-16707 · 07-30-2008, 02:02 AM

are you serious billay? future clearing up yellowed decals?????

V1UHOH · 07-30-2008, 09:12 AM

Once they are "bleached", definitely clear coat them with decal film. More than likely if they are old and yellowed they are also very brittle and will disintigrate when put into water.
You can prevent this by using a clear coat like Microscale Decal Film. Just brush it on, wait a few hours for it to get good and dry and they should be good to go. You can even use Micro Sol on them once on the model to get them to set properly.

Sometimes if they are extremely yellowed the sun might not bleach them out completely. The best thing to do if you still plan to use them is to trim the film as closely as possible to the decal to mitigate as much yellow area showing up on the model as possible.

Or order a replacement if a similar sheet is available. case in point- I had a Revell Delta DC-10 kit years ago where the original kit decals were hopelessly yellowed beyond salvage. I simply used the Flightpath sheet in it's place.

Bill-ay, I've never heard of Future as a decal restorer, I'll have to give that a try!

Bill-ay · 07-30-2008, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B-16707

are you serious billay? future clearing up yellowed decals?????

Oops! Meant to be more clear on that. I put Future on the decals in place of the decal bonder; Future bonds the decals together, does not get out the yellow however.
I put them in a Ziplock bag and tape them to a window inside where the sun beams. A couple of days of that will do the trick (most likely).

Yeah Bob, I've been using Future on all of my old Hasegawa decals and it works great!

B-16707 · 07-30-2008, 01:41 PM

future doesnt work as in the of my poor JAS......which had 3x coats of future. decals still cracked

http://www.diecastaircraftforum.com/...bow-777-a.html

i think if your decals stay together in the water, it would have stayed together with or without the future

Bill-ay · 07-30-2008, 02:29 PM

I beg to differ on that one Kai.
I conducted an experiment awhile back in which I had a CX Tri-star decal sheet where I had put three coats of Future on the decals which were to be applied to the right side of the fusalage (i.e. Tail logo, chealines, rego, etc.). I did not apply any at all of the the decals which were to be applied to the left side. I put every decal in the water simultanesouly (i.e. tail logo with tail logo) to see if the one with Future would hold up.
The first three tries the ones with Future held up, and the ones without did not. I eventually did every decal and the ones with the Future did not crack, and the ones that did not have the Future all cracked in some way or another. Call it luck if you wish, but IMO I think the Future is the secret. I apply it to all of my decal sheets, weather theyre old or new ones, and they all hold up.

Maybe this is just me luck.
Kai, what was the make on the JAS decals?

B-16707 · 07-30-2008, 03:46 PM

hasegawa was the make. it was standard hasegawa JAS 772 kit with the stock decals. the decals looked 100% new and perfect on paper and not one single crack or a tinge of yellow...perfect. dip that junk in water then it cracked up into small tiny pieces.

again then i sprayed future 3x on the remaining decals and they still broke up the same as they did without future.

bottom line if anything, it doesnt always work.

07-29-2008, 03:21 PM	#1
citjet Collector Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 127	Yellowed decals question I have a TWA L-1011 kit that I am half way through building and was wondering if the decals that are old and yellowing are good to use. Will they clear up when emersed in warm water or should I just go ahead and order reproduction decals? I've build many models but never used old decals. Help is appreciated. Thanks guys!

07-29-2008, 03:48 PM	#2
B-16707 i need more space Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 6,842	Re: Yellowed decals question slightly yellowed decals can be "bleached" if left out in sunlight ironically\. but in your case, i bet those decals are beyond saving so just order new ones. __________________ The Completed Customs The Airport 1:200 B773ER details decals have ARRIVED!!!!!! http://www.diecastaircraftforum.com/...tml#post601882

07-29-2008, 11:46 PM	#3
citjet Collector Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 127	Re: Yellowed decals question Ok, I figured as much but was curious if there was a remedy of sorts to save them. Thanks for the advice.

07-30-2008, 12:20 AM	#4
Bill-ay Bill-ay the A320 FO Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Dallas Age: 14 Posts: 2,719	Re: Yellowed decals question No no, give them a try. Get some future floor wax and put three coats of if on using an ear cleaner. That should fix anything. __________________ I all widebodied airbuses, except the bulbus A380 View my collection(if you really care, its only HE OG models). http://www.diecastaircraftforum.com/...tion-4996.html LONG LIVE THE DC-10/A300/A310/MD-80!!! Billycwilt@jetphotos.net

07-30-2008, 02:02 AM	#5
B-16707 i need more space Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 6,842	Re: Yellowed decals question are you serious billay? future clearing up yellowed decals????? __________________ The Completed Customs The Airport 1:200 B773ER details decals have ARRIVED!!!!!! http://www.diecastaircraftforum.com/...tml#post601882

07-30-2008, 09:12 AM	#6
V1UHOH NARF! Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: barnstorming the 3rd world in ***** slapped retro heavy metal three holers! Age: 39 Posts: 614	Re: Yellowed decals question Once they are "bleached", definitely clear coat them with decal film. More than likely if they are old and yellowed they are also very brittle and will disintigrate when put into water. You can prevent this by using a clear coat like Microscale Decal Film. Just brush it on, wait a few hours for it to get good and dry and they should be good to go. You can even use Micro Sol on them once on the model to get them to set properly. Sometimes if they are extremely yellowed the sun might not bleach them out completely. The best thing to do if you still plan to use them is to trim the film as closely as possible to the decal to mitigate as much yellow area showing up on the model as possible. Or order a replacement if a similar sheet is available. case in point- I had a Revell Delta DC-10 kit years ago where the original kit decals were hopelessly yellowed beyond salvage. I simply used the Flightpath sheet in it's place. Bill-ay, I've never heard of Future as a decal restorer, I'll have to give that a try! __________________ This is the earth. And this is Pinky. You can tell the difference quite easily. One is a lump of inert matter hurtling blindly through the void. The other... is the earth.

07-30-2008, 01:41 PM	#8
B-16707 i need more space Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 6,842	Re: Yellowed decals question future doesnt work as in the of my poor JAS......which had 3x coats of future. decals still cracked http://www.diecastaircraftforum.com/...bow-777-a.html i think if your decals stay together in the water, it would have stayed together with or without the future __________________ The Completed Customs The Airport 1:200 B773ER details decals have ARRIVED!!!!!! http://www.diecastaircraftforum.com/...tml#post601882

07-30-2008, 02:29 PM	#9
Bill-ay Bill-ay the A320 FO Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Dallas Age: 14 Posts: 2,719	Re: Yellowed decals question I beg to differ on that one Kai. I conducted an experiment awhile back in which I had a CX Tri-star decal sheet where I had put three coats of Future on the decals which were to be applied to the right side of the fusalage (i.e. Tail logo, chealines, rego, etc.). I did not apply any at all of the the decals which were to be applied to the left side. I put every decal in the water simultanesouly (i.e. tail logo with tail logo) to see if the one with Future would hold up. The first three tries the ones with Future held up, and the ones without did not. I eventually did every decal and the ones with the Future did not crack, and the ones that did not have the Future all cracked in some way or another. Call it luck if you wish, but IMO I think the Future is the secret. I apply it to all of my decal sheets, weather theyre old or new ones, and they all hold up. Maybe this is just me luck. Kai, what was the make on the JAS decals? __________________ I all widebodied airbuses, except the bulbus A380 View my collection(if you really care, its only HE OG models). http://www.diecastaircraftforum.com/...tion-4996.html LONG LIVE THE DC-10/A300/A310/MD-80!!! Billycwilt@jetphotos.net

07-30-2008, 03:46 PM	#10
B-16707 i need more space Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 6,842	Re: Yellowed decals question hasegawa was the make. it was standard hasegawa JAS 772 kit with the stock decals. the decals looked 100% new and perfect on paper and not one single crack or a tinge of yellow...perfect. dip that junk in water then it cracked up into small tiny pieces. again then i sprayed future 3x on the remaining decals and they still broke up the same as they did without future. bottom line if anything, it doesnt always work. __________________ The Completed Customs The Airport 1:200 B773ER details decals have ARRIVED!!!!!! http://www.diecastaircraftforum.com/...tml#post601882

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