Honestly I think the decals bring the model a little closer to the actual on-screen appearance of the ship, studio model intention notwithstanding, moreso than the rainbow sparcle painting mask thing that everyone is doing with this, plus it brings the operation down to the skill level of ordinary modelers like myself. A win win.
Looks good Matt. In the 3 of these that I built, the decals in all 3 builds were very brittle, as we're the set that they sell separately. It was just with the Aztec ones though as the strongbacks and all others were ok. The sensor band decals were also very brittle. They also had the early set of the decals sold separately that weren't made by Cartogragh for those who had the very 1st release of the kit which didn't include decals either. They didn't even like microset.
It was so weird, the first one I did had really great decals. They looked good going down, even with my relatively unpracticed hands. These new ones are really brittle. The Testor's Decal Bonder helped a TON. I'm looking forward to getting the rest of them on there.
Unfortunately, Testors discontinued it a couple of years ago when they were bought out by rustoleum. i'm still looking for an alternative myself! It's probably just a type of clearcoat. I'll eventually find it. I need to find it, as it works great when your decals are turning to dust!
I bought the re-issue of these with the blue paper. It seems they made them tougher, but they took forever to release from the backing. I wish I would have found your channel while I was building mine! 🖖
Those decals you have are made by Cartograf and are really durable. I wish all the Polar Lights decals were made by them, as they're awesome. Good luck with your build!
Matt, thanks for taking the time AND risk to post these videos! I've been waiting on the Aztec decal video since you mentioned it before.I do have a question regarding the saucer surface before adding the decals; it looks to me like you somehow were able to make the large panel lines stand out, almost as if you had a tiny brush and painted them black. Is that just how the camera picks up the plastic mold line on the saucer surface, or did I miss the video where you covered that process in detail?Thanks again!
Nope, the panel lines are just painted white. It's probably the camera. After all of the decals/paint/clear/etc, the panel lines tend to stick out more.
@@edwardgreshii7194 micro set tends to get the decal to adhere better while micro sol softens the decal and allows it to better form to the kit around curves/etc. if the decal is laying flat, you won’t see much, but with things like the grid lines or areas where the decal needs to conform more, these two additions make a world of difference.
I get the decals to sit with copious amounts of MicroSol. Lay the decal down and spread the MicroSol down, and it will *melt* into the model. It sort of conforms to the shape that it's lying on. For sandpaper, I used anywhere from 220-800 grit depending on what I'm doing. Sometimes I'll go higher, it just depends on the application. Before decals, it's usually 800, then pearl white, then clear coat.
Dude can you show us more up close at different angles and one you talk to much can you show more in detail we can't see because of your hands and the angle that you are putting the decal on.
It's incredibly hard to show exactly how the decal goes on. It's more of an art than a science. So long as the decal holds together and doesn't crack into a zillion pieces, the name of the game is keep water down. They 'slide on water' really nicely. Line the image on the decal up to where it needs to go on the subject, and then tamp the water out with a paper towel. If it does crack? Try to slide the pieces over to where they need to be and line them up as if it were multiple decals instead.
I am about to start on this kit and your series is already proving invaluable. I just finished the 1st Polar Lights Jupiter 2, and the aftermarket decals were, as you described in this vid, very brittle. The folded, tore and degraded very easily. I have never used a decal bonder as you mentioned, but it sounds like a must. Is there a brand you recommend, and an online resource to order? With thanks. Skot
Since making this video, Testor's decal bonder has been discontinued. I'm not sure what to use as a replacement - I'll have to search around the web and see what I come up with. Good luck with your future projects!
@@mattsmodelshop So, at a very early stage of the build, I tackled the hanger deck while waiting for lighting materials to come in. I was pleased by the sturdiness of the Polar Lights marking decals (for the hanger deck floor), but got some silvering in the little yellow square on the landing platform, which remains even after spraying with Tamiya semi gloss. Does the microsol & microset help reduce or eliminate the silvering. Can the microsol cover it when applied after the sealer is set? Thanks.
Hi Matt. I am currently working on the nacelles. I am finding that the holes for the two lights in the front of the nacelle need to be re-drilled to direct the light on to the saucer and hull properly. Has that been your conclusion as well?
First, Matt thanks so much for this series. There are so many tips I have used so far which have saved the day (trimming the nacelle locking tabs so the back parts fits better - genius!). I am currently laying down the LED strips inside the saucer and about to seal it up in a few days, and then on to the Polar Lights Aztec decals. Here's my question: I have Microset and Microsol, and the common advice is brush a good coating of the Microset completely over the surface before laying down the decal. But as you show, you need to thoroughly soak the surface so you can have some slide-ability of the sheet. So, do you just forego the Microset for the Aztecs, or slather down the surface with it first and then add a layer of water? I experimented with an Aztec strongback (the green tint, because I am going with the blue) decal on the extraneous Enterprise A hull which I am not going to use, to get used to the decals. I was pleased to find it was very durable, but also noted that once down, it did not want to slide at all. As always, your advice is invaluable.
On the aztec decals, I actually didn't use microset. I just used a lot of water to place them, then microsol to get them to conform. Once everything was done, I hit them with clear which protects them. Microset is really good for getting decals to stick down well. The aztec decals that I have were way too brittle, and even with the decal bonder they wanted to break apart. I felt using microset was probably going to hurt worse than help, so I skipped it. Thanks for watching the series! It was a lot of work, and I'm hoping it helps people along the way. I really wanted to have a build that was done by 'the average guy' rather than a pro, so that's what we have. 🙂
@@mattsmodelshop I was fortunate my Aztec set has (so far) been very durable. Maybe the latest set you're using set around in a hot warehouse for a few too many years? I've done about 1/4 of the lower saucer so far and been pleased. The TSDS decals I used for my LIS Polar Lights Jupiter 2 were terrible: very brittle, they tore, folded over easily and the image for some of them just slide off. I really can't say enough about how helpful your series has been: I could not have gotten through this without many crucial tips and suggestions. I have been building figure kits for decades, but last year started on vehicles with the Moebius Chariot, the Jupiter 2 that has been in my attic for about 20 years, and the 350 Refit. So I am definitely the "average guy" when it comes to starships. Above & beyond the tips, I really appreciate that you show you experience setbacks and problems, and I think it's in #19 when you say that every kit had challenges and problems that come up: not build goes 100% problem free. It really helps soldier through some of the frustrations knowing I am not the only one.
Hey Matt, Great looking model! Can I ask you, on the decal bonder you used. Was it Testers Decal Set 8804(the little liquid bottle)? If so did you just brush it over the sheet? Or did you find an aerosol spray can of something? Thanks
Hey there! I used Testor's decal bonder in the spray can. It helped immensely with the decals - it held them together enough to get them down without *too* much difficulty. For some reason, the decals in this set were incredibly brittle. The ones that came with my first one weren't, and went down really nicely. Different runs are different quality, apparently. Hope this helps!
Looks great! Hey. I had a question for you on the last video you posted. You said you used "Silver paint" To do the light blocking. Why not black or what paint? Just curious.
Silver is easier to cover up than black. When I'm painting to light block on the outside of the kit, black paint is murder to cover back up and blend in. Silver is pretty easy to do. It has heavy pigments in it that block the light really effectively. The difference is, I can get black and white cheap paint for the inside. Silver costs more!
Yeah, being out of print is a pain. Round2 does rerelease them from time-to-time. You can also purchase paint masks and paint them on. This is very effective if you use the mackenzie paints iridescent paints. This is the type of paint used on the original studio model, and you can really get a great finish if you have the skill. Otherwise, I'd probably wait until Round2 releases the decals again. Hopefully soon!
The decals on my first kit went on GREAT. On this one, they fell apart immediately. After spraying on the testors decal bonder, it helped a lot. I feel your pain, though.
Thanks so much for posting these Matt. I have the same model kit along with the lighting kit from TrekModelers, the photoetch items, aztec masks and the same air brush that Paul Olson used and a small pasche compressor. I also bought Pauls book. I haven't built a model since I was a kid, but I love Star Trek and wanted to have everything to do this kit right.
Thanks for the kind words, Michael! My only advise is to start with some smaller kits. The 350 Refit is really impressive, but it's also full of gotchas. You want to be 'warmed up' before you tackle her. Good luck!
@@mattsmodelshop Any recommendations for a starter kit? I've got everything I could find on doing this refit model right, but it's probably a good idea to start easier :)
hi, very nice job and useful video, thanks for sharing, i wll starting building mine too and i have those decals included with my kit, i have a question, what is the paint you used before applying the decals ? Thanks !
The paint masks can really result in an excellent finish. The decals are a great way to get the desired result without a lot of painting skill, but they have their own difficulties. I bet your ship looks awesome!
I hope it will, I haven’t started it yet. I’m trying to do as much research as I can as well as practice on other models to work up my skill and confidence. Video logs like yours are a great help for tips and tricks. The decal bonder you recommended in this one is a great example! You definitely have a dedicated watcher here, so keep up the great work!
Where can you find the aztec decals? I have a PL 350 Enterprise Refit kit that I had purchased along with the Aztec Dummy paint masks several years ago, but looking at it now, I'm not sure that the paint masks are something I want to try and tackle.
The 2nd version of the kit came with them. They have been sold seperately in the past, but I believe Round2 has discontinued them for the time being. They usually repop stuff like that every few years, so keep your eyes open. You also can find them online if you hunt hard enough.
Honestly I think the decals bring the model a little closer to the actual on-screen appearance of the ship, studio model intention notwithstanding, moreso than the rainbow sparcle painting mask thing that everyone is doing with this, plus it brings the operation down to the skill level of ordinary modelers like myself. A win win.
Not painting on the aztec's, that's cheating! Just kidding Matt. The decals are looking good going down. Keep up the good work buddy :)
That's cause I'm a cheater! Hopefully they work out ok. Thanks, Boyd!
It worked for me, as you can see from my 1000 Scale Enterprise Refit Build:
ua-cam.com/video/X7HuQ7g8uhk/v-deo.html
Probably discussed in the video, but which is better? I'd like the ease of decals, but I want what looks best, and need to work on my airbrushing.
Looks good Matt. In the 3 of these that I built, the decals in all 3 builds were very brittle, as we're the set that they sell separately. It was just with the Aztec ones though as the strongbacks and all others were ok. The sensor band decals were also very brittle. They also had the early set of the decals sold separately that weren't made by Cartogragh for those who had the very 1st release of the kit which didn't include decals either. They didn't even like microset.
It was so weird, the first one I did had really great decals. They looked good going down, even with my relatively unpracticed hands. These new ones are really brittle. The Testor's Decal Bonder helped a TON. I'm looking forward to getting the rest of them on there.
where have you find the decals aztec?
Great videos! Very helpful. But please tell me what is decal blonder spray? And where do I get some?
Unfortunately, Testors discontinued it a couple of years ago when they were bought out by rustoleum. i'm still looking for an alternative myself! It's probably just a type of clearcoat. I'll eventually find it. I need to find it, as it works great when your decals are turning to dust!
I bought the re-issue of these with the blue paper. It seems they made them tougher, but they took forever to release from the backing. I wish I would have found your channel while I was building mine! 🖖
Those decals you have are made by Cartograf and are really durable. I wish all the Polar Lights decals were made by them, as they're awesome. Good luck with your build!
Matt, thanks for taking the time AND risk to post these videos! I've been waiting on the Aztec decal video since you mentioned it before.I do have a question regarding the saucer surface before adding the decals; it looks to me like you somehow were able to make the large panel lines stand out, almost as if you had a tiny brush and painted them black. Is that just how the camera picks up the plastic mold line on the saucer surface, or did I miss the video where you covered that process in detail?Thanks again!
Nope, the panel lines are just painted white. It's probably the camera. After all of the decals/paint/clear/etc, the panel lines tend to stick out more.
I didn't notice any difference when using the micro set or the micro sol than not using anything at all.
@@edwardgreshii7194 micro set tends to get the decal to adhere better while micro sol softens the decal and allows it to better form to the kit around curves/etc. if the decal is laying flat, you won’t see much, but with things like the grid lines or areas where the decal needs to conform more, these two additions make a world of difference.
How do you get the decals to sit over the raised details perfectly?
And what grit sandpaper do you use?
I get the decals to sit with copious amounts of MicroSol. Lay the decal down and spread the MicroSol down, and it will *melt* into the model. It sort of conforms to the shape that it's lying on. For sandpaper, I used anywhere from 220-800 grit depending on what I'm doing. Sometimes I'll go higher, it just depends on the application. Before decals, it's usually 800, then pearl white, then clear coat.
Dude can you show us more up close at different angles and one you talk to much can you show more in detail we can't see because of your hands and the angle that you are putting the decal on.
It's incredibly hard to show exactly how the decal goes on. It's more of an art than a science. So long as the decal holds together and doesn't crack into a zillion pieces, the name of the game is keep water down. They 'slide on water' really nicely. Line the image on the decal up to where it needs to go on the subject, and then tamp the water out with a paper towel. If it does crack? Try to slide the pieces over to where they need to be and line them up as if it were multiple decals instead.
I am about to start on this kit and your series is already proving invaluable. I just finished the 1st Polar Lights Jupiter 2, and the aftermarket decals were, as you described in this vid, very brittle. The folded, tore and degraded very easily. I have never used a decal bonder as you mentioned, but it sounds like a must. Is there a brand you recommend, and an online resource to order? With thanks. Skot
Since making this video, Testor's decal bonder has been discontinued. I'm not sure what to use as a replacement - I'll have to search around the web and see what I come up with. Good luck with your future projects!
@@mattsmodelshop So, at a very early stage of the build, I tackled the hanger deck while waiting for lighting materials to come in. I was pleased by the sturdiness of the Polar Lights marking decals (for the hanger deck floor), but got some silvering in the little yellow square on the landing platform, which remains even after spraying with Tamiya semi gloss. Does the microsol & microset help reduce or eliminate the silvering. Can the microsol cover it when applied after the sealer is set? Thanks.
Hi Matt. I am currently working on the nacelles. I am finding that the holes for the two lights in the front of the nacelle need to be re-drilled to direct the light on to the saucer and hull properly. Has that been your conclusion as well?
First, Matt thanks so much for this series. There are so many tips I have used so far which have saved the day (trimming the nacelle locking tabs so the back parts fits better - genius!). I am currently laying down the LED strips inside the saucer and about to seal it up in a few days, and then on to the Polar Lights Aztec decals. Here's my question: I have Microset and Microsol, and the common advice is brush a good coating of the Microset completely over the surface before laying down the decal. But as you show, you need to thoroughly soak the surface so you can have some slide-ability of the sheet. So, do you just forego the Microset for the Aztecs, or slather down the surface with it first and then add a layer of water? I experimented with an Aztec strongback (the green tint, because I am going with the blue) decal on the extraneous Enterprise A hull which I am not going to use, to get used to the decals. I was pleased to find it was very durable, but also noted that once down, it did not want to slide at all. As always, your advice is invaluable.
Oh, and BTW, those friggin' chiller grills are indeed the worst part of this build.
On the aztec decals, I actually didn't use microset. I just used a lot of water to place them, then microsol to get them to conform. Once everything was done, I hit them with clear which protects them. Microset is really good for getting decals to stick down well. The aztec decals that I have were way too brittle, and even with the decal bonder they wanted to break apart. I felt using microset was probably going to hurt worse than help, so I skipped it. Thanks for watching the series! It was a lot of work, and I'm hoping it helps people along the way. I really wanted to have a build that was done by 'the average guy' rather than a pro, so that's what we have. 🙂
@@mattsmodelshop I was fortunate my Aztec set has (so far) been very durable. Maybe the latest set you're using set around in a hot warehouse for a few too many years? I've done about 1/4 of the lower saucer so far and been pleased. The TSDS decals I used for my LIS Polar Lights Jupiter 2 were terrible: very brittle, they tore, folded over easily and the image for some of them just slide off. I really can't say enough about how helpful your series has been: I could not have gotten through this without many crucial tips and suggestions. I have been building figure kits for decades, but last year started on vehicles with the Moebius Chariot, the Jupiter 2 that has been in my attic for about 20 years, and the 350 Refit. So I am definitely the "average guy" when it comes to starships. Above & beyond the tips, I really appreciate that you show you experience setbacks and problems, and I think it's in #19 when you say that every kit had challenges and problems that come up: not build goes 100% problem free. It really helps soldier through some of the frustrations knowing I am not the only one.
Can I ask exactly what is decal binder and where can I get it? Thanks!
Looking forward to some more videos on this series,Matt.Mr Atoz approves!😎
Thanks, Adam! Hope you're well!
@@mattsmodelshop Thanks Matt,we're rolling along fine here! Take care man!
Hey Matt, Great looking model! Can I ask you, on the decal bonder you used. Was it Testers Decal Set 8804(the little liquid bottle)? If so did you just brush it over the sheet? Or did you find an aerosol spray can of something?
Thanks
Hey there! I used Testor's decal bonder in the spray can. It helped immensely with the decals - it held them together enough to get them down without *too* much difficulty. For some reason, the decals in this set were incredibly brittle. The ones that came with my first one weren't, and went down really nicely. Different runs are different quality, apparently. Hope this helps!
Looks great! Hey. I had a question for you on the last video you posted. You said you used "Silver paint" To do the light blocking. Why not black or what paint? Just curious.
Silver is easier to cover up than black. When I'm painting to light block on the outside of the kit, black paint is murder to cover back up and blend in. Silver is pretty easy to do. It has heavy pigments in it that block the light really effectively. The difference is, I can get black and white cheap paint for the inside. Silver costs more!
Looking good Matt! I am learning a lot from you. Thanks
10:32 OK, so if the decals aren't included anymore, and are out of print, what are our options for getting that aztec appearance?
Yeah, being out of print is a pain. Round2 does rerelease them from time-to-time. You can also purchase paint masks and paint them on. This is very effective if you use the mackenzie paints iridescent paints. This is the type of paint used on the original studio model, and you can really get a great finish if you have the skill. Otherwise, I'd probably wait until Round2 releases the decals again. Hopefully soon!
just did these decals on my kit this week...been doing models for years and they were by far the worst and most frustrating decals ive worked with lol
The decals on my first kit went on GREAT. On this one, they fell apart immediately. After spraying on the testors decal bonder, it helped a lot. I feel your pain, though.
Thanks so much for posting these Matt. I have the same model kit along with the lighting kit from TrekModelers, the photoetch items, aztec masks and the same air brush that Paul Olson used and a small pasche compressor. I also bought Pauls book. I haven't built a model since I was a kid, but I love Star Trek and wanted to have everything to do this kit right.
Thanks for the kind words, Michael! My only advise is to start with some smaller kits. The 350 Refit is really impressive, but it's also full of gotchas. You want to be 'warmed up' before you tackle her. Good luck!
@@mattsmodelshop
Any recommendations for a starter kit? I've got everything I could find on doing this refit model right, but it's probably a good idea to start easier :)
hi, very nice job and useful video, thanks for sharing, i wll starting building mine too and i have those decals included with my kit, i have a question, what is the paint you used before applying the decals ? Thanks !
I used Tamiya Pearl White (TS-45) followed by a light wetsand, followed by gloss clear. Decals really love a glossy surface.
@@mattsmodelshop thanks Matt , appreciated and helpful !
Have you tried putting a drop or two of dish soap in the water? to help the decal float into position
I've done that before, but I've found it doesn't make too much of a difference. I just use regular old H2O.
Looking really nice! Now I almost wish I had gone with the decals instead of masks for aztecs.
The paint masks can really result in an excellent finish. The decals are a great way to get the desired result without a lot of painting skill, but they have their own difficulties. I bet your ship looks awesome!
I hope it will, I haven’t started it yet. I’m trying to do as much research as I can as well as practice on other models to work up my skill and confidence. Video logs like yours are a great help for tips and tricks. The decal bonder you recommended in this one is a great example! You definitely have a dedicated watcher here, so keep up the great work!
Where can you find the aztec decals? I have a PL 350 Enterprise Refit kit that I had purchased along with the Aztec Dummy paint masks several years ago, but looking at it now, I'm not sure that the paint masks are something I want to try and tackle.
The 2nd version of the kit came with them. They have been sold seperately in the past, but I believe Round2 has discontinued them for the time being. They usually repop stuff like that every few years, so keep your eyes open. You also can find them online if you hunt hard enough.
@@mattsmodelshop Cool! I'll keep my eyes open then.
@@lonewolf9390 See if the hdamodelworx website has them. I have seen them on there.
@@SeansModelBuilds Cool tip. Thanks!
@@lonewolf9390 You're welcome.