Hi everyone. I want to get some decal setting solution but the only setting solution that my LHS stocks is Mr. Mark Softer.

Has anyone had any experience with this stuff? I'm worried about damaging the paint underneath and/or having a decal set in the wrong place with no way of rectifying it.

Thanks for looking!

Hi Dean. I use Mr Mark Softer and Setter on most builds and haven't had any problems. You have plenty of time to locate the decals in place and with thick and stubborn decals you can re-apply the softer a few times over several days to convince them to settle.

The only thing that you need to watch is if you are using "Future" type products (I use Pledge One-Go) you will need to let them cure for 48-72 hours otherwise the Mr Mark products can produce a cloudy patch around the decals.

Cheers, D

Thanks a lot Damian. Do you think I can get away with only using Mr. Mark Softener? That's all Hobby One has

I've looked high and low for that Pledge One-Go stuff but I'm yet to find any. I think I'll have to use some Tamiya gloss or matt clear from the spray can.

Just another thing, do you know if Mr. Mark Softener will work on matt paints?

Thanks again Damian

No probs Dean, happy to help.

The Softer will get the decals to sit better in the panel lines etc, but won't help adhesion. Setter both softens and helps adhesion, and quite often this is all I use. I resort to the Softer when I have particularly stubborn decals.

The Softer and Setter will both work on Matt paints, but it is much more difficult to get the decal perfectly flat and all of the tiny bubbles out due to the rough surface. Also, silvering is much more apparent on Matt paint.

I can source the Pledge One-Go from both Coles and Safeway. It's in with the floor polishes and household cleaners, about $5 for a half-litre bottle. I'm sure other independenat Supermarkets would hold it as well.

Cheers, D

Hmm, ok. I'll have a look for the Setter solution. I don't think my LHS has any, so I might have to have a look in the city next time I'm out there. I'll also have to have another look for the Pledge One Go because my LHS only stocks matt Tamiya acrylics

Thanks for the help mate

No probs Dean.

PM sent also.

Hi Dean,

Just another note regarding Mr Mark Setter (blue cap/label), It contains a very mild adhesive, so it will help with stubborn decals which have insufficient glue, either as a result of bad manufacturing or loss of glue through excessive soaking.

It will suck the decals down quite readily, so be aware that you need to get the decal placed as precisely as you can, as it can be difficult to reposition once applied. If necessary, you can flood the area with water with a paintbrush to re-float the decal, but as you would expect, it reduces the effectiveness of the setting solution.

Mr Mark Setter will also help reduce silvering and will let you apply decals to flat painted surfaces (I have done this on an item painted with flat Tamiya acrylic and applied a decal without any apparent silvering, but as always, YMMV). However, when dry it will leave a distinct shiny patch where it's been applied. (easily taken care of by applying a flat clearcoat when dry).

As with many other decal solvents, Mr Mark Softer (green cap/label) works very well with some decals but not others. Hasegawa decals are very responsive, Tamiya's less so and Dragon's are relatively inert and unresponsive.

PS: I haven't seen the Setter in Sydney for a number of years now. I got mine online from Lucky Model.

Thanks for the pointers Phil! I think I'll get the Mr. Mark Softer first because it's the most redily available and see how it goes. If I can't get the Setter in Brisbane I should be able to get it by other means .

The first few models I plan to make are from Academy and Airfix. Airfix decals seem to be a bit prone to silvering in my experience, and Academy's are just downright annoying. Hopefully a gloss coat and a bit of Mr Mark Softer will sort them out.

Dean I take it that you are on the South side of Brissy if you go to Hobby One. I have a bottle of Mr Setter marked "Mr Toys" which will be the Springwood store. From memory it is not always in stock because I recall chasing it all over the State when I was travelling (Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton and the inner city shop that has now closed) before getting it a couple of years ago.

I had some mixed results with Mr Softer on its own and had actually located some Micro Sol and Micro Set and have generally used them for the last couple of years. On occasions when the combination of Micro Set and Sol have had little or no effect on decals I have used the Mr Softer and Setter pairing with success - but for the life of me I can't recall the manufacturers of the decals involved.

I was in Daft Crafts & Mad Models at Beenleigh a cou0le fo weeks ago and don't recall seeing any Mr Setter there.

Regarding the gloss coat - I use Johnsons Shine Magic which in an internet article some years ago was called the Aussie equivalent to Future - along with Pledge One Go, and I have always let it dry for at least 2 days before decalling and I have had no problems with milky patches.

Brian

So would you recomend Micro Sol and Micro Set over Mr. Setter and Softer? If they're both going to be as hard to find as each other I might as well get the one that gives better results!

And has the Mr Toys on the Queen Street mall really closed?!

Dean

I don't know that one is necessarily better than the other just that on different manufacturer's decals one lot seems to do a better job than the other.

From memory of my past trawling through the internut, on the scale of decal setting solutions, the Micro products are "milder" than the Mr Mark ones which should mean the Mr Mark stuff will work with a wider range of decals.

I haven't heard anything of the Mr Toys in the city closing - I usually duck in there at lunch time when I am lucky enough to get called in to do a days work in the city. Which means I haven't been in there for about 3 months. The shop I was referring to was in the plaza opposite the Supreme Court and has been taken over by the Brisbane City Council for office space - it would have closed 3 odd years ago now.

Brian

Here's a link to one of my LHS's, they generally carry a good range from various suppliers.

Don't spend TOO much !!

Alright guys, I managed to get some Mr Mark Softer today, and bought a whole pile of other stuff as well so that I can finally get started on my first kit using an air brush . I'll keep looking for the Mr Mark Setter though.

I'll be having a look through all the local supermarkets for some Future in the coming days.

Thanks for the help guys!

Excellent for Tamiya, Hasegawa, Fujimi, and Dragon non-Cartograph decals.

I've laid down Tamiya numbers over zimmerit with Mark Softer. They looked like paint when I was done.

Other decals will work with this solvent too, but it's formulated for the above.

Micro Sol and Micro Set are formulated for Cartograph style decals and can destroy softer decal films. I wouldn't use them on certain decals unless it 's recommended.

Thanks Kevin, I plan on making a number of Tamiya kits so this is good news. Do you think that Mr Mark Softer will work on Airfix decals?

Newer Airfix decals I'm not so sure, but probably, Cartograph prints them I believe. Although it's a far eastern product I've used Mark Softer on Cartograph decals with excellent results, including over zimmerit. One point to remember is that your decals may crinkle up a bit when using this product, don't worry about that but DON'T TOUCH THEM, they'll be fine once they dry.

I swear by Mark Softer, it's amazing stuff. Never used Mark Setter, it, like MicroSet are good for some stubborn decals that don't adhere properly (like some older Trumpeter ones).

The Softer will get the decals to sit better in the panel lines etc, but won't help adhesion. Setter both softens and helps adhesion, and quite often this is all I use. I resort to the Softer when I have particularly stubborn decals.

The Softer and Setter will both work on Matt paints, but it is much more difficult to get the decal perfectly flat and all of the tiny bubbles out due to the rough surface. Also, silvering is much more apparent on Matt paint.

I can source the Pledge One-Go from both Coles and Safeway. It's in with the floor polishes and household cleaners, about $5 for a half-litre bottle. I'm sure other independenat Supermarkets would hold it as well.






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