Anything better than Testors?

Alclad II is the best (in my opinion) for doing metal finishes.

Does it give a "true" chrome effect when using Chrome for Lexan? Do you need to use a primer and your recommendation?

Alclad is the best, hands down. You use a gloss black primer and spray LIGHTLY over that. Too much paint dulls the effect. You can buff it to a high shine after that. Alclad has a black paint to use under it, but you can use almost any gloss. I use Tamiya Gloss Black and it seems to work ok if you get a good gloss on the Black.

Don't forget, you can always look into using Bare Metal Foil for different chrome applications too?

Hi :

  I would recommend ALCLAD 2 for most applications .Now if you are doing something that requires a shine from inside a layer of clear , such as a flat surface then I believe you should make use of Micro Marks foil adhesive and real bright " Dollar General ", type foil shiny side out .It will work .Just practice , Before , you do it !      Tanker - Builder

I know a number of model car builders who use Alclad to re-chrome the kit chrome. It is that good.  Just requires some care putting down a flawless gloss undercoat.

I use both MM and Alclad for my metallic finishes.  Alclad is the #1 choice, but the stuff can get expensive.  My rule is if I'm spraying something and planning on masking it, I use Alclad.  Their finishes are tough as nails, whereas the Metalizers have a glass jaw and will pull up if you look at them funny.

Are products like SnJ or Hawkeye's metal powders around anymore?  I still have a couple of bottles of SnJ aluminum powder that I use when I want to buff something to a high shine.  When you apply it to a gloss white base coat and buff it with a soft cloth, it really shines up nicely!

Eric

I find Alclad not that expensive at all.  One puts it on so thin that the amount spent on one model is not that much.  So a bottle lasts a long time.  And unlike the Testors enamel I use for non-metal finishes, it doesn't go bad in the bottle. I have bottles of Alclad that are several years old and they still work fine.

I second Don's remarks about Alclad. I finished 4 different 1/48 aircraft - including a b57 - with Alclad, and I still have 1/5 bottle left.

I recall Hawkeye posted a note here about a year ago saying he is going out of the manufacturing business, and SnJ and polishing powders are no longer available from him, or anyone else, as far as I know.

Hi :

  I do have something that will work as well if you use care and follow the instructions .That is the buffing cremes offered in any hardware store .They come in Silver plate , Bronze plate and Gold plate . This stuff has been around for as many or more years than I .I would give it a try .They may have added colors by now too .      Tanker - Builder

Hawkeye's on FaceBook documenting his travelling lifestyle in an RV. I don't think he's doing much of anything else.

Les.61

Does it give a "true" chrome effect when using Chrome for Lexan? Do you need to use a primer and your recommendation?

If it's formulated for lexan, DO NOT use it for regular models. It's for R/C body shells and is applied to the inside of the shell. The shell itself imparts the gloss finish.