[stalag8611]

Due to the PC idiots in the EU, if your want swasis on the rudder of some of your 1:72 Luftwaffe models you've got to put them there yourself and I'm having trouble doing that. After a frustrating search I finally found what I was looking for; a sheet full of sizes and styles of Swastikas in 1:72 and made by Aero Master. The biggest problem is transfering the decal to the model, e.g., knowing when to slide the decal off its backing before it's too soft and tears, or floats off the backing sooner than expected. Any ideas on how best to handle the decals, especially when working the small swasis used on the 109s?

[wmosner]

Try a search, I know that somewhere in this forum decals were discussed. Floor wax was involved as well as dull cote, just can't remember which thread.

[panzercommander]

Originally Posted by stalag8611

Due to the PC idiots in the EU

Ok, what is the real deal behind this issue? How comes Corgi, a UK based company, and Gemini have no qualms about putting swazis on their product while the Asian based companies don't? They all sell their products in the same markets, so what gives?

[wmosner]

21st Century 1:48 Messerschmitt packaging has photo's of the model in several places on the box and swastikas are on the tail. Open it up and lo and behold there are no swastikas on the actual model.... go figure

[stalag8611]

Originally Posted by wmosner

Try a search, I know that somewhere in this forum decals were discussed. Floor wax was involved as well as dull cote, just can't remember which thread.

I asked the original question which was where to find them and hoow to remove the shine. What I didn't ask, and should have, is the best/safest way to get decals off backing. Maybe it's just the Aero Master decals, but getting them off and positioned is really a PITA

[bsmith13]

Applying decals isn't difficult, just a little time consuming. You have the benefit of only needing to apply two - one to each side of the vertical stabilizer.

First, a quick discussion about how decal work. (My apologies to those of you who have heard this umpteen times before). Decals adhere the best to a perfectly smooth surface. The problem is that most military models have a flat finish. If you were to examine a flat finish under a microscope, you would find that the surface is very uneven. If you apply a decal to a flat paint finish, chances are that the decal will not adhere completely, causing "silvering". That having been said, the degree of flatness on diecast airplanes varies from manufacturer to manufacturer; some are flatter than others. It is up to you to decide if you need or want to spray the tail of your $30 airplane with Gloss Cote (after masking of the rest of the plane, of course!). Gloss Cote is a clear glossy finish by Testors that I swear by.

If you choose to Gloss Cote your plane, let the finish dry for 2 days. To apply your decals, I recommend the following:

A shallow dish or plate where you can put a bit of warm water
A model paint brush
tweezers
a couple of q-tips
a paper towel
a tooth pic
Micro Sol (can be found at a hobby shop or squadron.com)
Micro Set (ditto)
the decals that you want to apply

Put a bit of water in your plate. I prefer a plate to a cup, because it's easier to fish a decal out of a shallow open container rather than a full deeply filled one. Add a couple of drops of Micro Sol - this softens the decal material, making it so that it will conform to the surface of your model. (The water merely loosens the glue.)

Cut the decal from your sheet and wait about a minute. You can test to see if the decal is ready by seeing if you can move it from the backing paper with your toothpick. When it is moving on the paper (but before it slides off the backing paper involuntarily), remove the backing paper and decal with the tweezers. Position the paper near the area on your model where you want to apply the decal, and slide it off with the paintbrush. Use the q-tip brush to push the air bubbles out from underneath the decal, and to make it adhere to the surface. (This also sops up excess water). Dip your brush in the Micro Set and paint it over the decal. Repeat until you are finished with your decals.

Let the decals dry and cure for 2 days. This is very important.

If you Gloss Coted, you will need to apply a layer of Flat Cote after the decals are finished drying. Be sure to mask your model again if you took the masking off to apply your decals. Wait two more days and you should be done.

Hope this helps =- LMK if you have any questions.

[mikeb1958]

Originally Posted by panzercommander

Ok, what is the real deal behind this issue? How comes Corgi, a UK based company, and Gemini have no qualms about putting swazis on their product while the Asian based companies don't? They all sell their products in the same markets, so what gives?

Yes, I been wondering that myself. It's so silly but very irritating to say the least. The PC people along with MATS (MOTHERS AGAINST TAIL SWAZIS) can all kiss my fat "undercarriage".