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Natural Metal Finish Question...


Kranman

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Over the years, I've embraced the Alclad line of metallic finishes. A few of them demand gloss black as an undercoat - chrome, for example - to achieve a high gloss finish. It occurred to me if I use different undercoats, for example, gloss green, flat black or grey, even a yellow, different sheens, finishes, and effects could be obtained using only one or two Alclad colors.

 

I wondered if anyone else may have considered this approach. I have some older, inbuilt kits that may be my guinea pigs on this. Just wondering if anyone else considered my wacky proposal...

 

Frank

Edited by Kranman
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Don't know bout the different colors, but if you use flat black, you get a non-buff surface. Here's a recent kit I did. The shiny part is undercoated with gloss black. The duller edges were undercoated with flat black. The effect is stronger in person than it is in the photo, but you get the idea.

 

36337772420_28ea484f4f_c.jpgDSCN4703 by Ronald Bell, on Flickr

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I've pondered and tried that approach too, using some different colored primers to try to vary the hue of the metallic top coat. My problem is that I tend to be a heavy painter, so almost ANY "preshading" is wasted and completely lost under the top coat. I have much more luck with post shading, and like adding a drop or two of blue or black to a metallic color to change its hue and then applying it.

 

Your idea is certainly feasible, but I think it depends on your painting abilities, and in my heavy handed case doesn't work. However, I'd recommend it to people with the equipment and ability to apply their paints in very lightly, controlled coats.

 

GIL :smiley16:

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Dave, many thanks for that article link! Very helpful, indeed.

Ron, what you illustrate is pretty much what I was thinking of - I can see a variety of sheens, textures, what-have-you for a few of the Alclad products.

Gil, I've come to realize there is a 'tipping point' when using Alclad. Once you reach it, it may be too late. My efforts have been to limit the amount of paint - it's a balancing act, to be sure. One second, you're going along fine and the next, the effect you want is gone. Been there a few times. The latest was on the Monogram Duesenberg SJ; stripped ALL the chrome. Some parts turned out fine, others looked like metal paint. I learned a lot with that model...

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