Hi everyone

I have had an issue with acrylic colors twice in the last few months. It is odd, because it never happened to me prior to that: I use Ammo Mig primer for my Ammo Mig /AK interactive acrylics. After they have dried, i usually go for a Vallejo gloss varnish as preparation for the decals. Now suddenly when i am using AK Interactive decal solution /or the Revell decal solution (which is really not that bad) together with a cotton bud, the paint peels off! Very easily. This can be frustrating after a deliberate paintjob, as you all know.

Turns out that the ak interactive decal solution is really not usable, as it just rips the color away. I have gone back to Revell. Anyone have a guess as to why this has been happening suddenly? Thanks in advance!

2 attached images. Click to enlarge.

I use a combination of AK, Vallejo, and Tamiya acrylics. I paint a thin coat of clear acrylic floor polish I picked up at Home Depot before applying decals and I use Tamiya Mark Fit Strong to help seat the decals. I haven’t experienced any problems with paint peeling. I am, however, losing patience with Tamiya acrylics, especially with metallic colors, and have begun phasing them out. Too many instances of poor coverage and paint drying almost instantly.

I would suggest perhaps that the Ammo Mig Primer may be part of the problem Felix (@fxrob). It may not be getting the "bite" in the plastic. You might try something like Mr Surfacer 1500. Barring that, perhaps a different acrylic primer such as Stynlerez.

Dear John @johnb, Carl @clipper, Spiros @fiveten and Greg @gwfabian: Thank you all for your support and thoughts. I will definitely make good use for your advice for my next model kit- I have a Vallejo primer which i will use and maybe i will buy another varnish. And on top of that i will probably clean the parts on the sprues with alcohol after rinsing them. I have been using Vallejo acrylic matte varnish. Is there any other acrylic varnish you could recommend?

Before I put on any decals or stencils I always spray several layers of Future on the model.
Also after applying the decals I put on a layer of Future to secure them.
Future seems to be pretty much resistant to almost anything I use to soften decals.
Just my two cents worth …

Dear Chris @chrisballard, i go with acrylics because of health concerns. Over the years i would say i have figured out common issues encountered with them when using an airbrush. But adhesion is an issue i have come across only recently.

Future, in fact I use its successor, Pledge “Revive It” has been discontinued in 2022.
I managed to buy a couple of bottles thru eBay back then.
Indeed it is basically a gloss coat, but a very sustainable one.
There are a lot of discussions and recommendations on the net on what to use as a replacement for “Revive It”.
Here’s one:

A Replacement For Pledge? Here It Is!