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Alclad paint, 1st time user.


Bradley25mm

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 I normally use Tamiya silver decanted out of a spray can to airbrush aircraft . I have  never use Alclad paint before. I’ve heard a lot about them. Are they easy to use, and worth the effort? How well does it stand up to washes . Thanks in advance.
 

Christopher

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From the couple of time's I've used it, they work pretty well.  Just follow the instructions.  Build up in layers as you go.  I always sealed the model before using a wash, others who have more experience can probable state if you can get away with sealing it or not.

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I like the Alclad paints, and have had good results with them. That said, there are a few tricks to getting the best from them....

1) Just like ANY and EVERY NMF, your surface really needs to be glass smooth before you start painting. Since you use a primer with the Alclad, it's a little more forgiving, but the slicker the surface the better! DO take care if you try to spray Alclad directly on bare plastic. It can be done, BUT it MUST be done in very light coats (even more than when using it normally) as it can craze bare plastic if applied in a wet coat.

2) Plan on priming with a GLOSS BLACK primer for all of the various silvers, unless you're trying to get some exotic metallic tint. The Alclad brand primers are OK, but have had some quality control problems in the past (they never completely dried). I simply use Testors Gloss Black (big or little bottle) and thin it with lacquer thinner. It usually goes on glass smooth and dries hard in 2 days or less.

3) Whatever Alclad color you use, MIST IT ON! Do NOT spray heavy "wet" applications as it will not brighten out as nicely. Spray several thin, light coats until you get the depth of color you desire. Wait a bit between coats when spraying the Chrome......it looks horrible when it first hits the surface, and then like "magic", it plates out right before your eyes!

4) Alclad paints usually dry rock hard within 30 minutes (when applied over cured primers). It can be masked, but use LOW TACK types of tape to be on the safe side (Tamiya tape, green Frog tape, yellow Sherwin Williams tape, etc.)

That's about it......by the way, you might also try the  AK metallics. They've also worked well for me, are just as maskable, have a good variety of colors, and do NOT need any primers. Hope this helps!

 

Gil :smiley16:

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  • 4 months later...

I'm a big fan of Alclad's metallics - they get a really good shine without that grainy look of, say, a Tamiya Chrome Silver or something. Maybe grainy isn't the right word, but it's all I can come up with at the moment.

Gil's right - put on a black gloss primer and make sure it's super smooth and shiny for best results. I haven't had any issues with the Alclad black primer. You may need to polish the primer coat a bit to get it nice and even, but the effect is worth it. I did some candy paint on a sci-fi model I built not too long ago, and the Alclad chrome really made the final color pop.  

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