Stickers

[Karl MarforioParticipant @karlmarforio41514]

Does anyone have a confirmeed procedure for water proofing water transfer stickers? With my Billing Boat Slo-Mo-Shun kit came some nice water transfer sticker. How can I get these to stay permanently on the hull when in use?

[Karl MarforioParticipant @karlmarforio41514]

How to water proof them?

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Karl. Its an obvious answer but you will have to varnish them !

Acrylic varnish should be ok for splashes and so on, and will not turn yellow, unlike Polyurethane varnish. If the opportunity is there then coating the whole side or whatever of the bits where the stickers are will then negate the need to very carefully varnish around the edges of the sticker.

Humbrol do a special transfer varnish (not tried it myself).

As with all things, you should try any varnish combination with a scrap bit of transfer (if available) to check for any issues.JUST POSSIBLY, the water content of Acrylic varnishes can affect water based items….

And then of course you will need possibly need to match the underneath paint finish. If the sticker is on a gloss surface then a gloss varnish will look better. It may be that with a more colourful sticker the slight yellowing of oil based varnishes will not be of concern. No doubt someone will post that certain types of varnish do not yellow and then you will have more of a choice.

Ashley

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

As Ashley says, you will need to varnish them but this means that you will probably need to varnish at least the whole panel to which they are applied, if not the whole boat! Polyurethane varnish is actually fine as long as it is applied to medium to dark colours (don't apply it over white!). The interior variety is clear and won't go yellow unless constantly exposed to ultraviolet light but most models don't spend much of their time outdoors anyway. The outdoor variety of varnish contains UV filters and has a slight yellowish tint to begin with.

Acrylic varnish (the quick dry type) can be OK depending on what it is applied to. If you put it on over an enamel finish for example it won't bond and tends to form a 'skin' on top which is OK until you get a knock on the hull and it can then start peeling away.

However, whichever type of varnish you use, it will still frequently be very evident where the decals/transfers are attached as there will be an edge around them plus the transfer itself will have a different refractive index from the underlying surface and any transparent areas in particular will show up. The way round this is to use special transfer fixing fluid which blends the decal into the underlying surface, Humbrol market one called Decalfix. I would suggest that you Google 'Applying decals to models' and you will find a huge amount of practical advice online.

Colin

Edited By Colin Bishop, Website Editor on 01/09/2015 09:28:06

[Karl MarforioParticipant @karlmarforio41514]

Thanks for your advices! Yeas I had guess that varnish was needed, but I got some good aspects from both of you and feel mor comfortable on next steps. I will make a test on a separate part with acryl and PU versions. The hull is six layers of International shooner and presents a really smooth and deeep shining surface that I dont want to blurr with unmatching products, so I will regardless stick to the region some mm outsidethe sticker. I will try using the shooner, though it has a sligt brownish colour but also PU or acrylig varnish has to be tried. I strongly think you have a point Colin that Acryllic varnish most probably will form separate to some extent especially if exposed to mechanical wear, so even if it migh seems doing the job in first the risk is high that it will fail at a later date.

Thanks again!

Karl

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Karl,

If you already have a varnished hull then continue using the Schooner, it isn't worth risking something else! It will probably only need one coat to cover the decals and seal them in to blend with the existing finish and is not likely to affect the colour very much.

It may be worth investigating the decal fix though as this will remove the edges around the stickers.

Colin

[Mark Jarvis 2Participant @markjarvis2]

Karl

Try spraying the varnish, it should say on the tin what to use, no chance of the transferrs lifting or smudging

Mark

[harry smith 1Participant @harrysmith1]

Hi Karl

Try clear coat spray which is used on cars!!!

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

When you only have once chance at it 'try' isn't really an option! The boat is already varnished with a traditional yacht varnish which may react unexpectedly with the solvents from other finishes, particularly spray ones. Yacht varnish is not intended to be overlaid but anything other than itself and indeed, if damaged can be gently rubbed down and varnished over with more of the same.

Yacht varnishes are also very slightly flexible as they have to give protection in varying weather conditions and temperatures, another good reason to stick with the one product.

Spraying a thinned coat of International Schooner should be OK as it will blend with the existing surface.

Colin

[Author]

Posts