Just wanted some input as I encountered a strange occurence today. Has anyone experienced a violent reaction when applying Micro Sol to a surface that had a coat of Future? I brushed the decal with Micro Sol and it turned the paint a whitish hue in the area surrounding the decal.

This might be my answer....how long do you let the coat of Future to cure? I applied my decals and the Micro Sol solution about 6-8 hours after applying the coat of Future. Is that too soon?

I have had this occur on occasion, but it does not seem to follow a specific set of events. I suspect it may have to do with how much moisture was in the air when the future coats were applied, the other possibility is if I use the new or old recipe.

I think micro sol is like vinegar does future have any ammonia ? Maybe like the water rings on a shellacked table top . Did it fade away or did the future clear up or what . What the composition of the future , I've never use it and don't have any in the house .

Hermann,

Although you waited 6-8 hours and it may have felt dry, humidity levels
do affect the full curing process. Seeing that you are in Florida,
I would recommend a full 24 hours before any application of decals.

Just my suggestion,
Cheers,
Joe

It's that humidity sensitive ?

I have had the same thing a few times and mine disappeard in subsequent coats BUT a couple times it didn't. The only thing I could do was a winter whitewash and they ended up looking fine but just not what I had been going for.

The way that works for me is apply 2 coats future waiting until the first is dry to the touch or dry enough to handle. After the second coat I usually wait at minimum 24 hours, 48 is better. Micro set treatment, then micro sol. Once all decals are down then I hurry and put another coat of future while everything is fresh. (I think that it helps to soften and "melt" the decals into the finish) maybe one more coat of future, let dry and then on to weathering.

It seems to really work good because one of my modelling OCD's is silvered decals Grrrrrr

Another thing you might check is water getting in your air line. I ended up putting a secondary moisture trap on my airbrush and have never had the problem since (fingers crossed)

Hellbent

I live out in the boonies and about every three months I make it to a big city and grab some supplies. To my horror they were out of Micro-Set.

My trusty and knowledgeable LHS dude told me that Micro-set is basically fancy vinegar water and to just use some vinegar and water instead. Something about the vinegar breaks the surface tension in the water and allows you to squeeze it out from under the decal with a Q-tip.

I have noticed that to really work well you have to use both micro-set and micro-sol together

Hellbent

This is way way way too soon, Future needs at least 3 days to dry. It may seem good to the touch earlier, but if you keep your finger pressed on 1 area you will notice that it will leave your fingerprint imbedded into the location.

Don't apply anything and let the Future coat dry for 4 days before you do anything !

I have a dehumidifier in my shop so it stays at 30 to 40% all the time. I just used a thin coat of Future under (and over) decals with using Micro Sol and Micro Set within about 3 hours of each application with no clouding. Seems like the Micro Sol and Micro Set I have are pretty old, about 6 months at least. Wonder if there is something that evaporates off over time other than the moisture? All the best!

I am happy to announce that I fixed the problem. I soaked a kitchen towel with Createx airbrush cleaner and applied it to the stains. Like magic, the stains disappeared and the kit has been saved.

For the future, I intend to use Alclad II gloss klear coat for the first coat and the application of the decals with the Micro Set and Sol solutions. That will be sealed with future after the decals settle into place.

Hermann.

I have had similar issue, with a bit of white cloudiness after using Micro Sol, I have found that when dry another coat of future seems to make it vanish.

Same here. Occasionally, I get a bit of cloudiness around the decals after applying Micro Sol, but then after drying, it goes away.

I have noticed that this happens more frequently if I don't allow the Future to dry overnight, so now, I plan my decaling in three stages - Apply Future and allow it to dry overnight; apply the decals using whatever setting and solvents are required (Micro Sol, Testor's Decal solutions, etc) and allow them to dry overnight; finally seal the decals with a topcoat of Future and allow that to dry overnight. After the second layer of Future is hard dry, I apply Testors Dull Coat and the decals look perfectly blended in.

I have noticed that some of the more "aggressive" decal solvents can actually soften the Future and allow a brush to lift the Future layer, so once I get the decals in position, I allow each application of decal solvent to surface dry before applying another if the decals have not conformed to the surface details. I'll do this on the same day that I apply the decals, though.

Note that there is a difference between Micro Set and Micro Sol (or Testor's Decal Setting and Decal Solvent Solutions). The setting solutions are for getting the decal into position, and on some decals that's all that's needed. The decals will conform to the surface with nothing else. The decal solvents are for more aggressively softening the decal films so that they will conform to the surface.

I try to use the LEAST aggressive solution possible and only use the solvents (starting with Micro Sol) when they're needed. If the decal doesn't conform after the Micro Set has surface dried, then I'll apply a drop of Micro Sol over it and wait to see how it works. If it's working, but the decal hasn't completely conformed, then I'll apply another drop. If, however, the Micro Sol is not having the desired effect, then I'll try the Testor's Decal Solvent Solution, and so on.

Finally, before I spray on the second, sealing-blending coat of Future, I use a cotton swab and water to wipe away any residue from the decal glues or solutions around the dried decals. Usually by the time I've done this and prepped my airbrush with the Future, this little bit of water has dried away.

This works for me. Takes a little extra time, but then I think the results are worth it.