Micromark/Archer rivet decals

[Hawkwrench]

Hello all, I will be starting a 1/35th scale MH-60M Blackhawk helicopter from the 160th SOAR soon and I will be covering it with rivets. What's the proper way to use these decals?-

Apply straight to the model with no prep? Or gloss coat first, then decal?

I need some help PLEASE!!!

 

Tim

[LSP_Paul]

Tim, 

Draw the rivet lines on the cleaned and filled partially assembled model in pencil, double check then triple check the lines for accuracy    Then, seal the pencil lines on the bare plastic under gloss coat, this helps them not get rubbed off handling the model.  Once your gloss coat is dry, apply the decals on the glossy surface using your triple checked lines as a guide. Then once the decals are set, you can seal them again under gloss coat ( or not) and paint and weather as normal. Be aware that like any other decals, once applied they may be susceptible to being pulled up with any masking,( that's why I gloss coat over them before paint ) so if you have to mask anything, use de- tacked low tack tape or wet typing paper as a mask over rivet lines.

 

Have fun and I'm looking forward to your progress and   

Paul

[Hubert Boillot]

I concur. Use as much softener and setter as possible on the decals, on a gloss prepped surface, and cover them again (gloss coat or paint) before applying any masking.

 

See my current thread on the Fisher St-M. I just had the mishap yesterday about masking tape pulling some Archer rivets, in spite of the paint overcoat ...

 

http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=54706&page=2

 

Hubert

[Guest Peterpools]

What is the difference between Archer and Micromark rivets?

Peter

[Hawkwrench]

Micromark's sheets are ALOT bigger, which means more rivets. Plus, you get 2 sheets of them!

 

Tim

[Guest Peterpools]

Tim

Are both decals the same quality and applied the same way?

Thank you

Peter

[Hawkwrench]

I have never used Archer decals, but I imagine their quality is top notch. And yes they are applied the same way just like regular decals.

Their realism when applied to a model piece is incredible. I highly recommend them if you want a realistic looking model!

 

Tim

[Monty Python]

This might seem a silly question but having never seen the rivet decals, I take it they sit slightly raised of the models surface but by how much?

[Hawkwrench]

They stick out some, but not very much (that's vague, I know). Can't really measure them but trust me, they look real after primer is applied.

 

Tim

[LSP_Kevin]

Here are some Archer rivets applied over the Fisher STM fuselage, where I had sanded them off during seam elimination:



Note that these rivets are the ones Paul recommends to use for this purpose on his kit, and are in fact the ones he used to form the rivets in the first place. So you can see what they look like under primer on the rest of the model.

Of course, there are finer rivets than these available, from Archer as well as Micromark and HGW.

Kev

[Guest Peterpools]

Thanks Kev

For 32nd scasle is there a size or a sheet number we should be looking at?

Peter

[wunwinglow]

Archer also do a lot of other texture decals, from wood grain, tread plate patters, weld seams , casting codes and manufacturers mars, and more. the Archer sets Are physically much bigger sheets , and two per pack, but include just a variety of rivet heads in various pitches and patterns. I have used both and they work equally well, as described above.

 

Tim