Best way to seal dry transfers?

[nah00]

So I've experimented with a few methods on doing this and have yet to find a satisfactory one, especially when putting the transfers on a glossy car. Is there anything that seals them but doesn't discolor/dull the paint around the transfer? My current method is spraying a bit of clear coat in a cap and then cutting down a q-tip and using the JUST ENOUGH to cover the decal...but even this leaves less than desired results.

 

Advice?

[katoftw]

All the vids I have seen are to clear coat spray the whole side of the car around the area you applied the decals.

Edited January 24, 2016 by katoftw

[HantuBlauLOL]

matte clear coat, just around the decal.. cover the rest with masking tape

[nah00]

Is any type of matte clear coat ok? I have a big bottle of Krylon matte finish I use to seal 1/72 planes and 1/35 armor, assuming it would work the same for this save the having to mask off the whole rest of the car. 

[kvp]

Imho on a shiny car, you should not use a matte cover. The hardest part is finding the right type that matches the car and using as little as possible to avoid any discoloration. Then there is uv aging which might bring out the covered area after a few years so this is why some people disassemble everything and spray the whole side which is hard to do right.

[nah00]

That's why I was just using a q-tip or toothpick to apply as little as possible to just to cover the transfer. I have Tamiya flat clear but that's even more dull than Krylon, would regular clear coat be better? I have a feeling gloss clear coat will leave too shiny a spot on the car. The next train I'm doing is a Yamagata Shinkansen so I want to get it to look good. 

 

On a related note, is it to much to ask for Tomix to print numbers on their cars...? I understand this allows you to have multiples of the same train with different numbers but still. 

[kvp]

They do print the numbers on some sets. If the name of a set has a depot and set id in it then it always comes with printed numbers. Tomytec cars are also pre printed like many startsets.

[cteno4]

Wonder if using artist acrylic medium would work well? It comes in a range of finishes and is very stabilized for yellowing and uv resistance. Paints on well.

 

Also I would suggest using a tiny brush like a #6O to get cleaner coverage. You can get them uber cheap on ebay. While not quite as nice as my really expensive detail brushes they are great for little things here and there, you can trim them up for a particular shape/use and if it gets gummed up no worries!

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3PCS-Nail-Art-Pen-Dotting-Painting-Drawing-UV-Gel-Liner-Polish-Brush-Tool-Set-/181815281986?hash=item2a55090942:g:OIkAAOSwjVVVtcp3

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3Pcs-Fabulous-Acrylic-French-Nail-Art-Liner-Painting-Drawing-Pen-Brush-Tool-Set-/261837121087?hash=item3cf6b5663f:g:~msAAOSwBahVH5gC

 

Jeff

[nah00]

I'm thinking I might go with acrylic medium since they did have a number different glosses and it is designed to be brushable. I just go to the craft store every once in a while and find brushes on sale and chop them up into shapes I need. 

[katoftw]

Isn't there some kind of white plastic resin sheet that you place over the transfer once applied to remove that excess around the transfer?  I've seen it used on Tomix models dry transfer on youtube.  I have no idea what the stuff it called.