Alclad on B58 by beginner?

ANY surface imperfections will show up because it is very thin...I try to stray from it until I get more skill with the NMF stuff. But the only way to gain skill is to use it...

Alclad works very well and it isn't that difficult to use.  They difficulty comes in laying down a spotlessly perfect base coat.  Alclad is very, very thin.  As in water-thin.  Any imperfections whatsoever on the base coat will show up on the final metallic coats.

As to masking, Alclad sticks very well and once it has cured any normal masking method works fine.  Personally I use Tamiya masking tape for anything important.  To me it is just plan the best.  I'd recommend that you burnish the edges of the tape well though.  Since Alclad is so thin it can seep through the tiniest cracks in the masking media.