Decaling made easier.

[Rider]

I've been doing this ever since I was a kid. 

Decalling can be very stressful and very overwhelming to many. You spend countless hours honing your skills and building a kit you are "Hoover Dam" proud of. Everything has gone great or you have been able to correct any problem you have had. Then comes the dreaded decal laying. Sometimes they never get done and we make ourselves feel better by convincing ourselves the build look fine without them. 

Or we put the kit aside with great intention to work up the courage to do them. Sometimes they never get done.

So you've gone and said to yourself "Hoover Dam it I am going to do this" , you get all set up. You put the decals in and you get on with it, then things start to go off the rails, you loose a decal in the water. The problems just snowball from there.

I started doing this. The sponge insures you never loose a decal in the water, and you can have many decals on deck soaking. It makes the whole expireince mush less stressful. I also use tiny paint brushes to manipulate the decals.

I fill the container just below the sponge. 

Happy building.

Edited April 18, 2016 by Rider

[CFMgarage]

Great idea. Definitely gonna do this.

[Miatatom]

Great idea. Definitely gonna do this.

+1

[Toner283]

And from the "why didn't I think of that" file. Great tip. I will be using this one. Thanks!

[Harry Joy]

I'm weird in modeling, in that I really enjoy doing decals. No one else I know enjoys it, so I know it's a personal oddity.

That said, I never lose decals when I soak them. Ever. I use a small, shallow deep dark blue bowl, and freshen the water every few decals as the water cools.

[Foxer]

I never minded doing decals and have been doing them since before AMT Kit Decals existed, but this is a genius idea! ... simple and effective. One of these is going on my bench.

[martinfan5]

Not a bad idea

[KWT]

Hmm... I'll be Hover'd

[Snake45]

Interesting idea!

When I was a kid I'd put the decals--the whole sheet--in a glass of water. Then I'd have to fish them out one at a time and work fast. Took me a couple years to figure out that cutting the sheet apart might be a good idea.

Nowadays I do decals in something very shallow, like a coffee saucer. One at a time.

[Tom Geiger]

!

When I was a kid I'd put the decals--the whole sheet--in a glass of water.

I remember putting the decals in my mouth so I didn't have to get up from the model bench!

[Tesla]

Great idea...thanks!

[Mooneyzs]

Great Idea... I am going to have to try this one out.

[om617]

Definitely going to try this one,great idea. Decals are 10 times more nerve wrecking then BMF

[TarheelRick]

I remember putting the decals in my mouth so I didn't have to get up from the model bench!

Tried that - the glue tasted horrible and I had a devil of a time getting the "Wynn's Friction Proofing" decal off the roof of my mouth. LOL.

[Tom Geiger]

Tried that - the glue tasted horrible and I had a devil of a time getting the "Wynn's Friction Proofing" decal off the roof of my mouth. LOL.

I didn't mean for you to do that NOW!  

[Bushpounder]

I'm weird in modeling, in that I really enjoy doing decals. No one else I know enjoys it, so I know it's a personal oddity.

That said, I never lose decals when I soak them. Ever. I use a small, shallow deep dark blue bowl, and freshen the water every few decals as the water cools.

I know this is an old post, but I thought I'd suggest this - have you thought of using a coffee cup warmer for your decal water? Some are plug and play. Others have two or multiple settings that will keep the water a constant warm temp. Just a thought to pass along.

BP;)