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Best way to shine up my Lightning nose ring?


SeaVenom

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Ooh er missis! Anyway I'm building Trumpeters Lightning and doing an all silver finish but want the nose ring to look like chrome. I sprayed it with Halfords Volvo silver a year or two back (including the nose ring) and I've tried polishing the ring up but can't make it that necessary chrome finish. The only things I can think of are bare metal foil and Alclad but I've never used those 2.

From what I've seen Alclad is powdery and then you rub it until it's shiny but is the finish permanent or not very stable? I don't want it all coming off or is bare metal foil a better idea?

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Alclad is a lacquer that you need to spray on. The chrome is excellent, but you need to firstly prime the part with gloss black enamel paint and then let it dry thoroughly, then spray thin wet coasts of Alclad chrome. The highly polished aluminium is also very nice and probably better for the Lightning than chrome. The primer for this shade is acrylic gloss black. I have used Tamiya gloss black thinned with celloluse ( lacquer) thinner as the primer with success.

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Try a buffable metaliser like the above mentioned Metalcote or my favourite, Mr Metal Color Chrome Silver. You have to buff it with a soft cloth or paper towel before it completely dries.

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A friend used some bog standard kitchen foil to great effect.

That's what I use. All the following models are 1/72nd - with kitchen foil covering the nose ring.

This model is painted.

Hasegawa_LightningF6_74Sqdn_zpsitd3esgq.

This one uses dusting powder.

Airfix_LightningF3photo2_zpsbzgxjmr7.jpg

This one is metal foiled - dull side out.

Airfix_LightningF1Aphoto2_zpshw2koijj.jp

This one was dusted.

Airfix_Lightning_F2A_zps7fiterun.jpg

That's all the silver Lightnings, plenty more painted ones as well

Edited by theplasticsurgeon
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I'm currently experimenting with Uschi van der Rosten's polishing powders. Looking good so far, but early days (and I don't have photos with me).

Microscale used to make a special foil adhesive and probably still do - it works. Bare Metal foil works too, but I'm not sure about the longevity of the adhesive, the old sheets I have in stock have lost their sticky. BMF is however a lot thinner than seven cheap kitchen foil, which can be a good thing.

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Thanks all. I hadn't really considered using standard kitchen foil but isn't that difficult to stick? From what I've seen bare metal foil has an adhesive back.......or is that wrong?

I use foil adhesive. Bought my current bottle from LittleCars - is present on Britmodeller.

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Ooh er missis! Anyway I'm building Trumpeters Lightning and doing an all silver finish but want the nose ring to look like chrome. I sprayed it with Halfords Volvo silver a year or two back (including the nose ring) and I've tried polishing the ring up but can't make it that necessary chrome finish. The only things I can think of are bare metal foil and Alclad but I've never used those 2.

From what I've seen Alclad is powdery and then you rub it until it's shiny but is the finish permanent or not very stable? I don't want it all coming off or is bare metal foil a better idea?

Alclad II paint is what I use on all my lightning nose rings. If you have an airbrush forget metal foil alclad is the way to go. It's all about preparation.

Polish the plastic to get rid of any scratches lay down some Gloss black spray Alclad chrome over black primer. Job done.

Alclad is NOT powdery unlike other metal cotes that turn your fingertips silver when you touch them. Hope that helps.

Enjoy your lightning build

Dave

Edited by lightning770
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Have a word with Paul at Littlecars.

Baremetal foil. Comes in a wide variety of metalic hues and is self adhesive. Takes a little prcactice as it is very thin, but worth the cost. Plus a little goes a long way.

HTH

Dick

Edited by jenko
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