Old Question revisited

[Leigh]

Not a what if question just looking for general modelling advice, and when I post on ARC I get 90 contradictory replies and end up more confused than when i started.
Gonna be painting my 1/48th SabreDog soon and I want a BMF, now I've had mixed results with Model Master metalizers and this is too important to me to take a risk with, and i want to try something new.
So it appears my choices are AlClad or the Tamiya sprays everyone is raving about. I also want some panels to be slightly different shades either by using diff paints,consistencies and I understand I'm supposed to gloss black under AlClad, could this effect be achieved with diff colours of undercoat?

AlClad Or Tamiya ??

[Captain Canada]

I use Tremclad 'Aluminum' right out of the spray can....works everytime for me !

Good luck !

Toad

[Ollie]

Alclad my friend.

For the undercoat, use Future Floor polish or automotive etching primer (grey one) that you then sand a wee bit.

Check my two NMF birds using Alclad :

Hasegawa P-47

Hasegawa P-51D

B)  

[nev]

If you live in Britain (I can't remember), you cannot go wrong with Halfords spray paints.  Give 'em a quick shake & spray away.  They dry in less than an hour.  And there's dozens of diferent shades to choose from.

My Mig-15 was sprayed using Aluminium & Ford Nimbus Grey

[Leigh]

Love the Jug and the Mustang Ollie, so never having even seen the stuff am I correct in assuming AlClad comes in different shades. Cos this would solve my problem of not having all the panels a uniform colour/finish.

[Ollie]

Oh yes, mucho shades.

My P-51 is overall aluminium with stainless steel exhaust plates.

B)  

[Leigh]

So after a fruitless trek to the Model store they only had Alclad in copper, gold, jet exhaust and duraluminum (looked a bit on the dark side) and no Tamiya metallics, but the guy behind the counter says he always uses automotive Chrome paint ?

Of course I didn't leave empty handed  HEE HEE.

[nev]

I told ya to use Halfords car paint!

[Leigh]

K Nev, hanx for the tip mate, I bought two silvers, aluminum and bumper chrome.
I started with the chrome, then some panels with aluminum, then silver and have been decanting and mixing and matching them in my airbrush right now I've got about nine shades of metal, which is OK 'cos the F86 has about 300 panels, and she's looking sweet.
Coupla observations
The Chrome and Aluminum are really bright and reflective and The silver is kinda dull almost grey.
And although I primed and sanded many times with various grits down to 2000 and it looked super smooth as soon as the first coat went on there were obvious blemishes should I have futured before paint?

[nev]

No, I just normally give it a coat of Halfords primer (white or grey).  I wonder if its cos you airbrushed it?  This might have diluted the paint in the can somewhat.  I've certainly never noticed a blemish after spraying with the metallic that I didn't know was there before.