Lol, you may be right there! I think the airframe is about halfway in shine between the regular aluminum and the polished! The chrome is super insanely shiny- almost like a mirror. 

Actually it was pollished allu, but I think all the handling of it and the panel wash has toned it down to look like airframe allu.

So If I one day use airframe allu it will look like normal allu LOL!

Theuns

Ohhhhhh Theuns, love how she came out!!! Just great job all around! That's how a NM bird should look!

BTW: Airframe aluminum is shiny - not so much as chrome but much more so than normal aluminum. What did you use on your Mirage there? It looks a lot like airframe aluminum to me.

Z: That's one awesome Fortress! Hope you can join us, I'd like to follow along with your build.

high shine but it seems to be a bit tougher to me than the chrome and polished aluminium  probably as you can put it on thicker than the other two without losing the effect too much

What is airframe alluminium? Highshine or normal?  I need some for my Mustang and Sabre.

Theuns

the high shine alclads are delicate, the other finishes are much tougher.

The few things I have learned about alclad is that you need a good quality masking that willnot lift the paint from the base black. I used Tamiya tape for the first time on the mirage and it worked very well.

I also spray at a low pressure, set the airbrush to as wide a fan as I can and lastly spray at a low angle (about 30-40 degrees or so) to the model where I can, this makes for a larger spray coveridge area.

It tends to lesten the streaky effect

The other thing is to get yourslf some cotton gloves when working with the painted model, although the sales pitch says it is very tough paint it still rubs off in places where you handle it allot.

I used no future or any setting solution for the decals, there was not even a gloss claercoat over the alclad before dacaling. I have used the pollished allu on 2 models now and both times the decals showed no silvering at all.

Hope it helps, but I am sure the experts here will be able to give some great advice you need.

Theuns

yep...big is an understatement...gets a bit crowded on the small table for work! (no need for a paint booth build, just some heavy mil plastic sheeting to protect floor and walls). She will have a wingspan of 3' and length of 2' when done.

...on the Alclad bulk. It'll be a first for Alclad for me, so it should be interesting/fun. Seems I'm spending more time reading about HOW to use it on the FSM site and Swanny's site than my build time recently!

I have some things in mind as detail work after the core assembly is painted and decaled like removing and striping the bombs, possible cutouts in the fuselage to show the hand-painted interior details, etc...we'll see how the final stages go...been over 20+ years since a build.

Just keeps getting better n better!

Wow, that looks great, Starfighter!

WOW that is a big fortress! Exelent interior. You might have to buy the Alclad in bulk LOL!

Theuns

Vetteman42-

I started a 1/48th Revell/Monogram B-29 Jan.15 in the Gift GB with Bish and crew. Since you are allowing crossovers...may I join the roster here as well since I am going to Alclad her?

WIP of the 29 build:

I am at the polishing stage on the 29 build currently and about to go to alclad and customized decaling to make her Z Square 8.

Let me know if your GB is or my build is too far along to join the roster. Thanks!

all of these builds are bloody good!!

im starting a triboom spitfire in nmf would that be eligable?

Beautiful work on the Mirage!

Ok the link seems not to work so here are a few pix

SAAF's first mirage 3 cz 1963

Theuns

Done at last!     more pix here - http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/2/t/153178.aspx

Theuns

Here is a sneak peak of my South African Air Force Mirage 3 cz in 1963 deliviry sceeme from France.

I bought aftermarket decals, but used only the castles and a few others with the kit decals.

Some touchups and bits todo then I will be very happy to call it done!

Theuns

Enrico: Wow that checkered tail is stunning!!! 180 tiny squares must have driven you mad but the results are worth it. That's just fantastic!!!

And thanks, I'm close to being done with P-47D for this GB and figured I'd post them both on the aircraft forum together so she's only been on Doog's P-47 GB right now. Anyway here is a link to the page on the P-47 GB, just scroll to the bottom. Btw you can check out B-17pilot's awesome P-47D just above mine too.

Hi guys........

@Gamera:what beautiful piece you've done!!!Put on more pics.....!

@Theuns:your Mirage is coming a beauty!in my stash there's one that is waiting me........it have the David's star.......

Here same up dates.....I've tyed to paint the chequered yellow-black tail.....I 've cut  more of 180 5mmx5mm pieces from vinilic tape......same retouch are necessary but i like the result.....What do you think about??Ciao from Italy,Enrico.

i sprayed the lightning with alclad light sheen, not quite gloss, not quite flat. a good compromise but it still alters the alclad finish a bit.

Ok thanx guys. I will go for a decal directly over the alclad thing.

The decals on the sheet are not seperate like we are used to from kits but actually printed onto a large piece of flim. SO I will try to cut them off the sheet with as little or no carrierfilm edge atall.......stay tuned!

Theuns

Lol, I'm going to sound like Richard's echo chamber here! Any NM finish should be shiny enough I wouldn't put any gloss finish on it. Only case I'd do it would be if the model has matte finish paint on it like the anti-glare panels on say a P-47 or P-51. On this P-47 I got a little silvering around the lady's head where the decal overlapped the matte OD green. If I did the model again I'd spray or brush a little gloss under where the decal goes and then hit it with a little matte when finished.

Due to the already glossy surface of a well laid down NMF you can actually get away without using a clearcoat at all. Do be careful using future in combination with set- and sol. I have had it happen to me that i did not apply the future well or didnt let it dry long enough. The decal solution ate into my future coat and made it appear all smudgy  

Then again... this happened like twice to me out of a gazillion times it worked great for me

Richard

Ok so if I understand you put a gloss clearcoat over the whole model prior to decals as per normal , but nothing after that?

Or is the alclad shiny anough to ge away without the initial gloss clearcoat??

Dou you apply the decals (if no initial claercoat) with a setting solution like Future maybe? Or will the carrierfilm then show?

Theuns

I agree with you completely Gamera. At the moment i typed that i was thinking of just such an effect like oxidized whiteish aluminum like a boneyard mig 15 sitting on the tarmac for 15 years. I would certainly not use a matte finish on any NMF other than that

Richard

Yeah, what Richard said! I've used MM Metalizer Sealer over an Alclad painted model but lately haven't been too crazy about the results. A word of warning- don't spray a matte finish over NM at all- first and last time I tried it the results looked like cheap silver paint! When decals dry with a glossy finish I do take a small amount of matte varnish and spray just the decals and nothing else.

Theuns,

Personally i don't really use a coat after the decals, just a clearcoat before the decals. Properly applied decals won't lift off the model after time goes by. It's really a matter of personal taste and i don't want my carefully applied metal paints to look odd with a clearcoat myself unless i need a distinct dull/ matte looking finish for a NMF project

Richard

Ok so I "repaired" the hassles with the hassles with the paint and will stick with the results I have now, allot of lessons learned!

I also did a light pannel wash with grey pastel slurry.

Do you guys seal the whole model after decals are applied to stop them lifting later? if so with what that will not affect the alclad look?

Theuns

I founf revell thinners to be particlarly agressive, i use daler and rowney low odour thinners and never have problems with it on anything

I had a slight hassle with the thinned oils used for stailning some of the different pannels to give tone.In the tutoral DVD the guy applies highly thinned (with turps) oils, but when I did it over the Alclad it messed up the paint! Maybe my turps was not the "soft" type I don't know.

The result it a sanding of those affected pannels , re-glossing and alclad again, just hope I have enough of it, stay tuned.....

Theuns