Making Gundam Model Kits Even Cooler! What you don't know now? A guide to adhesives and softeners for decals & 5 recommended products! The Tool Way! The Tool Way!

Hello everyone! This is Kariyasu, who has been working on model building during the rainy season! This time, I will be reviewing the decal adhesives (hereafter referred to as "adhesives") and decal softeners (hereafter referred to as "softeners") that are useful when applying decals!

Let's try using decals!

Model decals are often included in mecha kits such as Gunpla. They are convenient and easy for anyone to use. However, on the other hand, there are many disadvantages to stickers, such as the fact that they are noticeably thicker and peel off when the adhesive strength is reduced. So this time, let's try using decals (slide marks), which are thinner than stickers and adhere to the model once they are applied!

Foil stickers that come with Gunpla. Remove them with tweezers, apply them carefully, and rub them thoroughly with a cotton swab to get a clean finish.

Decals for Gunpla sold separately. They are inexpensive, and there is a wide variety to choose from. If you are serious about plastic modeling, decals are a must.

Incidentally, there are two main types of decals: dry decals, which are rubbed onto the desired part, and water-transfer decals, which are soaked in water and used.

You may think that decals are difficult to use (......), but don't worry, they are not difficult at all. Once you become proficient in using decals, modeling will become much more fun!

On the back of the Gundam decals, there are instructions on how to apply the decals. If you are trying decals for the first time, read it carefully.

Difference between adhesives and softeners

Adhesives and softeners are not essential when using water-transfer decals (hereinafter referred to as "decals"), but they are very useful to have. They are a bit similar, but the former is a water-based adhesive that assists in the application of decals, while the latter is a softener that specializes in softening the decals and making them stick together.

Both contain organic solvents, as do adhesives for plastic models, so fire is strictly prohibited. Store in a safe place.

By the way, if it is troublesome to buy both adhesives and softeners, there are products on the market that combine the effects of both in one, so I recommend buying those. So, here are some recommended adhesives and softeners!

Recommended adhesives and softeners

1 Mr. Mark Setter (GSI Creos)

This square bottle type is an old type that is no longer in production. The renewed version has a circular bottle shape and improved performance (a similar renewed version of Mark Softener, described below, is now on the market)!

Mr. Mark Setter

Manufacturer: GSI Creos

Capacity: 40 ml

・Price: 308 yen (tax included)

Mark Setter is now on sale from the "Mr. Series" developed by Kreos. The main effect is adhesion, but it also includes a little softening effect, so purchasing a bottle of this will suffice for a start. It is inexpensive for its capacity, and its good cost performance is also good!

2 Mr. Mark Softener (GSI Creos)

This is also an old type.

Mr. Mark Softener

Manufacturer：GSI Creos

Capacity: 40ml

Price: 275 yen (including tax)

An easy-to-use softener that is neither too strong nor too weak, and has a large capacity. I, Kariyasu, have been using it for almost 10 years (the stains on the label are proof of this), and still have more than half of the contents left! I recommend that you buy one of each set with the aforementioned setter, so you can use them all the time!

3 Decal Glue Series (Tamiya)

Decal Glue (with softener)

Manufacturer: Tamiya

Capacity: 10ml

Price: 396 yen (tax included)

Tamiya is now selling an adhesive under the name of "Decal Glue". Two types are now available: pure "Decal Glue" (10ml / 374 yen (tax included)), which has no softening effect, and "Decal Glue (with softener)", which has an added softening effect, and both are mini-sized.

The prices are not much different, so we recommend buying the latter, which contains both effects!

4 Mark Fit Series (Tamiya)

Mark Fit (hard type)

Manufacturer: Tamiya

・Capacity：40ml

・Price: 275 yen (tax included)

Similarly, Tamiya also offers a softening agent under the name "Mark Fit. This series is divided into three types according to the strength of the softening effect, all of which also contain a slight adhesive effect.

The mildest softening effect is "Mark Fit" (40ml / 275 yen (tax included)). The stronger effect is "Mark Fit (hard type)" and the very strong is "Mark Fit (super hard)" (40ml / 330 yen (incl. tax)). In rare cases, if the effect of the softener is too strong, the color of the decal may dissolve, but in that case, diluting it with water will solve the problem, so it is recommended to buy the strongest Super Hard.

5 Decal stiffener softener (Good Smile Company)

Decal stiffener softener

Manufacturer: Good Smile Company

Capacity: 30ml

Price: 770 yen (tax included)

This is a strong decal softener specialized for softening decals and is now on sale from the GSR Modeler's Support Series developed by Good Smile Company, a well-known figure manufacturer. The price is a little expensive, but it is a powerful softener!

The "Decal Softener" from the same GSR series has a slightly weaker softening component but also has an adhesive effect, which is also recommended! (30ml / 770 yen (tax included))

First, let's practice!

If you are applying decals for the first time, it is a good idea to practice once using unnecessary parts or plastic plates if you have spare decals. So, let's start by applying them straight onto a plastic plate using only water, without using any adhesives or softeners.

1 Cut out the decal you want to apply with scissors or a cutter. If the margin is too large, it is better to cut it out so it will look better after pasting.

2 Fill a small dish with water (lukewarm water is also acceptable) and float the decal. Little by little, the glue will dissolve in the water and the decal will separate from the base paper.

3 After a few seconds to 15 seconds, remove the decal with tweezers that are not too sharp and place it on a tissue to absorb excess water.

4 Touch the decal gently with your finger. If the decal slides off the backing paper, it is ready to be attached. If it does not move at all, give it a little more time or try floating it in water again.

*Old decals often do not dissolve easily, so try soaking the decal completely in water and leaving it for about 1 minute, and it will often peel off successfully!

5. Carefully apply the decal to the desired location. While there is still moisture, position it.

6 Move the cotton swab from the center to the outside, absorbing the water as you do so. If the decal becomes misaligned after adhering, drip water from above and the decal can be moved again (this is not possible after the decal has dried).

7 Finish attaching! Due in part to the good quality of the decals, we were able to apply them beautifully. It is not thick like a sticker and has a natural finish!

Click here to see the video!

Let's try using adhesives and softeners!

Now, let's try to adhere the decal firmly to the plastic board with the concave mold. The basic process is the same as the one introduced earlier, when we used only water to adhere the decal, so we will pick up only the scenes where adhesives and softeners are used!

Incidentally, this time I would like to experiment with Tamiya's decal glue (with softener) and Markfit (hard type) to see how much difference there is between applying decals for fighter planes as is and with glue and softener applied.

First, apply decal glue to the area where the decal is to be applied. If you apply it too quickly, it will dry out, so apply it just before attaching the decals!

After applying the decals, apply a moderate amount of Mark Fit on top of the decals, and gently blend it in by rolling a cotton swab with water. Incidentally, do not touch the decal as it will begin to soften a short time after the softener is applied. If you accidentally touch it, the decal will become soggy and it will be disastrous. ......

After some time has passed and the softener has dried, the application is complete! The decal on the top side, which was attached with water only, is floating and not adhering to the mold because the glue has melted away. On the other hand, the lower decal, which was applied with both adhesive and softener, is firmly adhered along the mold!

*If you are having trouble getting it to adhere, try applying the softener more than once, or replace it with something that has a stronger softening effect.

Click here to see the video!

Incidentally, although we will not cover it in this article, spraying a topcoat over the decal after it has dried will protect the surface of the decal, making it possible to smear the decal. Furthermore, with a matte topcoat, it is possible to use pigment (powder for weathering) for weathering while suppressing silvering (a phenomenon in which decals reflect light and appear to float), which detracts from the realism of the work. We will explain about topcoat at another time, so please look forward to it!

The side of the turret of a model tank I made for personal use, with the 445 number and the leopard mark both decals attached, but if you carefully apply the decals and spray the topcoat, they look as natural as if you had drawn them on with a brush. This is the greatest charm of decals!

Now, what do you think? There are many different types of decals, so let's enjoy modeling even more by making good use of them! ^^^^^^^^ ...