The Little World

Stick to it. A slogan from old Australian insecticide advertisement. We all thought it was a good idea. But what if we found a better thing? What was the slogan for that?

I am minded of this by a discovery of a fresh decal setting agent in my local hobby shop. Currently I am using a small plastic bottle of Micro-Set to float decals into place over a gloss or semi-gloss surface. It’s a liquid that doesn’t spread out much so you have to time the thing closely to when the decal is ready to go. It also makes some decals grip tight too quickly and there can be anxious moments if the first position is not perfect.

The bottle is within a couple three models of being dry, so I looked for a replacement. True to a previous resolution, I am converting my workshop gradually to GSI Creos paints and their associated chemistry – as well as to their cements and putties. I am not entirely hidebound but I am becoming a fan of this company’s products.

So I picked up a Mr. Mark Setter bottle…not at all confident that it was the one I wanted, but he fact that it said ” Setter ” rather than ” Softer ” was the chief point. The bottle has little in the way of information for the non-Japanese reader but I once downloaded a pamphlet of their goods that seems to explain things.

On a whim I tried the new solution on Japanese hinomaru insignia for a Mitsubishi Dinah. The Mr. Mark Setter brushes on beautifully and adheres to a gloss surface very well. It acts as an effective slip layer for the decals and then wicks away perfectly. After a period of consolidation it settles every bit as well as the Micro product.

I am now sorely tempted to ditch the rest of the Micro Set bottle plus the custom decal water I tried to mix from it and just continue with the Mr. Mark Setter. But the thought of waste would keep me awake at night…