Alclad 2

I've got a quick question. I want to use Alcad polished aluminum but I'll need a enamel base for the alcad. However, I want to put on an enamel wash on top of the alcad. My question is this- can I get away with a black lacquer base instead of the enamel (so that the wash does not attack the underlying enamel base)? Secondly, will the alcad hold up against an enamel wash?

What I want to do is to get a good polished aluminum finish followed up with an enamel wash. If the alcad is a no go, would anyone be able to suggest an alternative? TIA

a.

I have used Tamiya TS Gloss Black spray under Alclad and it worked fine.I've also used Tamiya X1 Black as well with no problems.I'm not 100% sure that the enamel wash won't damage the Alclad finish though,so I would test it first on an old model or some scrap parts just to make sure before you commit it to your model.

I agree with Steve. In fact, IIRC Tamiya TS gloss black is the recommended base for polished alu (enamel is for chrome). Apply THIN coats only.

I agree you should test the was first. Out of curiosity, why are you so set on an enamel wash? Why not e.g. acrylic or oil?

I always use TS14 Gloss Black....spray it on and almost immediately spray the Alclad on it. No problem at all.

I always thought it was an enamel base. That makes things a bit easier. I'll test it out on a scrap piece of plastic first.

I like enamel washes as they're relatively easier to work with and easier to clean up over artist oil or acrylic. I find that it is hard to remove the excess wash from acrylics and the oils are just plain messy. The enamels are much easier to clean up with a small amount of thinner with a qtip or a napkin. Just preference I suppose.

Thanks for the responses.

a.

I use Duplicolor black followed by Duplicolor clear as a base for AlcladII. I don't think the Alclad will hold up well if you apply washes, its a farily delicate finish

I doubt the base will make a difference. The alclad is simply to delicate to handle the solvent in your wash. I tried a clear coat on the polished aluminum finish over the weekend and the alclad went to grey instantly.

I use a water color wash quite a bit. Just a plain cheap school supply water color set with a tiny bit of dish soap added to help the flow.

Hmm... it appears that the consensus here is that Alcad would not holdup over any type of wash. Does Model Master make anything close to a bright polished aluminum that I could wash over? My experience with the Model Master line is that the buffing metalizers can withstand a wash without any problems. The only reason I'm asking is that my local hobby store does not carry an extensive line of the metalizer line and thus I have never seen one. If anyone has used it, would they mind posting the finish on the Model Master metalizer for me?

Thanks!!

a.

I wash my Alclad all the time without problems... I often use Tamiya acrylics or enamels and I use a black enamel base for chrome and aluminum. I think the aluminum was a bit easy to remove on top of laquer.
/Joel