What's the best way to store your decals?

[PR19_Kit]

Allmark (always type Altmark  ) takes me back. Still have and use some RAF roundels sheets I got at BMW's in Wimbledon almost 50 years ago now ?  Think one of my Swastika sheets may be Allmark as well

I've still got some of those too. They produced some superb sets to go with the 'BoB' film back then and they last very well indeed.

[KiwiZac]

I choose to use only the best Transfer Storage Device on the market:


I have separate bags for RNZAF, RAAF and WW1 decals but the rest are loose. They all seem pretty usable!

[PR19_Kit]

I'd need one of those about 20 times as deep, and that'd be just for the airliner decals!

I really ought to open a shop................... 

[zenrat]

Chequered skid lid looks good Zac.

Allmark (always type Altmark  ) takes me back. Still have and use some RAF roundels sheets I got at BMW's in Wimbledon almost 50 years ago now ?  Think one of my Swastika sheets may be Allmark as well

I've still got some of those too. They produced some superb sets to go with the 'BoB' film back then and they last very well indeed.

The Allmark set I was given looks to be about that old.  It's RAF roundels.  I just need 2 with small red dots for under the Loons wings.  I've got the rest covered from various sets in my folder.
They shatter as soon as I try to slide them off the paper so i'll give them a coating before I wet them and see what happens.

[NARSES2]

I think yours may have been in a very dry atmosphere Zen ? Might account for the shattering.

I keep my transfers in various smallish plastic boxes with "sealable " lids that I get from various kitchen and home goodies stores. You normally see the larger ones piled up outside the shop, intended for clothes, blankets and under bed storage. I then put them in sealable plastic bags according to genre. Currently I have 6 medium sized boxes and really do need to have a good sort out to see what I'm not going to use. Like the stencils which I'll never use even 10% of. I'm afraid the boxes and contents themselves are rather organised, unlike my old desk at work 

[zenrat]

They feel dry.  I have cut some from the sheet and sprayed some with Testors Decal Sealer and brushed others with some Microscale Liquid Decal Film I forgot I had.

[Nick]

I have a large ring binder with the various sheets separated in individual plastic folders. They are organised by nationality and age so I have early RAF types near the front followed by modern RAF types, then other countries. There are several folders full of offcuts and random spares, one is just for car markings!

[TheChronicOne]

Hey that's a pretty good idea and I'd like to build on that...  they make those binder pages for collectible cards and such.  9 individual pockets per page and perhaps they could be utilized somehow?

Personally, I don't have many spared but I just dump them all in a ziploc bag:



The 9 pocket divider pages:



A word of warning, however, if you pick up your binder upside down or tilt it too far in the wrong direction the stuff could potentially slide out of the pockets and on the the floor...   a rememedy to that would be to put the decals into some small baggies or....... 

Individual card sleeves:



......that fit perfectly inside the 9 pocket dividers and cost just a $1 or two for 100.  The dividers aren't expensive either and I think the manufacturing process for this stuff is intentionally set up to keep certain chemicals and stuff out of the material as to keep from messing up expensive baseball cards and the like. Seems like this would be good for decals, as well.


Brad


P.S. Obviously not all decals will fit esp. if you leave them as a whole sheet. Might have to trim some down, etc, but I DO believe they make these binder pages in different sizes.  I seem to remember some that are divided into quarters instead of 9 pockets. Let me google for a minute...

Sure enough!



And whadda ya know, here's some more with a different orientation (used for storing currency...so, also another set that should be designed not to harm what's in them... if good enough for old paper money, should be good for decals.. )



I saw some divided by two, as well. There's probably a number of different configurations.

[Captain Canada]

For new aftermarket schemes I keep them in those clear plastic folders Zenrat mentioned, and then into a book binder, and then onto a shelf.

[zenrat]

They feel dry.  I have cut some from the sheet and sprayed some with Testors Decal Sealer and brushed others with some Microscale Liquid Decal Film I forgot I had.

Speaking of forgetting.  I forgot to update this.
The Liquid Decal Film worked a treat.  No shattering.  I haven't yet tried to use those I sprayed with the Decal Sealer.

[Captain Canada]

Glad I came back to check in, I had the roundels for my RCN Sea Star crack up on me....wasn't funny lol. I'll try the sealer or film.

[Steel Penguin]

for the few "special" ones there kept in the paper envelopes they came in, the rest ( after anything I need have been cut out of ) get put in a plastic a4 wallet, and kept dry and out of direct sunshine,  not had too many problems so far, the odd ones split / shattered / etc but most just work,  best ive had is the use of some 25+ year old 1:72 airfix Vulcan decals, cut out the couple I wanted and they came off the backing fine, and stuck to the paint splendidly