I finally got a bottle of the black primer made by Alclad for their products (and a big bottle it is, compared to the metal shades). For some reason, I was under the impression it was a simple acrylic. My 1:48 Hasegawa F-86F, which is going to be painted in various shades of Alclad and one or two of Metalizer for some small panels, is ready to be primed.
The only other experience I have with Alclad was last month, when I used some Duraluminum shade to paint the cowling and two large photoeteched brass access panels for my Eduard Limited Edition Nieuport 17. Since I had no Alclad primer then, I primed those parts with plain old Model Master gloss black acrylic. It worked beautifully, bringing out those parts of the Nieuport quite nicely in the photos as well as in the flesh.
Well, now I have the real deal, made by Alclad for its product, and one whiff tells you this stuff is about as benign as Metalizer mixed with Dio-Sol. You could probably swap it for Tenax and glue a whole model together with it. So now I’m nervous about orange-peeling or generally screwing up the surface even before i apply the metal colors.
Can anyone talk me through this process? I’d much appreciate it.
(And, yes, I know this belongs on the paint board, but the fact is, I don’t have days and days to wait for help that may never come.)
TOM
Tom,
Have you check out Swanny’s site. I think that he has an article there about it.
Kurt
Hi Tom,
I’ve had great results using Alclad’s grey primer, Mr. Surfacer 1000, and plain old el cheapo automotive grey primer. If I’m not mistaken, the Alclad grey primer is auto primer. Bondo Phil Brandt uses auto primer right out of the rattle can. I’m not that brave and use the little touch up bottles of Plasticoat, thinned with lacquer thinner and sprayed with an airbrush. They all go on flat, then you sand it with 1000 grit and maybe a finer grit, then hit it with Alclad. The Mr Surfacer went down smooth enough that I didn’t have to sand anything. I tried using Krylon Black lacquer as a primer once. The less said about that, the better. More than likely it was Operator Error, but it was a disaster of epic proportions.
HTH.
Ben
Tom, I’ve used it with success, but I’d suggest you test it on a scrap model or piece of styrene brfore spraying it on a model. With any first time use, you need to experiment a little to find the right thinning ratio & compressor setting for your AB. What works well with my set-up might not with yours.
Regards, Rick
Hola Shark,
I use the Black Primer all the time and its very hot, let me tell you. I do light misting coats til I have the model in basic coverage and let this dry. I then give it a heavier coat and when that is beyond tacky but not yet cured (about 24 hours) I give it a couple of good wet coats. This stuff self levels like no ones business.
Jeff:
So after you’ve blasted it with the last thick coats, how long should it cure before you can go ahead with the metal coats?
Tom