Alclad tips needed

[LSP_Ron]

It's been years since I've used Alcad. I need a memory refresher.

 

Is is safe to spray Alcad gloss black base over Tamiya rattle can light grey surface primer?  can you also spray Alcad on gloss Tamiya black acrylic?

 

Thx in advance

 

 

[dashotgun]

yes to both  it will be  more bright and metallic over a black base.  I have actually sprayed over no base but you have to do light coats and test to see if it will attack the plastic.  I have also used a  lacquer base as well if again you start with light coats.  MM   lacquer black is good.  The main thing is it will show any imperfection in you prep and sanding the base coat needs to be  polished to a shine before putting the alclad on.  BTW the new aki xtreme metal is quite good as an alternative and is a  bit more forgiving IMHO.  I still use both

Edited February 14, 2021 by dashotgun

[LSP_Ron]

Thanks,  What I really need to know is if the Alcad gloss black base can be sprayed over Tamiya grey primer

 

Ron

[D.B. Andrus]

Ron

 

I tried the Alclad black over several bases and it never dried. Maybe I had a bad bottle, but have heard of the same problem. Others have had no problems with it. 

I'd recommend testing before committing to use on your model.

 

Damian

 

[Dandiego]

I have had the same problem with Alclad gloss black never seeming to dry hard. Sometimes it takes weeks  before it really gets hard.

 

I have experimented with Rustoleum black lacquer out of the rattle can. If decanted and applied carefully it can produce a very smooth finish that dries hard in only an hour. 

 

Dan

[LSP_Ron]

I've heard Tamiya gloss black works well also?

[LSP_K2]

Yes and yes.

[scvrobeson]

38 minutes ago, LSP_Ron said:

I've heard Tamiya gloss black works well also?

Very well.  So does the Gunze GX2 black.  Or Zero Paints' Gloss Black.  Or MRP's gloss black/ 2k gloss black.  All good options.

 

 

 

 

Matt 

[dashotgun]

another vote for the rustoleum  I have never used the  alclad black base due to the  bad press.   here us another thought  https://store.spruebrothers.com/product_p/gunsf288xxx.htm   since it is mr surfacer  it will go over  the lacauer tamiya primer and lastly here is a refreasher   all about alclad   http://www.swannysmodels.com/Alclad.html

 

 

Edited February 14, 2021 by dashotgun

[Dave Morrissette]

Here's a good article too on Alclad (and aluminum foil too)

 

http://famecities.com/2013/07/natural-metal-by-ed-kinney-and-larry-davis/

 

Dave

[Neo]

Hi Ron

 

ive applied Alclad black primer over tamiya primer and mr surfacer. but bare in mind that Alclad black is a surface primer so its a bit redundant

 

i dont personally recommend the product as it tends to lift. I personally use either Humbrol or model master gloss black. 

 

Ive heard the best is Tamiya laquer black gloss is the way to go but ive not tried personally. Im trying out badger stynylrez gloss black soon

[Ayovan]

On 2/15/2021 at 8:48 AM, Dave Morrissette said:

Here's a good article too on Alclad (and aluminum foil too)

 

http://famecities.com/2013/07/natural-metal-by-ed-kinney-and-larry-davis/

 

Dave

One of the better Alclad how to's

[ringleheim]

In theory, Tamiya lacquer rattle can paint will re-wet when the Alclad lacquer goes down over it...but in practice I bet you would be OK to do it, especially if you put down light dust coats first and slowly build up, which is probably what you would do with the Alclad anyway.

 

I only use lacquer primer coats, usually Gunze Mr. 1500 surfacer type stuff in a jar, thinned to my liking, and then paint directly over that.  I must have done something with alclad metallics right over the primer, and I've never had a problem with the paint chemically reacting in a bad way.

 

Ideally, I would spray Alclad metallics over a very smooth, glossy coat of gray or black paint that is NOT lacquer based.

 

Tamiya acrylic works fine.

 

Everyone repeats that metallic should go down on a black base, but that is not necessarily best.

 

Play with a sample piece of plastic and spray something like Alclad aluminum over all kinds of different colors.

 

Often, a light gray undercoat yields brighter, more vivid results than black well.

 

Different underlying colors definitely change the look of the metal on top; then it's just a matter of picking what you like best for a given application.

 

In this video, the modeler shoots some alclad over different underpayments and you can see some of the differences.

 

 

[nmayhew]

My tip: don’t use it.

 

Mr Surfacer 1500 thinned with Mr Levelling Thinner as primer.

 

Then select your MRP paint of choice.

 

Job done.

 

No risk of paint lift, no praying to the Gods asking for an invisible force field to stop anything bigger than an electron coming close to your model and damaging your paint work

 

 

[Alex]

On 2/14/2021 at 2:01 PM, D.B. Andrus said:

Ron

 

I tried the Alclad black over several bases and it never dried. Maybe I had a bad bottle, but have heard of the same problem. Others have had no problems with it. 

I'd recommend testing before committing to use on your model.

 

Damian

 

I had exactly the same experience with Alclad black.  Never tried it again.  Now Mr. Color Gloss Black is always my go-to base coat under Alclad metallic paints.