Alclad questions

MANY THANKS FOR ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS.  I WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH MY ALCLAD PROJECT.

MORTO

I just use the alclad black base , regardless of  metallic top color in most cases ...it shows the tiniest imperfection prior to painting.. and the big bottle wasn't that much cost.

the alclads grip to the enamel very nicely as well.

Don Stauffer

You need a gloss black undercoat.  Then, the coating of alclad should be very thin.  Too thick and it looks like aluminum paint.  Thin and the reflection from the black adds a great metallic look.  There are three different shades of aluminum- polished aluminum, just plain aluminum, and white aluminum.  The polished is too shiny for anything but the squadron commander's plane. The just plain aluminum is probably the best for a typical in-service plane.

You actually only need a gloss black undercoat for the "high-shine" finishes: Airframe Aluminum, Stainless Steel, Chrome etc. That's because the high-shines are semi-translucent and rely on the dark undercoat to achieve their effect. I actually read somewhere just the other day that using Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and polishing it works very well, too. Personally I prefer Tamiya X-1 Black cut with about 25% of their gloss clear (X-19?).

The regular finishes - Aluminum, Duraluminum, White and Dark Aluminum, Steel, Magnesium, Exhaust Manifold, etc...all they need is a smooth surface. I've sprayed them over just primer (for exhausts) and they've come out just fine. You can also use other silvers (Tamiya's AS-12 Bare Metal Silver works exceptionally well) as base coats for these.

Another cool trick - using a high-shine finish as a base, then spraying a regular finish like Aluminum or Duraluminum onto panels, vaguely avoiding panel lines. Because they're semi-translucent, the high-shine finish in those areas will let some black through and thus appear darker...

You need a gloss black undercoat.  Then, the coating of alclad should be very thin.  Too thick and it looks like aluminum paint.  Thin and the reflection from the black adds a great metallic look.  There are three different shades of aluminum- polished aluminum, just plain aluminum, and white aluminum.  The polished is too shiny for anything but the squadron commander's plane. The just plain aluminum is probably the best for a typical in-service plane.

I believe there are detailed instructions on Alclad's website

www.alclad2.com

You might want to start your first try on a simpler, cheaper model.  The stuff can be tricky.

morto

Panzerpilot, thanks for your comments.  I have pulled up Swanny's article and find it very interesting and informative.  Again thank you for your help.

Morto

  You're welcome. Post some pics of that B-17 when you are done! Good luck.

Panzerpilot, thanks for your comments.  I have pulled up Swanny's article and find it very interesting and informative.  Again thank you for your help.

Morto

My experience with Alclad is limited. However, I learned a lot with what I have used. 

It is very "expressive" of any impurities on the model. Scratches, sprue cut marks, etc. So, good sanding is a must. Preferably micromesh, from what I have found. I have the set which goes from 3200 to 12000 grit. I understand that priming with black is best for a shiney finish. Alclad makes a black primer, though others use different brands. I used Alclad grey primer and duraluminum. It comes to a more weathered look.

You don't need to thin it at all. Just spray straight from the bottle. Clean up? Laquer thinner ( I bought a gallon at Ace hardware for $12? dollars.)

Laquer is a "hotter" paint than enamels and certainly acrylics. What this means is, if you try to use Alclad over an acrylic primer, you are taking a risk. There is a really good article on all this over at swannysmodels.com here