ALCLAD2 (and other) Questions

[JayBee]

All yousyins with the knowledge out there, I need some help.

1/ The ALCLAD2 web sight says that you should use their brand airbrush cleaner after spraying ALCLAD, but my LHS does not have it nor does Hannants. So is there an alternative that can be used.

2/ Does the gloss black undercoat that is required for certain of their paints have to be their laquer based one, or can other paints be used, enamel, acrylic, etc?

3/ once the ALCLAD has dried is it OK to use other types of paint on top of it, enamel, acrylic, etc?

4/ Are there any problems using ALCLAD over automotive rattle can primers? I am in the UK and use Halfords grey primer.

JimB

[matrixone]

JayBee,

You can use regular lacquer to clean your airbrush after spraying Alclad II, I do it all the time. To be safe remove the needle and head from your airbrush and clean them no matter what thinner is used. I have used the Alclad II thinner but find no real advantage in using it to clean my airbrushes over lacquer thinner.

To use the shiny Alclad paints (like chrome) you must use a gloss primer, Testors gloss black enamel works very well for this. But you MUST let it dry for a couple days before spraying on the Alclad.

Yes you can safely use other types of paint over Alclad (see my Fw 190 build thread) on my Fw 190A-10 the wing undersurfaces were painted with various shades of Alclad and had zero problems with using it.

Not sure about using automotive rattle can primers...others may know more about that one.

HTH

Matrixone

[dumaniac]

Jaybee

Alclad will reflect the primer colour beneath.  In my first go with alclad, I was keen to give it a go but have no black so figured any dark primer would be fine, so I used Luftwaffe black green (I got plenty of that) and then after a week (I usually paint on weekends), went over with alclad.  Well my photo drone Me 262 has a greenish aluminium look about it, even though it should just be aluminium.  Now to the untrained eye or if the kit is not next to "proper" aluminium kits, you probably won't notice.

Next thing is if you want that nice different panel effect, certainly paint the entire kit in black but then paint some panels in different greys.  Light grey results in shiny "new" panels going on memory.

Another thing is the colour of alclad does not change after the first one or two coats. I remember having some areas of aluminium which I was not happy with so I figured I would just go over them again - still not happy, go over again - and again - and again.  It does not change.  If you want to make a change, you have to mask off the offending panel - new undercoat and then alclad.

Alclad is really nice stuff but you can't treat it like "paint".

good luck

dumaniac

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

Afternoon Jim

Hobbes asked some similar questions a wee while ago, here's my response - http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,26704.0.html.

In short:
No you dont need Alclads' primer

Halfords grey primer is fine - rub down to a glassy finish and it's absolutely fine but you wont get a shiny finish. (my Ki61 has been primered with Halfords and it looks OK to me).

Tamiya glossy black straight from the rattle-can is great if you want a shiny/polished metal finish, go back a few pages on the 'Workbench' forum and have a look at my progress shots of the 'Downfall Mustang'.

When it's dry it's essentially bulletproof, you can put ANYTHING on top of it !

HTH

Ian