i’ve a project or two in work with every intent of applying an aluminum finish…of course understanding all the prep necessary…one project will get Alclad II and one will have BareMetal foil applied…what’s your preference ?
i hope this shouldn’t have been in the Airbrushing & Painting discussion arena…[:-^]
I just use relyable old Tamia Gloss Aluminium in a rattle can… Does the job really well, but if i had my way i’d do Alclad II (they don’t sell it here in the Philippines and i don’t own an airbrush… yet.). I tried bare metal foil, but it’s too time consuming… I choose my sanity over my models, thanks! [:D]
I’m with Shrikes. I’m still using the Tamiya Gloss Aluminium in spray cans and find it excellent. I am keen to give Alclad II a go as well but for now, the rattle can will suffice.
Bob
I gotta go with the Alclad and the Bare Metal Foil. The both have their uses - Alclad because of it’s bullet proof, hard finish, and BMF for it’s true polished alloy look - but it can be hard to applu over seriously compound surfaces.
After just completing my 1/48th jug (hasegawa) in NMF, I really am “hot” on this topic. My first go 'round was with BMF, my goal was to cover the entire model. I did so. Guess what! it looked like a model airplane covered with foil!. BMF does have it’s uses, but I was not pleased. So I stripped it off and went with gloss aluminum. Still not what I was looking for. The subsequent paint removal ruined my wings ( they warped, alittle too much mineral spirits), so I bought another kit (on sale) and used the fuselage and wings and rebuilt. This time I used SNJ and SNJ polishing powder. Success! I’m sold on SNJ products and will use them again. AlcadII is still a possibility, haaven’t tried it yet.
Steve
I’ve tried just about every paint there is for NMF. Some of the better ones in my experience are Floquil “Old Silver”, ModelMaster non-buffing Aluminum & SNJ. But the best IMHO is Alclad2. Very realistic if applied properly & very durable.
my opinion, the best metal finish is a metal finish. i have painted metal finishes and they look good but to get the true metal finish nothing can sub. however i dont believe i will ever use household foil again. bmf or chocolat foil is much thinner and will set a lot better.
joe
My favorite is Alcad II. It doesn’t need a topcoat, it can be masked, and lots of shades are available (you can also mix them for more variety). The only drawback is the primer. If you don’t get a primer coat that is even & “thick” enough, the Alcad will craze the surface (this happened to me this week). I only use Metalizers to paint small details with a brush.
[2c]