When did Roden decals become acceptable?

[Procopius]

I've built two Roden 1/72 kits now, but as I'm about to come into a largish number of their WWI kits in 1/72, I was wondering if there was a particular kit after which their decals improved; I had a rough time with their Fokker D.VII (late) Goering boxing a while back.

[Des]

I have built all of the Roden 1:32 scale WW1 aircraft kits and right from the first one to the last one all their decals have been very touchy, I managed to use them all without having to make substitutes but it was touch and go some times, they are very brittle and they don't like certain decal set solutions. I don't know what their decals are like on the 1:72 scale kits but I am presuming they are the same.

Des.

[Procopius]

I don't know what their decals are like on the 1:72 scale kits but I am presuming they are the same.

Pretty much, I'm afraid.

Well gosh, that's a disappointment. I had thought I read somewhere they improved in their later kits. I guess, given the baleful state of aftermarket WWI decals in 1/72, I'll just have to muddle through.

[Des]

I have had a lot of luck using Mr Mark Softer, then when the decal is patted down I hit it with heat from a hair dryer, this seems to work well for me.

Des.

[ALBATROS1234]

what it seems like to me is that roden had inconsistancies with the clear decal film. if you have a bunch of roden kits take them out and look at the decals at an angle to a light source and you will notice that some have a splotchy clear film. in spots the film is so thin as to be non existant and much thicker in other places. i noticed this a couple years ago. so now when i get to that point in a roden build i use micro decal film which is just what it says. you spread it evenly with a brush on decal surfaces and in 20 min you have fortified decals. so far any roden decals with the splotchy film have performed ok if i do this. i also spray testors rattle can clear gloss and it held them together. so to me its a fixable situation.