Water Slide Application

The following instructions are for WATERSLIDE DECALS SUPPLIED BY Golden Touch Decals and are from the paper manufacturer and details of my techniques and should be adhered to for best results. As you work with these decals, you will develop your own style of application to the point where these steps will become second nature and the application will progress without incident each time you wish to install a decal.

SPECIAL NOTE: Permagloss is not suitable for use over my waterslide decals. It will totally destroy them due to the content of Xylene in the Permagloss.

1. APPLY A THIN COAT OF EPOXY: First and foremost, clean the area for the decal with isopropyl alcohol to remove any fingerprints or other contaminants and then apply a thin coat of epoxy at the location you intend to place the decal. This will prevent the potential for fogging by filling in the porosity in the surface of the blank and leave a slick and shiny surface on which to apply the decal. Even though the blank may be glossy, this still should be done.

Ensure the epoxy has cured for at least 24 hours because if the epoxy surface is the least bit tacky, the decal may stick prematurely and damage to the decal will occur when trying to reposition it.

2. CUT DECAL TO SHAPE & WET IT: Cut the image with sharp scissors to a shape with round corners. Round corners, as opposed to square corners, are less likely to want to lift off of the rod blank. When you are ready, dip the decal in warm, distilled water, not HOT!-for no more than 5 seconds. The paper will roll up but then will straighten out again. Place decal in a saucer with the image face up to allow the decal to continue releasing itself. The use of distilled water prevents the contamination of the decal from the impurities that are sometimes found in regular tap water.

3. APPLY THE DECAL: In about a minute, pick up the wet decal and GENTLY "test" to see if the film has released from the backing paper. If it is ready, locate the decal at the blank position and proceed to slide the film from the backing paper and let it "hang-over" the edge just enough to contact the blank. Then slowly, with even tension, slide the backing paper from under the decal until the decal rests completely on the blank. At this point, with WET FINGERS, fine tune the position of the decal to suit. The key here is not to get in a hurry. If no wetting agent is used, ensure the surface where the decal is to be placed is sufficiently wet so the decal can "float" on the thin water film until it is located as desired.

When you are satisfied with the placement of your decal, use a regular tissue, not one with lotion, to GENTLY blot and squeegee the excess moisture from the decal area. Gently is the key word here because these tissues consume the moisture fast and if you are not careful, you can grab and move the decal while removing the excess water and then you have to wet the whole area again to get it back in place.

All excess moisture and air bubbles from under the decal must be removed for the best adhesion and appearance. If you see small air or water pockets, just gently push them to the nearest edge of the decal. If air pockets are left under the decal, they will appear as small shiny circle blotches through the decal film.

4. ALLOW THE DECAL TO DRY: When all of the moisture has been removed from the decal area, you can let the decal dry overnight at room temperature and proceed with finishing as usual. At this time, do not try to remove all of the lint particles left by the tissues because you will damage the decal and possibly move it from its intended location. You are not going to apply the finish now anyway, so the lint is not an issue! Wait until the decal is properly dry and then take a 1" sable artists brush to whisk the fuzzies away! Make an effort to not touch the decal area as this will prevent contamination.

If you have found yourself in a bit of a bind, and need to hurry things along, place the rod in a rod dryer and rotate it under a goose neck desk lamp for at least an hour to dry the decal and then finish as usual after you have removed all of the fuzzies!

5. APPLY THE FIRST COAT OF FINISH: When the decal is dry, and the area has been properly cleaned, you can apply the first coat of epoxy. The initial coat of epoxy can be applied immediately after the epoxy is mixed or later, after some of the guides have been coated, to allow for a thicker layer of coverage. The decal area should have nothing other than the epoxy applied over it - NO KRYLON FIXATIVE, NO COLOR PRESERVER, NOTHING, Etc., as this only adds layers of potentially non-compatible products that may well have a negative effect on the installation of the decal. If the decal is not lying flat as it should be, then it probably was not installed properly and these additional steps will not correct an inferior installation.

6. LET THE ROD TURN AND THE EPOXY CURE: Allow the rod to rotate in a dryer to prevent sagging of the epoxy. If after curing for some time you see a slight waveyness in the area of the decal, DO NOTHING but let it cure-it's not the end of the world if you have followed the application instructions as listed. When the finish has cured so it can be touched without leaving marks, (dont test on the rod but on the foil you had the epoxy spread out on), inspect the decal area for finish fuzzies and remove them and pay no attention to the wrinkling! The additional coats of epoxy will cover this properly as one coat of epoxy over a decal area is not enough anyway.

It's best to use a de-greased, single edge razor blade to clean up the fuzzies in the area as opposed to "sanding" as the blade creates no dust. Then, once you are satisfied with the area, just apply another coat of epoxy in your standard application technique and cure as usual.

It can't get any easier than that !!!!

 

ADDITIONAL DECAL APPLICATION NOTES:

1. MICRO-SET Wetting Solution: Some builders use a "wetting" agent to assist with the application of their decals. This step is optional as the decals can be applied with or without the wetting agent. The solution called MicroSet (MicroSet-MSDS), allows the decal's position to be adjusted somewhat after application to fine tune its placement. If this product is used, only a very small amount is necessary - this stuff goes a looooong way in causing a "film" on the decal location. Just getting the tip of your finger wet with this stuff is all that is necessary. With the MicroSet you have a few moments to adjust the decal.

2. MICRO-SOL solution: In addition to Micro-Set, some builders feel there is a need to use yet another product called MicroSol OVER the decals as part of the decal application process. As stated previously, The decal area should have nothing other than the epoxy applied over it as this only adds layers of potentially non-compatible products that may well have a negative effect on the installation of the decal. If the decal is not lying flat as it should be, then it probably was not installed properly and these additional steps will not correct an inferior installation. The MicroSol product was intended for model makers when they apply a decal over irregular surfaces in the decaling of trains, planes and automobiles!!! The manufacturer states that it completely softens the decal, allowing it to drape down over the rough surfaces conforming perfectly and without distortion. When applying a decal on a rod blank, there are no irregular surfaces, or at least there shouldn't be! - it is a perfect, glass-like surface - excellent for decals.

Unless you are placing decals over unfinished decorative wrapped areas on the blank, you otherwise have a perfectly smooth, glass-like finish on which to apply the decals. Plus, the addition of MicroSol softens the decal to the point that additional handling, either by hand or brush, can damage it. For a film thickness of approximately .001", we certainly do not need a softer decal to deal with.

If you feel you need to use MicroSol as an additional step in the decal application, please feel free to do so. However, do so at your own risk! It's just another step that offers no benefit in rodbuilding but it extends the drying time needed prior to the application of the epoxy finish coat by at least another day!