How do you use Alclad II aluminum?

Panzer Madness wrote:

I know that on the chrome Alclad II one has to use a gloss black base that is non-acrylic. But is it the same for the Alclad II Aluminum?

Yup. Sorry for the short answer but that's pretty much it.

Regards,

Jeff

Panzer Madness wrote:

I know that on the chrome Alclad II one has to use a gloss black base that is non-acrylic. But is it the same for the Alclad II Aluminum?

You might want to read this:

http://fp.enter.net/~floch1/models/alcladthoughts.htm

Polished aluminum and chrome are the only 2 colors that require a gloss black undercoat. All others do not.  But there is still some prep work that must be done.  1^st... NO SCRATCHES!. They will show up like there are arrows pointing to them.  Alclad is pretty hot stuff and can craze the plastic pretty easily.  After sanding all the scratches, wash it then wipe it down with Polly S Plastic Prep.  It is anti-static and helps to repels dust. 

A primer coat of Mr. Surfacer 1200 protects the plastic from the Alclad and fills any little micro scratches.  Polish with 6000 micro mesh.  If you don't have that a coffee filter works well too.  Treat with the plastic prep again and spray the Alclad.  You can vary the panels colors by either painting some panel balck or vraious dark grays before the Alclad is applied or mask and spray different Alclad color after the base coat.  I use the latter.

The last shot is chrome over MM gloss black.

The first P-51 seems more "gray"/less polished than the last one. Why is that and which Alclad was which? Someone mentioned recently that the P-51 should have polished fuselage and Duraluminum wings. Isn't that right?

Alclad's "high-shine" finishes are the ones that require gloss black underneath. So Chrome, Polished Aluminum, Airframe Aluminum, Stainless Steel, Gold and Brass.

The regular finishes (Aluminum, Duraluminum, Steel, etc) just need grey primer to protect the plastic, and it's recommended to polish them smooth with 1000+ grit sandpaper.

All per Alclad's site.

Panzer Madness

Nice stuff. I see you used Model master gloss black. I'm thinking of using Testors standard enamel gloss black. I've got Gunze 1200, and I was planning on using it since it's a scratch built part. As far as all the prep work, it seems a little over the top. I'm not working on a show piece like yours that needs a perfect finish. But if I were, that would be the best route. Thanks!

I have used both the Model Master gloss black and the stuff in the little square bottles.  Both work fine, virtually no difference.

vaw1975

The first P-51 seems more "gray"/less polished than the last one. Why is that and which Alclad was which? Someone mentioned recently that the P-51 should have polished fuselage and Duraluminum wings. Isn't that right?

The 1st 2 P-51's and the jug are both painted with a base of duraluminum, over buffed Mr. Surfacer 1200,  with some panels masked and sprayed with dark aluminum and aluminum for some variation.  The 1:1 birds weren't usually that shiny as "polished" with the surface getting fairly dull. The bottom 51 represents a bird as it appears today in Kermit Week's Fantasy of Flight museum.  This aircraft is polished to a high shine. 

As for the wings, you may referring to a process that was done for a wile were the wings were coated to fill any seam and rivet dimples etc. to aid in the laminar effect for the airflow over the wing.  Plenty writtien... and argues... on that subject.

wing_nut

 

vaw1975:

 

The first P-51 seems more "gray"/less polished than the last one. Why is that and which Alclad was which? Someone mentioned recently that the P-51 should have polished fuselage and Duraluminum wings. Isn't that right?

 

 

 

The 1st 2 P-51's and the jug are both painted with a base of duraluminum, over buffed Mr. Surfacer 1200,  with some panels masked and sprayed with dark aluminum and aluminum for some variation.  The 1:1 birds weren't usually that shiny as "polished" with the surface getting fairly dull. The bottom 51 represents a bird as it appears today in Kermit Week's Fantasy of Flight museum.  This aircraft is polished to a high shine. 

As for the wings, you may referring to a process that was done for a wile were the wings were coated to fill any seam and rivet dimples etc. to aid in the laminar effect for the airflow over the wing.  Plenty writtien... and argues... on that subject.

Everything I've read and various pictures I've seen point to Alclad paneling on the fuselage, with the wings finished in an aluminum lacquer. 

Here's a good example on a resto job, and I believe the ARC forums have a very, very in-depth post about the Mustang's wings.

http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2005/12/stuff_eng_detail_p51d_02.htm

That is a very nicely restored aircraft.  The problem with it, from a reference point of view,  is the simple fact that it is restored example.  Anything that has been restored may, and usually does, variances from original equipment or techniques.  The wings on that aircraft look like they are painted and not lacquered/epoxied, or whatever they were doing during the war, to smooth the wind surface.  From what I've read many ground crews removed that since it was too hard to maintain.

I have the variations in the wing panels simply because that's the way I like it.  Dunno if it is historically accurate for those particular aircraft.  But if I did want to be more accurate, I would check a war time ref.

DoogsATX

Alclad's "high-shine" finishes are the ones that require gloss black underneath. So Chrome, Polished Aluminum, Airframe Aluminum, Stainless Steel, Gold and Brass.

The regular finishes (Aluminum, Duraluminum, Steel, etc) just need grey primer to protect the plastic, and it's recommended to polish them smooth with 1000+ grit sandpaper.

All per Alclad's site.

I agree with Doogs.  That is the rule set I use:

wing_nut

The wings on that aircraft look like they are painted and not lacquered/epoxied, or whatever they were doing during the war, to smooth the wind surface.  From what I've read many ground crews removed that since it was too hard to maintain.

I have the variations in the wing panels simply because that's the way I like it.  Dunno if it is historically accurate for those particular aircraft.  But if I did want to be more accurate, I would check a war time ref.

Don't mean to turn this into a Mustang debate thread...I've seen several wartime pics of P-51s with noticeably duller wings than fuselages/stabilizers. BUT I could also totally see instances where ground crews removed the lacquering, especially depending on time of year and missions being flown. Sort of the same situation as with the on-again, off-again aluminum manifold shrouds (where I've got some reference photos of the same plane with them on, off, and back on at different dates...).

This is one of the things I love about modeling. It makes you realize how much more actually went on, and how much thought went into things like the size of national insignia or the treatment of a certain aircraft's wings.

No worries doogs about turning this into a Mustang debate.  i never participate in the forum "debates" that pop up from time to time.  I will however participate in a discussion with an exchange of information.  Seemed like we were discussing to me  And we don't have to worry about high jacking the thread.  It was started 1 year ago and the owner hasn't posted since Feb.

Totally agree about the shrouds.  Again, I think that was basically a maintenance thing.   I can see the rationale too.  Did these add something it the aerodynamics.  Yup.  As the war progressed the hassle wasn't worth it.  We owned the skies and if you did come up against an adversary there weren't any Luftwaffe pilots left and you could still kick his ass without exhaust shrouds.

What was used for that yellow nose P47 hutchdh? It looks great. What kit is it?

Vivian