Spaz Stix, an Alclad sub

I find I use so little of the stuff on one model that the cost of Alclad is not an issue.  To get the glossier finishes like polished aluminum and chrome you must put on a very light coat- dial the airbrush way back if using a SA, easy on the finger with a DA.

More importantly, for those finishes the undercoat is absolutely critical.  The old saying, paint covers a multitude of sins, does not apply to the mirror-like Alclads.  You put on such a thin coat that every tiny flaw shows up as a glaring spot .

I tested Spaz Stix on a spoon many months ago. It was from a spray can. I sprayed a gloss black base from a Tamiya spray can. I had just started back into the hobby from when I was a little kid and I've never used Alclad, but I wanted to see if these chrome-like sprays lived up to the hype. My local Hobbytown sells the stuff and they had the cans on sale, so I picked one up, along with the Tamiya gloss black. I was blown away by the result. It looked like a polished silver spoon! I could see the color of my eyes in the reflection!

I used spaz stix.  The key to maintaining the shine is a flawless gloss black base coat and the sealer.  I would recommend the alclad aqua gloss or The Model master metalizer sealer. 

I couldn't wait, so I sprayed on some Spax Mirror Chrome, which was a failure. It immediately powdered up, despite being sprayed from 3". I switched to Alclad after sanding it down, and that worked beautifully. It actually takes a lot of paint to cover and achieve a high gloss. I will be using at least three coats to adequately reduce the black cast coming through too heavily. The Alclad seems pretty forgiving. Good product.

I am very confused. I am trying to decide what finish to use on a restored Topping F-104. I have laid on a coat of Gloss black lacquer, and am debating whether to finish with Spaz Stix Mirror Chrome or Alclad Airframe Aluminum. I want a very high shine, reflective finish, but one that looks like it could be polished aluminum, not necessarily chrome. What did you paint the F-104 in your photos wiyth. You say you used a black primer, but what went on top? Thanks.

There are a few RC shops nearby. I will check for the stuff at them.

I bagged them off of amazon for $7.00, the shipping to Hawaii was more than the product but with the total price it still cam out cheaper than alclad.

eBay got some.

Looks pretty good. Where did you find the stuff?

Yeah Snibs, I think this stuff actually is a little better than alclad. The chrome effect on the fork was kinda hard to capture in my camera. It looks glossy black when it is indeed chrome. Its pretty good stuff.

I love saving money, looks good in the pictures, ill just have to test it myself now.

Thanks for the heads up.