Klear over Alclad

[Guest]

Im just putting a general enquiry up here to see if this is ok?

I once put Klear over an Alclad exhaust onto which id also used some Tamiya clear paints. I found the translucent colours turned opaque and that the Alclad lost its metallic shimmer. Ive never Klear'd over the top since.

Has anyone else had any problems, or is it an inevitable consequence of applying a lacquer over Alclad (it could of course be pilot error!)

Id like to get some other modellers experiences before i go piling in and ruining my work. I find Alclad isnt very resilient to handling and id like to protect the finish.

Cheers gents

x

[Ian M]

Now you see I'm already worried as I think Alclad it pretty tough stuff. From a chemical point of view you are putting an acrylic over a cellulose so it should be safe and also might explain why it affected the Tamiya paint.

I know Steve (stona) uses klear over alclad. I have not but I do have Alclad's own clear coat and that does what they promise. protects the Alclad, with no compromise of the finish.

Ian M

[stona]

I Klear over Alclad regularly.

I think it does dull down the finish slightly but I find it acceptable on all but the highly polished finishes. I'm doing mostly WW2 subjects and the shine was usually beaten out of them anyway.

Steve

[Guest]

Likewise i've used Klear over Alclad and Xtracrylics gloss and Fimo gloss acrylic varnish, (which BTW is excellent and incredibly shiny).

All of them kill the shine on the alclad which is a problem for me as I use the shiny shiny ones, Chrome, Stainless, and shortly polished and airframe ally.

The other problem i find is that handling the alclad does wear it, probably due to it being a very thin layer, and masking on it has caused me shine problems as well.

I haven't tried coating it with alclads own clear, (i don't have any), nor have I tried enamel but that's something i could try after I get the new stuff and shoot some on my pre-prepared test card already glossed in enamel black.

[Guest]

i find alclad very, very fragile. i typically use the shiny finishes, chrome, polished ally etc, but ive experienced wear on the dark magnesium and others. i only apply the thinnest layer on chromes etc as the finish dulls with over application, but the troubleis, if they are handled only a few times, the original plastic begins to show through..not good.

[Guest]

Indeed, I always try to make my alclad coat the last paint coat on that piece then handle very gingerly during assembly if it's still loose.

Infuriatingly, on another forum, a fell was detail building a 1/6th scale BMW bike and sprayed his exhausts in a chrome which was very much like an alclad system, however, he had sprayed it then clearcoated and it looked outstanding and gleamed like a freshly dipped plated piece, I asked what the stuff was and he gave me a trade name, I googled till my fingers were raw and bloody and could find nothing of this chrome system, he then realised he'd misinformed me and for some reason couldn't get hold of the details or purchase info for the actual stuff, (his tin pictured was a small 250ml plain metal tin).

I would have loved to know what it was and tried some.