Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

what do you guys use to finish a water slide or make it so it adheres better to a model?

Several step process:

1. brush a gloss coat where the transfer will sit
2. brush on setting solution (micro-set or Polly S setting solution)
3. place transfer on model, with q-tip or paper towel, dab away excess setting solution
4. brush on solvent solution (micro-sol or Polly S softening solution which will soften the transfer, allowing it to conform to irregular surfaces.)
5. LET DRY COMPLETELY. The transfer will be fragile and will tear easily.
6. coat with flat coat or dullcoat to remove gloss from step 1.

I bought a set for transfer application from micromark.com and love it. I think it works better than the micro-set/micro-sol, but your mileage may vary.

Hope that helps.

Yup thats how i do it.
Only I add brush on gloss coat over the transfer then dull coat, and never see the transfer out line and the transfer will not be scratched as easy either with the extra sealer.

If you're going to do a gloss undercoat, another tip is to try to avoid just doing a zone of gloss, but instead, cover an entire surface with gloss. For example, if you're doing it on a tank panel, do the entire panel in gloss. Even if you spray over this with dull coat, it can interact with the finish underneath, creating an uneven look (looks like somebody painted glosscoat in an area the size of the decal). If you paint to the edges of the panel, then at least there are hard edges where the transition happens, so it's not as obvious.

Or you can just glosscoat the whole thing.

I've found that a really glossy coat isn't best, but a good clean satin finish. A really dull coat will lead to silvering, but a slightly satiny finish seems to give something for the decal to stick to.