Polar Lights TOS USS Enterprise 1/1000 scale decals

[93SFBG]

HELP!
I'm looking for anyone who has successfully applied the Polar Lights decals for the TOS Enterprise 1/1000 scale with any success. I've had ZERO success getting these decals to work with MicroSet and MicroSol to get that painted on look. This is what the damn things do EVERY TIME I use them:

I've been looking for good replacements. I found PNT decals from Federation Models, but these seem to be unavailable. The Federation Models website hasn't been updated in two years. If anyone out there has had success with these Polar Lights decals in getting them to look painted on with no edge curls, shine, etc. please let me know how this was accomplished.

 

[Edbert]

Subscribed because I'm interested, but I have no answers.

 

[93SFBG]

Subscribed because I'm interested, but I have no answers.

I'm afraid there isn't a good answer other than AFTER MARKET! All the great modelers I have access to all say the same thing: do something other than the PL decals.

 

[93SFBG]

UPDATE: I have found a builder on YouTube that built the most exact replica of the production Enterprise I've ever seen. He used Polar Lights decals on this and I'm shocked to see how well his turned out. I'm wondering if my gloss coat isn't heavy enough so I have built one nacelle out of the box of spare parts I've built up now. I seam puttied and sanded and painted the nacelle. I put four coats of clearcote on. I used the collection of extra PL decals I have and put the nacelle registry number and stripe on to see how it goes.

So far, I'm on like coat 10 of Micro Sol and the entire upper edge of the decal where NCC-1701 is curling away from the model surface more and more severely the more MicroSol I apply.

The builder in the video indicated in his decal application video that it took a lot of work to get the decals to look good but did not give any info as to how many coats etc. does the trick. So I'm going to keep coating this thing until it dissolves if necessary to find out.

Regardless, this is RIDICULOUS that these decals are so hard to work with. It's the damn film. It's as thick as plastic wrap. In comparison, the decals from PNT Models at Federation.com are much much thinner and react IMMEDIATELY to MicroSet/Sol treatments.

More to follow....

 

[93SFBG]

17:42 CST. Okay. I've spent the WHOLE DAY saturation bombing this decal experiment with MicroSol and Walthers Solvaset while using a damp paper towel to constantly press these decals into the surface of the nacelle. I don't know how many coats I've applied now - 20 at least and here are the results:

So that's as good as I could get it. And that isn't good enough.

 

[Edbert]

And that isn't good enough.

I don't know brother, if the decal is down as far as it can go, and it looks like it is, that is all you can expect. How is this impacting the lights? Am I just not getting it? Would not be the first or the last time!

 

[93SFBG]

It's not as far as it can go. The very edge along the top and bottom, whole length the edge is slightly raised and won't relax. Here is a picture of the decals I used that are aftermarket:
These are the aftermarket decals made in house by Federation Models. No comparison. These do what they're suppose to do with setting solution and I didn't spend a whole day just getting one decal to look marginal at best.

 

[93SFBG]

Oh and that out of alignment window...it tore in the application and I repositioned it but slipped out of alignment before I noticed it. I'm going to paint over it, use my window drilling templates to sketch out a new one and paint it in.

 

[duck]

Skip the micro set and micro sol. Use a clear paint to hold it down. These super thin decals look great when they stay put, but once disturbed, they're toast.

Also, other manufacturers have different types of decal solutions. Someone has one that basically holds the decal in place til it dries. I can't remember who makes it though. I have Ammo, Tamiya, Humbrol and Gunze brands and each does the job a little differently.

 

[93SFBG]

Skip the micro set and micro sol. Use a clear paint to hold it down. These super thin decals look great when they stay put, but once disturbed, they're toast.

Also, other manufacturers have different types of decal solutions. Someone has one that basically holds the decal in place til it dries. I can't remember who makes it though. I have Ammo, Tamiya, Humbrol and Gunze brands and each does the job a little differently.

Hi, I appreciate the input. Are you commenting on the window situation or the overall Polar lights decal debacle? Since you've joined the discussion here I want to ask you: have you built this kit and used the decals that come with the kit successfully?