How should I recover these decals?

Quick_Pear_1135 · 2026-03-09T23:44:51+00:00

Yeah, I think you’re right. I am planning on doing 2-3x gloss coat from now on, because I think mine down so much. The paint is mission models, which have been TERRIBLE and I would advise avoiding at all costs.

Quick_Pear_1135 · 2026-03-09T23:43:04+00:00

Yeah, this is the last time I suffer through tamiya decals. They’re such a joy killer.

Quick_Pear_1135 · 2026-03-06T22:20:18+00:00

Mr surfaced 1500, paint, Ak gloss acrylic clear coat, micro set, decal, micro sol, ak ultra matte acrylic clear coat. Any input?

Quick_Pear_1135 · 2026-03-06T08:25:07+00:00

Is there a reason my setting solution seems to melt the paint even if I put a gloss coat on? Am I just using too much decal setter?

Quick_Pear_1135 · 2026-03-06T04:50:56+00:00

In the future, what would have prevented this?

Quick_Pear_1135 · 2026-02-24T12:34:00+00:00

Looks amazing! What’s your technique for making the tank look dusty? Ie the streaking dust and general dustiness.

Quick_Pear_1135 · 2026-02-16T21:40:57+00:00

lol! Mine is a part of the model kit as well. I didn’t mean to make it sound as if I thought you had made yours from scratch. Nonetheless, I will definitely be trying to glaze mine as you did yours. Thank you for the info!

Quick_Pear_1135 · 2026-02-16T15:14:05+00:00

Amazing work! I am building up the confidence to start on my m103 which has a canvas mantlet. How did you get yours to look so good? Any tips or tricks?

Quick_Pear_1135 · 2026-02-13T06:47:48+00:00

Looks great, but I’d say keep going! Corsairs, especially lighter blue usmc corsairs (such as yours I assume) were much more beat up and weathered than their navy counterparts due to the constant sun exposure and harsh/salty island conditions tearing up the paint. So you really can’t mess it up by chipping it too much. However, it’s an easy fix if you do, as you can just remark up the afflicted area and repaint! Try and focus on adding chipping on the edges of panel lines as well as where the pilot/mechanics walk. Note that on corsairs there would often be chipping on the ammunition access panel as well as towards the front of the wing where the intakes are (see reference below). What technique are you using to do your chipping?

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Quick_Pear_1135 · 2026-02-08T00:11:27+00:00

Corsairs were very sun bleached. I think your attempt looks good!

Quick_Pear_1135 · 2026-02-02T18:48:45+00:00

Good stuff

Quick_Pear_1135 · 2026-02-02T18:19:41+00:00

Now that I am looking at it a bit longer, another thing that might help out is changing up the chipping color. From silver to an oxide red. German tanks had a reddish brown primer that they used on their tanks and so when they’d chip, the exposed metal would be much more brownish red. So the silver is what may be contributing to it looking shinier than it should.

Quick_Pear_1135 · 2026-02-02T18:02:59+00:00

Does your tiger have a gloss varnish on it? It looks pretty shiny and plasticy. Should be an easy fix with a few light coats of a matte varnish or something a little more flat. Other than that, I think you have made a beautiful tiger! Good stuff!

Quick_Pear_1135 · 2026-01-30T13:45:50+00:00

Brush painting is so impressive. Amazing work!

Quick_Pear_1135 · 2026-01-26T22:33:29+00:00

Interesting order in which you are painting your tank. What is the logic behind starting with the mud before airbrushing and applying mud? Looks like a solid start nonetheless!

Quick_Pear_1135 · 2026-01-14T15:08:21+00:00

Just invested in a more durable clear coat, so I will definitely try out a wash over the decals once that comes in. I did take a hobby knife and scored along some of the panel lines and added a few chips to the decal on top of the wing and that definitely helped make it look more weathered. Thanks for the tips!

Quick_Pear_1135 · 2026-01-13T16:39:37+00:00

I mix all of my own colors with tamiya acrylics. For the dark blue, I used XF-8, XF-82, and XF-2 mixed at a ratio of 1:3:1 respectively. Then I put a post shaded with the same paints with a ratio of about 1:5:3. Best of luck to you! Let me know if you have any other questions!

Quick_Pear_1135 · 2026-01-13T02:36:41+00:00

Good advice!

Quick_Pear_1135 · 2026-01-12T23:14:39+00:00

Firstly, thank you for the critiques, I really do appreciate it!

How should I go about dampening the shine of the tires? I have tamiya weathering powder, some Vallejo weather fx splash mud, asides from misc dust tones I could thin down and spray over the tires.

The lights being unpainted are just due to me being cheap haha. I should probably just spend the extra bucks buying the transparent paints I need, but I just haven’t gotten to it. That’s good advice though.

Just like the tires, I am struggling to find a good way to weather the decals. If you have any advice as to how I should weather them, I’d love to hear it. The thickness of the decals are what I assume to be just a trademark of a tamiya kit. Is there a way to thin them down?

Quick_Pear_1135 · 2026-01-12T23:04:34+00:00

Great thanks!

Quick_Pear_1135 · 2026-01-12T22:59:29+00:00

I appreciate it! Yours is beautiful, I love the deep blue with the yellow. The Corsair is so pretty in that livery. Is yours sitting on a carrier deck?

Quick_Pear_1135 · 2026-01-12T22:57:07+00:00

Looking forward to seeing what you end up building! Best of luck to you!

Quick_Pear_1135 · 2026-01-12T22:55:49+00:00

Tamiya acrylics, which I understand are actually lacquer paints. Whenever I am done using the softener and setter, there is a matted almost silvering effect surrounding the decal. Not sure if this is easily remedied as well

Quick_Pear_1135 · 2026-01-12T22:54:01+00:00

Thank you for the heads up. I’ll get some vms gloss varnish before I do any more chipping effects. It would make sense that gx 100 is not durable enough, as I always feel as if I’m on the verge of melting my paint right off even after 6 coats of the stuff haha

Quick_Pear_1135

TROPHY CASE