Layering alcad

http://s1380.photobucket.com/user/jelliott523/media/Model%20Aircraft/20151127_202712_zps39kfdtzc.jpg.html

You can take a look at what I did here. I used a base of Alclad Duraluminum with a light coat of pale burnt metal, followed by highlights using jet exhaust. Then after everything dried I coated the entire thing in Alclad Aqua Gloss Clear.

Another quick question.

I want to protect the finish so I can carry this thing around at conventions.  I know the alcad can be pretty robust, but I just used MM acrylics for the petina and the tail fluting.  What can I use to seal it without effecting the finish? 

As i understand, if I hit it with something like future, it's going to pick up a high gloss, but I still want some of the shine on the tail and stuff, so I don't know if dullcoat will work either.

Same results. I've never thinned it.

Very cool weapon, BTW.

I have had no trouble layering Alclad.  In fact, I do panel variations by doing several layers on some panels.  I start with a good gloss black undercoat.  I use polished aluminum.  A neat thing about that "color" is that a very thin coat looks polished, but as you make the coat thicker and thicker, it goes more and more matt.  So I do the whole plane medium thickness so that it is not polished, but still a bit glossy. I then mask with post-it notes for a super low tack masker, outlining some panels, and put on a thicker coat, which looks duller.  I then mask off a subset of the last sprayed panels, and do another coat on those, which makes them duller yet.

I suppose I could have posted another thread in the Sci-Fi subjects board, but I've already got this one, so I thought I'd share what I have been working on.  Here's my replica Zat gun from Stargate SG-1.  This has really been a big learning project for me.  Not only did I have to learn how to properly clean the airbrush, but it allowed me to experiment with layering the airbrush coats and mixing and whatnot, also I got some serious practice with the petina wash.  Thanks to everyone who answered my questions, and for helping me get the airbrush finally figured out.

Ghost, it layers perfectly, successive thin layers have no bad effects on previous color. Just mask and shoot.

Does not need thinning, I've tried that with lacquer thinner for experiment, negative results. 

Alclad is lacquer based, do not use water.

Be sure it's completely mixed, shake until the appearance of the contents are uniform throughout. Look at the bottom of the jar when you first pick it up, shake until that bottom sediment layer is gone. 

Patrick