I just got 2 sets of dry transfer decals today. I've never tried them before. Does anyone have any tips, warnings?

Well Chuck - here's what comes to mind:

The smoother (shinier) the surface, the better the D/T's adhere - Archer Fine Transfers and Railroad Scenics are my favorites - and they love a smooth surface.

You can seal them (and should seal them) with either acrylic or lacquer-base clear coats.

You can apply them to clear decal trim film and apply them like traditional water-slide decals. You will have to use a fixative spray over top of them while still on the decal paper, before trimming and wetting for application. I've used MicroMark's Clear Fixative Spray, Future Floor Finish, and Testors GlossCote with success for this purpose. Note: The Lacquer-based clear coat if applied too heavy will disintegrate the D/T - be careful.

And, though some might not, I lay down a thin coat of gloss before applying D/T's. This is to help them adhere, but also to help eliminate excess bonder that can also transfer from the sheet when you're rubbing them down. I have made the mistake of applying a D/T over a dull coated surface, but missed the excess bonder that also got transfered to the surface of the model. It will most assuredly look like decal silvering. Now I treat D/T's like water-slide decals and have not run into that problem since.

Some D/T's dry out (Verlinden, Verlinden, Verlinden) while others are most resilient. I have some Pre-Size D/T's that are over 10 years old, and I've done nothing more than keeping them in a plastic box, out of direct sunlight. If you go slowly and carefully, you can "work" a D/T down around compound curves too. I did so with the very complicated National Symbol on the engine deck of my M8 Light Armored Car.

Other than all that, I keep my hands clean when using them, don't lay them sticky-side down on any surface, and haven't had any mishaps using them.

Hopefully others will share their experiences with you...

Gunnie

Thanks Gunnie. If you ever get to North Dakota I'll buy you a beer...right after we shovel your car out of the snow. Right now I'm off to seal my Verlinden D/T's in plastic.

I love dry transfers for their ease of application........don't know why anyone would want to make decals out of them....I hate decals......I find that dry transfers are the only thing that easily goes onto flat paint with no problems....I've never had a problem putting them onto flat paint yet....and I use nothing but dry transfers, stencils and hand painting. They fit well over things like bolts and rivets using a little water on a finger tip to gently coax them to settle down around the detail. You can use a bit of masking tape to realistically chip them...after they are on....gently touch them in places with masking tape.
I apply them using scotch tape....I cut out the transfer I want to apply.....lay a piece of scotch tape over it......position it on my model and rub it down....this works well when applying a lot of them in a line....WD numbers for example......cut them all out....lay them in order.....place something over the tops of them (I use a small metal ruler) this holds them all together while you place the tape over them....and apply them on the model.
You can apply a dulcote over them after but I never have....they weather well with washes and pastels.

Gunnie's from Warm San Jose

Absolutely! I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio - and as soon as I was able (17) I got the heck outta there. You say snow - I head West! The Dakota's are even more ridiculous than Ohio's Siberian Express...

Gunnie

:-) I'm sitting here looking out the window of my model room watching the snow fall. Time to head west.