Tamiya clear acrylic paint question

[r2800doublewasp]

I am a new to modeling and I have only built a few academy model kits before and I have always had trouble with their decals not sticking to the model. So when it came to applying my decals to an academy bearcat I was building, I was a little hesitant at first on if I should use them or not. I talked to the guy at my local hobby shop and he told me I should use the academy decals and just paint the airframe with Tamiya clear color (says X-22 on the bottle if thats any help...) so that it would help the decals stick better.

Now about the paint...(First, you should know that I hand paint my models.) I painted the top part of the plane (wings vertical stabilizer sides of fuselage etc..) and it looks absolutely Horrendous as it was drying. It looked like a 3yr. old went to work painting on it!! I am not going to be there to see the finished result because I am going to Tahoe so I was wondering if this is just how it dries and in the end it will look fine or if maybe i am doing something wrong. Also, I painted the aircraft with testors sea blue (the only color I had on hand with me at the time) and that maybe the weird finish had something to do with that. Thanks , R2800

[Maglar]

I would suggest first buying a rattle can of gloss cote, Testors makes one. Decals don't silver and stick better to a glossy surface. In my experience, Academy decals so suck, a lot. Also, you can buy micro sol and micro set which are decals solutions which makes the decal softer and stick better to your surface. You just paint the area with the product and slide the decal onto it and dab off the excess. Also with the gloss surface, buy a dull cote to spray on after to get the model back to its original matte surface. Hope this helps!

[r2800doublewasp]

Thanks a lot that really helps!

[Maglar]

No problem, I don't know what your hobby shop keep was trying to vend you but what I listed should do the trick. BUT, I have had paper edging on some of my Academy decals, its just a little fact that has to be accepted..

Here is a photo of my 1/72 Academy P40, if you look at the roundel you can see this papering, its fault of Academy not the process in which you slide it off the sheet. Most people would cut this away, I dont trust myself enough

[r2800doublewasp]

Thanks again. Good looking P-40

[Maglar]

Thanks mate, it's pretty nifty for $6!