MarcV Posted May 6, 2020 Share Posted May 6, 2020 Let me beat everybody to it. I apologize for posting this here but cannot find a forum suitable for my question so any advice on re-direction is welcome. I'm finishing the Kitty Hawk RF-101C which is actually a wonderful kit if you take it slow. I'll be finishing it in the Sun Run option in as highly a polished bare metal finish as I can manage - authentic or not. I'll be using Alclad Polished Aluminium and Aircraft Aluminium mostly for that. Question is Alclad is pretty rugged but I would prefer a high gloss varnish to offer some protection. Any suggestions as to the best varnish to use that would retain the Alclad shine as much as possible? Thanks all, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Dot Posted May 7, 2020 Share Posted May 7, 2020 Alclads own gloss maybe, or several coats of brushed on Klear/Future? Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonlanceHR Posted May 7, 2020 Share Posted May 7, 2020 Alclad Aquagloss was made for what you want. Vedran Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilh Posted May 7, 2020 Share Posted May 7, 2020 third vote - to my eye aqua gloss does not amend the shine of Alclad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcV Posted May 7, 2020 Author Share Posted May 7, 2020 Thanks all for your kind replies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheyJammedKenny! Posted May 8, 2020 Share Posted May 8, 2020 Hopefully not off-topic, but has anyone airbrushed ALCLAD II gloss Klear Kote over decals? Does it cause them any damage? I was going to use it as the protective clear on a project because I've heard that it behaves well and is self-leveling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhantomMJI Posted May 17, 2020 Share Posted May 17, 2020 My go to clear coat is either Alclad Aqua Gloss or Alclad Klear Kote, I have used the Klear Kote over decals on a number of models with no problems. Have fun modeling! Mike 🍻 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcV Posted May 18, 2020 Author Share Posted May 18, 2020 Cheers Mike, Marc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blimpyboy Posted May 20, 2020 Share Posted May 20, 2020 (edited) Pardon my ignorance of metallic paints and finishes - would plain manual buffing With a cloth work better, rather than sealing with a varnish/lacquer? I don’t know how much metallic model paints oxidise over time, or what appearance said oxidisation has on those paints... Sigh (nostalgia attack) I remember good ol’ rub-n-buff. Sigh! Edited May 20, 2020 by Blimpyboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilh Posted May 21, 2020 Share Posted May 21, 2020 The high shine Alclad ( highly polished aluminium and Chrome) are a bit more fragile than their regular metallic finishes, so I would avoid buffing them. I usually buff the other finishes a little to remove any dried paint ( rare). The Alclad is quite a hot lacquer so on a warm day there is a potential for the paint to dry before it lands and the carrier flashes off. The main reason for the clear coat is a barrier to washes and deca l solutions. The finish is shiny enough for decals without clear coating, but I would imagine it would be hard to cover any carrier film without a clear coat. Its not like rub and buff - there are other products like the Mr Color Super metallic and the AK true metal paste that responds well to buffing ( but need to be sealed). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torqueofthedevil Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 On 5/7/2020 at 7:55 AM, Red Dot said: Alclads own gloss maybe, or several coats of brushed on Klear/Future? Andy Forgive my ignorance, but why brushed on? Could it not be sprayed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobL Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 (edited) Have heard AK Gauzy is good over metallics, don't know about over Alclad specifically though. Wrt Klear/Future, from experience I wouldn't brush it on, I did that on my Mig-21 and I'm sure it filled panel lines in. Edited June 7, 2020 by RobL 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Dot Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 1 hour ago, torqueofthedevil said: Forgive my ignorance, but why brushed on? Could it not be sprayed? It can, but it is self-levelling, so tends to work better by brush. It can be thinned with distilled water too, but watch for runs. Andy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torqueofthedevil Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 1 hour ago, Red Dot said: It can, but it is self-levelling, so tends to work better by brush. It can be thinned with distilled water too, but watch for runs. Andy Thanks Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scimitar F1 Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 I did a comparison a couple of years ago brushed on future Alclad Aqua Gloss X22 W&N Acrylic best result was brushed on Future Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Dot Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 4 hours ago, torqueofthedevil said: Thanks Andy I find that something like a 6mm brush works well but it has to be soft and flat. Brush the Klear on slowly so that bubbles don't form. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now