I am getting ready to start construction of a Hasegawa 1/48 F-4G. This will be my first model that I am going to attempt to “get fancy with”. I was wondering if anyone can provide me with suggestions for detailing the tail section that is bare metal. I have looked at using bare metal foil as well as possibly using Alclad II products. I have read several different forums on both topics and still havent really found what I am looking for.
I understand that by using Alclad II for the different metal areas that I can get pretty awesome details by using different shades of primers.
A question I have is if I were to use the bare metal foil, is it possible to get different looks to the metal foil surfaces?
I would go with the Alclad. I usually use Model Master Metalizers on a Phantom’s posterior; I tried the foil to see if it would be easier to use.It didn’t turn out as pleasant as I’d hoped. I used the matte aluminum foil and still had to spray a flat coat to get rid of the shine.Then there’s the complex curves, which foil can do, but it takes too much time and foil, plus I still used metalizer paint in areas to make the final product look right.
Mississippi thanks for your input, it helps a bunch. I havent looked at the MM metalizers much. I know that they are easier to find here in my area, as I’ve seen them at the local hobbyshop. Do you prefer them over the Alclad products?
You want to use Alclad…trust me. The stuff is absolutely game changing. You will never use anything else to reproduce a metal look once you try the stuff. Just be mindful of which of their finishes need a gloss black base and which don’t. However, I always prime anything I’m using Alclad on with gloss black…it’s easier to get coverage. You can get some slight contrast by varying the undercoat, but not that significant. I’d recommend using various shades to get the desired effect.
I use Model Master because I’m frugal (ok…cheap). It doesn’t have nearly as durable a finish as Alclad, so it’s the last thing I do before I put it on the shelf, versus being able to paint and then mask the Alclad at an earlier stage of building. I second dflu78 on the alclad. It is that good.
Obviously I am going to have to go out and get me an airbrush. I used to have one of the old Testor airbrushes that used the compressed air; however, I have read a lot about the problems that can be encountered using the compressed air cans. I think I can pick up a decent one on Amazon or maybe at Harbor Freight.
Walmart had a Campbell-Hausfeld for around $70 in the automotive dept. I’ve used it for airbrushing a lot with both my single action and double action airbrushes. It has a 2 gallon tank on it.