John,
Your analysis of the typical hobby interest mix of "decal fix" is correct when you opined:
"I believe these products are intended for use in the initial application of decals, not years later."
Lest there be any confusion here, let me be VERY clear about the Le Tour product which I mentioned earlier. It is NOT intended in any way, shape, or form to facilitate the setting of waterslide or similar decals wherein it makes them "slipperier" and/or acts to minimize the occurrence of bubbling underneath the decal itself. Rather, the aforementioned Le Tour product was SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO APPLY A HARD FINISH CLEAR COAT over previously affixed decals which are not otherwise already covered in such a manner.
Robert "who was clearly unclear about clear coating" Broderick ...the "Chronically Cloudy Clime" of Oregon Portland, USA
-----Original Message----- From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org [mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org] On Behalf Of John Betmanis Sent: Thursday, September 03, 2009 4:39 PM To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: Re: [CR] Preserving Original Decals
At 11:23 AM 03/09/2009 -0700, R.S. Broderick wrote:
>Back before the "new" owners and their current Seattle based incarnation
>(...when they were still in Montana before the forest fire destroyed
>everything, or even before that time when they were actually located in
>Branford, CT), Branford Bike used to sell a product under the Le Tour brand
>label called something along the lines of "decal glaze" or "decal fix"
>(...sorry, but my last bottle of this concoction is still MIA following our
>move - packed away in one of the many as of yet unopened boxes).
The decal set I received from Nick at LLoyd's has an instruction sheet for the waterslide decals that says to use a British product called Humbrol Decal Fix, supposedly available on eBay. It's used to protect decals on scale models. I believe there are similar products available Stateside from hobby suppliers. Google "decal fixative". However, I believe these products are intended for use in the initial application of decals, not years later.
John Betmanis
Woodstock, Ontario
Canada