# Any suggestions for chrome?



## iriseye (Sep 21, 2010)

I've seen a lot of helpful methods for removing chrome here, but I'm interested in the reverse process--applying chrome to an item.

What are some of the best ways to do it?

Some of the paints I've tried (silver metallic) just don't cut it. 

Suggestions?

Thanks in advance.


----------



## falcondesigns (Oct 30, 2002)

Alclad System.


----------



## rkoenn (Dec 18, 2007)

I agree with Falcon. Alclad has to be airbrushed on though but gives an unbelievable finish. The other approach would be foil but I've never done foil yet myself so can't tell you much about it. I've seen it done and it looks great too.

Bob K.


----------



## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Depending on what it is, Bare Metal Foil or Alclad II


----------



## rtbeuke (Sep 29, 2008)

Definitely Alclad II or Bare Metal Foil!


----------



## iriseye (Sep 21, 2010)

The project is definitely too large for Bare Metal Foil.

How are trophys chromed? The thought had entered my mind of taking the piece to a trophy manufacter.

Specific recommendations for Alclad II? (Dealers, etc?) 

Thanks.


----------



## Bobj812 (Jun 15, 2009)

There are places that will "chrome" things (I'm guessing auto parts) - you look up "plating" in the phone book (or Google I suppose). I have absolutely no idea how chrome plating works on any sort of model kit, or it may be something they wouldn't do - too small of a project to be worth it for them. 
Just want to be clear that while that is how you look them up, I don't know if it would be a good thing for your kit....


----------



## Dave P (Jan 5, 2005)

http://www.chrometechusa.com/


----------



## iriseye (Sep 21, 2010)

Ideally, this is what I'd like to do. After watching the video, I was amazed.


----------



## Scorpitat (Oct 7, 2004)

Iris, that spray on process is AMAZING! You could buy that and make money locally doing rims, car parts, etc.........( and of course, make fellow modelers happy beyond compare! ) WOW!


----------



## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

ChrometechUSA has been around a long time and can chrome plate just about anything. You do minor prep work on your parts and then they go from there.


----------



## iriseye (Sep 21, 2010)

> You do minor prep work on your parts and then they go from there.


Is it necessary to paint it black before applying chrome?

My Alclad II Chrome came in today, but I am waiting for Dupli-Color Chrome to arrive to test both. 

I must say that I was unhappy with the results of Tamiya Bare Metal Silver and Krylon's Chrome Aluminum.


----------



## rtbeuke (Sep 29, 2008)

Alclad II chrome needs to be sprayed over Alclad's Gloss Black Base ALC-304/305. You can go to Alclad's web site for general directions on how to apply.

http://www.alclad2.com/

Swanny's Models also has an interesting article on Alcad.

http://www.swannysmodels.com/Alclad.html


----------



## tylerh (Apr 9, 2009)

I recall a site a while back that wouldnt chrome, but they would vac-metalized parts for reasonable cost.. You just sent them the parts and got them back coated - 

Ill try to find the site


----------



## tylerh (Apr 9, 2009)

oops - didnt see it mentioned above but its chrometechusa.com 

Name is deceiving because they arent actually chroming


----------



## epaulk (Jun 7, 2010)

I try a lot of different methods to simulate chrome, and IMHO Alclad is the best option.

Everything "Chrome" in this chopper is Alclad










http://www.modelosaescala.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/TheChopper-2.jpg

I wrote this tutorial, but is in spanish.

http://www.modelosaescala.com/tutoriales/como-simular-cromo-usando-pintura-alclad-2/

Here is a "Google" translation, so maybe is a little off.

http://translate.google.com/transla...do-pintura-alclad-2/&sl=es&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8

If there is something that it's not clear, just ask!

I hope it helps.

Edgar.


----------



## iriseye (Sep 21, 2010)

Thank you *rtbeuke* and *epaulk*.

I don't take these links lightly. Just catching up on my reading. That's what's great about these forums and that's why I haven't posted.

Did some tests today. I tried five different products and I think I have a clear winner. I had some surprising results.


----------



## Wbnemo1 (Aug 22, 1999)

killer chrome by alsacorp but it's not cheap like 39.99 for a can....but it goes a long way as you mist it...still has to be applied over a gloss black surface


----------



## iriseye (Sep 21, 2010)

First of all, I'd like to thank all of you for your suggestions. I've tried all the products recommended here, and some I found through other sources. (And although the result may have been better, I decided against taking the piece to a chroming site, I wanted to see what would do the best if I did it myself).

The results in reverse order: 

7) Testors spray 1246 silver metallic
6) Testors spray 1290 chrome
5) Tamiya spray AS-12 bare metal silver
4) Krylon chrome aluminum
3) Tamiya TS-83 metallic silver
2) Alclad II chrome

and the absolute clear winner:

1) Dupli-Color chrome

(Disclaimer: I have no interest in Dupli-Color or its distributors)

This stuff is amazing. It gives the covering of chrome that actually looks like the cap on the product. It clearly beats out all the others by a longshot. 

While searching the net for a good chrome "effect", I found a model car site where the guy was "raving" about this product. He used it on chrome wheels for a model car kit he had built. This stuff is really inexpensive (about $6.99 for a 11 oz can). For anyone looking for a good chrome "effect" I highly recommend this product. 

I'll post the results of my effort in "The Modeling Forum" later today.


----------



## OKCmike (Aug 22, 2010)

iriseye-dude, when I read this thread I made a mental note to pick some up to try out, as I'm out of Alclad II. Just tried it out today and you're absolutely right. I was going to base coat with gloss black like you do w/Alclad but said to hell with it and just sprayed over regular gray primer and it put the Alclad to shame. Thanks for sharing your tests, I really like this stuff. :thumbsup:


----------



## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

How durable is the Duplicolor stuff? I have tried other spray chromes and they can look pretty bright but fingerprint all up, or you can't mask and paint over them. Alclad Chrome is somewhat delicate but with low tac tape you can mask over it with no problems


----------



## iriseye (Sep 21, 2010)

OKCmike said:


> iriseye-dude, when I read this thread I made a mental note to pick some up to try out, as I'm out of Alclad II. Just tried it out today and you're absolutely right. I was going to base coat with gloss black like you do w/Alclad but said to hell with it and just sprayed over regular gray primer and it put the Alclad to shame. Thanks for sharing your tests, I really like this stuff.


It really is amazing stuff. It can be used for all sorts of chrome applications like the museum stand-offs holding the velvet rope in "The Relic" kit.



djnick66 said:


> How durable is the Duplicolor stuff? I have tried other spray chromes and they can look pretty bright but fingerprint all up, or you can't mask and paint over them. Alclad Chrome is somewhat delicate but with low tac tape you can mask over it with no problems


I've had no issue with fingerprints (as long as you let it dry). I haven't tried masking over it, but to me, it's as durable as Alclad.


----------



## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I got some of this today at an auto parts store.

I did some quick tests... its not "bad" but I can see some potential issues.

On bare plastic it tended to craze and wrinkle it pretty visibly. Not sure if it does this on various brands or not, but it did not like Dragon plastic.

Over a light grey primer (the same color as the bare plastic actually) the paint did much better, but the finish was not particularly chromey. Perhaps over a gloss black lacquer base the way you apply Alclad would help?

The paint does seem to be a lacquer. It puts out spiderwebs or cotton candy strands while you spray, as do lacquers.

The paint does seem to dry fairly slowly compared to Tamiya spray lacquers and Alclad II. After 20 mins it was still tacky. I can see a good 24-48 hour dry time is necessary.

The paint goes on smoothly and since it goes on wet, it levels out nicely. BUT it is pretty thick. Applying it over fine detail would be about like dipping a model in house paint. That is probably the most important issue I noticed. Its easy to fix the crazing problem with primers, etc. But thick is thick...

Not a bad deal for $7 a can. Might be good to decant it and airbrush it on. That way you can control the amount of paint you are getting and also probably reduce the crazing problem


----------



## iriseye (Sep 21, 2010)

djnick66 said:


> On bare plastic it tended to craze and wrinkle it pretty visibly. Not sure if it does this on various brands or not,
> 
> Not a bad deal for $7 a can. Might be good to decant it and airbrush it on. That way you can control the amount of paint you are getting and also probably reduce the crazing problem


I used white primer before applying it, so I didn't have the crazing factor to deal with. 

If you want to see the look on a finished model, see my thread (in The Modeling Forum), "Behold...The Herald of Galactus" a few pages back.

As you rightly suggest, this stuff could be experimented with to get even better results.


----------



## Ed Wong (Jan 17, 2010)

iriseye said:


> First of all, I'd like to thank all of you for your suggestions. I've tried all the products recommended here, and I wanted to see what would do the best if I did it myself).
> 
> The results in reverse order:
> 
> ...


Hey guys, I been away for a couple of years ... I only build models during the winter here in the NE  
Anyway, I recently got a Tsukuda T2 Endo-skeleton kit. Pretty cool what with all the brass parts !! As with iriseye last year and his Silver Surfer model, I want to "chrome" this kit. Today, I went to Lowes, Wal-mart and AC Moore to see what was available in Chrome paint. I was going to start a new thread but decided to search this forum for "chrome", and found that iriseye delved into this last year :thumbsup:

I don't want to airbrush, so Alclad and Spaz-Styx was out for me. I want something in a spray can. I found 
Rustoleum Specialty Metallic Bright Reflective Finish (Silver or Chrome ?)
Krylon Metallic Brilliant Silver
Champion Sprayon Sterling Silver
Anyone have any experiences with these three ? I figured by listing these, we could update this thread for newer products ? Otherwise I figure I'll try the Dupli-color, though per his last post in this thread, djnick66 seemed to "have reservations" about it 

BTW, in early 1990's, I built the (vinyl) Horizon Silver Surfer, and per my web site's notes, I bought from Wal-mart the then "Just like Chrome" spray paint, and it really was NOT like chrome. But the thing I remember that was really bad about it is that it never seemed to dry. Sounds like that still might be the case today with using these spray paints on plastic ? 

thanks for any help / advice, Ed


----------



## Dave P (Jan 5, 2005)

Ed Wong said:


> BTW, in early 1990's, I built the (vinyl) Horizon Silver Surfer, and per my web site's notes, I bought from Wal-mart the then "Just like Chrome" spray paint, and it really was NOT like chrome. But the thing I remember that was really bad about it is that it never seemed to dry. Sounds like that still might be the case today with using these spray paints on plastic ?
> 
> thanks for any help / advice, Ed



Did you spray it directly on the vinyl with no primer? If you did, that's why it didn't dry.


----------



## Ed Wong (Jan 17, 2010)

Dave P said:


> Did you spray it directly on the vinyl with no primer? If you did, that's why it didn't dry.


I did prime the Surfer model like I do before I paint all vinyl models, which is why I was surprised that it never seemed to dry properly.


----------



## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Most silver spray paints (Testors, Krylon, etc.) do not fully dry. Even Duplicolor Chrome is pretty soft and will rub off, fingerprint, etc. Some of these paints do stabilize if you let them dry for, say, a month. But others never do. Testors chrome, for example, stays tacky forever.


----------



## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

iriseye said:


> Ideally, this is what I'd like to do. After watching the video, I was amazed.
> 
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsGNWmS3WJw





epaulk said:


> I try a lot of different methods to simulate chrome, and IMHO Alclad is the best option.
> 
> Everything "Chrome" in this chopper is Alclad
> 
> ...


Now THIS is the chrome that I'M talking about! I hope that with a little practice that I can do the same effect with my 1/12th scale '57 Chevy. 



Wbnemo1 said:


> killer chrome by alsacorp but it's not cheap like 39.99 for a can....but it goes a long way as you mist it...still has to be applied over a gloss black surface


 That's what I was originally going to use, but the cost of using only a small amount on this was the reason that I went with Alclad II. I haven't used it yet, but I'm going to as soon as I can get a clean, dry, warm place to shoot this from my airbrush. 



Ed Wong said:


> Hey guys, I been away for a couple of years ... I only build models during the winter here in the NE
> Anyway, I recently got a Tsukuda T2 Endo-skeleton kit. Pretty cool what with all the brass parts !! As with iriseye last year and his Silver Surfer model, I want to "chrome" this kit. Today, I went to Lowes, Wal-mart and AC Moore to see what was available in Chrome paint. I was going to start a new thread but decided to search this forum for "chrome", and found that iriseye delved into this last year :thumbsup:
> 
> I don't want to airbrush, so Alclad and Spaz-Styx was out for me. I want something in a spray can. I found
> ...


 The only thing that I've found that looks a lot like polished aluminum (not chrome) is Rustoleums' silver chrome in a spray paint can. In small amounts I can get a very convincing spray over the Endoskeleton arm that I made in 1/6th scale (15" inches). 

~ Chris​


----------



## rkoenn (Dec 18, 2007)

Here is the Rustoleum chrome sprayed on a Pegasus MFM spacecraft. I first primed the model, which is a soft styrene (kind of a cross between styrene and vinyl), with Rustoleum light gray primer and then sprayed it with the Rustoleum chrome. It isn't as good as Alclad but it is pretty good and very cheap. I've been happy with the results and have used it on a couple of plastic models and on some model rockets. It dries completely and is not tacky within hours or a day after application.


----------



## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

djnick66 said:


> Testors chrome, for example, stays tacky forever.


Interesting. Assuming you're referring to Testors' Chrome Silver (in a spray can) I've used that on several projects over the years and never had that problem.


----------



## painter x (Oct 15, 2006)

I love the Alclad system the key is getting your black base
very smooth a super shiny here is a Iron Man i painted awhile back

The better the black base the better the chrome will turn out


----------



## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Zombie_61 said:


> Interesting. Assuming you're referring to Testors' Chrome Silver (in a spray can) I've used that on several projects over the years and never had that problem.


It just says "chrome" and goes on very thickly. It is bright, but leaves fingerprints and marks for months if not always.


----------



## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

djnick66 said:


> It just says "chrome" and goes on very thickly. It is bright, but leaves fingerprints and marks for months if not always.


That doesn't sound like the same paint I've used. However, I did get results like those you've mentioned from Duplicolor "Chrome"; it lays down nice and has good reflectivity for spray paint, but once you've painted a part with it you can't ever do anything with it--anywhere you touch it, it turns a dull gray. Initially I thought I hadn't given it enough time to fully dry/cure, but I got the same negative results after letting a test piece sit untouched for six months.


----------



## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Yeah the Duplicolor stuff is the same as Testors Chrome in that it looks super until you have to handle the part. 

There is a chance Testors changed their Chrome formula, as I had one can back in the 1980s and it was so crappy I never used it again.... but I doubt it. I assume the stuff they sell today at Hobbytown is the same.

One of my pet peeves is paint that does not dry. For metallic finishes I really like either Tamiya spray paints (I wish they gave Chrome a shot) or Alclad. Those paints actually DRY and allow you to handle them, mask them, etc.


----------



## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

rkoenn said:


> Here is the Rustoleum chrome sprayed on a Pegasus MFM spacecraft. I first primed the model, which is a soft styrene (kind of a cross between styrene and vinyl), with Rustoleum light gray primer and then sprayed it with the Rustoleum chrome. It isn't as good as Alclad but it is pretty good and very cheap. I've been happy with the results and have used it on a couple of plastic models and on some model rockets. It dries completely and is not tacky within hours or a day after application.


 Is that the hammered paint on the forward half of the fuselage? It looks like it - I love that effect! Maybe it's just the light? Either way, I want to use some of it on my next project (something scratch built) of my own design. That really gives it a unique, and worldly look. 



painter x said:


> I love the Alclad system the key is getting your black base
> very smooth a super shiny here is a Iron Man i painted awhile back
> 
> The better the black base the better the chrome will turn out


 Now THAT'S the effect I was hoping for! I know that some of the guys here showed some models that they built, but I guess that the lighting, and the type of camera you use determines the quality of your pictures (pixelation), and how well the Alclad effect works. Theirs looked somewhat more like silver spray paint. I know that they came out like this, but in their photos it doesn't show as well. Maybe taking pictures in the sunlight on an overcast day with a bright background might help their cause a lot more? 



djnick66 said:


> Yeah the Duplicolor stuff is the same as Testors Chrome in that it looks super until you have to handle the part.
> 
> There is a chance Testors changed their Chrome formula, as I had one can back in the 1980s and it was so crappy I never used it again.... but I doubt it. I assume the stuff they sell today at Hobbytown is the same.
> 
> One of my pet peeves is paint that does not dry. For metallic finishes I really like either Tamiya spray paints (I wish they gave Chrome a shot) or Alclad. Those paints actually DRY and allow you to handle them, mask them, etc.


 I know what you're talking about - I've had the Rustoleum, and Testors silver spray paint come off on my hands when handling parts, and leave soft fingerprints. The reason for this is not enough binder, in the paint. This means that the silver, or aluminum powder they use is more than the ratio of binder. There's nothing for the powder to stick to once dry. I've even had some come off completely - down to the bare plastic!  The best stuff I've used is the new Rustoleum chrome in a spray can. It's much brighter than the Testors Metallizer aluminum I normally use, but with the same durability. I just wish that someone could come up with a universal clear coat that you could spray over any silver paint without distorting the original paint layers' effect. 

~ Chris​


----------



## Ed Wong (Jan 17, 2010)

Time for an update since my 12-19 post asking for advice. 

There still seem to be concerns that the "chrome paints" in a spray can still weren't really like chrome-plating, and that they still don't seem to dry properly. This is what I experienced 20 years ago when I spray-painted the Silver Surfer. So before spending more money buying a newer can of chrome paint, I dug around in my model supplies box, and I found the can of stuff I used from 20 years ago !! To my surprise it still sprayed. So I tested it on a flat piece of vinyl, primed with both black and grey primer. The paint was till viable, and regardless of the primer color, it gave that "very shiny" brushed Aluminum look. I suspect the paint is no longer available, but here is the info on it ... produced by nybco (New York Bronze Powder Co.), and is labeled 'The Nearest Thing to Chrome ... The Finest Chrome Aluminum Spray Enamel Made in America'. I suspect the current Chrome Paints in a spray can will still look the same ?

But here is maybe some useful info. I painted the Tsukuda T-800 model, (primed with black) in my basement, where it's cool and not great lighting. So I used my 1000W Halogen lamp (that I normally use to light my finished models when photographing them) to illuminate the model as I painted, so I could see how well I was covering the model with the chrome paint. After I was done, I left the lamp on, and used it to "dry the paint". After about 20 minutes on each side, (see photo below), the paint seemed dry and hard !!








And since during the winter I use a quartz heater (with fan) to heat parts of the upstairs, I set the model about 2 feet away from it, to let it cure even more. By the evening, I was able to handle the model without any problems. I even buffed the surface with a soft cloth. Later today I may paint the glowing red eyes and the teeth. 

So maybe the issues with the various chrome paints not drying is a matter of humidity, etc. ? I can't recall 20 years ago if I painted the Surfer in winter or summer. But either way, it seems like using heat like I did will aid in the paint curing ?

A final note, at first I tried to mist this paint on, since I wanted some of the black primer to show through in the creases and recesses of the model. But even misted, this chrome paint flowed too well, and covered the black in the creases, etc. When I went on to give it another coat, the build-up was :too thick" in spots, and I started to get a crazed, mottled look. Letting it dry and trying to coat it again seemed to just make it worse. So lesson learned is that with this chrome paint, is to give it one consistent coat to start with


----------



## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

Ed Wong said:


> Time for an update since my 12-19 post asking for advice.
> 
> There still seem to be concerns that the "chrome paints" in a spray can still weren't really like chrome-plating, and that they still don't seem to dry properly. This is what I experienced 20 years ago when I spray-painted the Silver Surfer. So before spending more money buying a newer can of chrome paint, I dug around in my model supplies box, and I found the can of stuff I used from 20 years ago !! To my surprise it still sprayed. So I tested it on a flat piece of vinyl, primed with both black and grey primer. The paint was till viable, and regardless of the primer color, it gave that "very shiny" brushed Aluminum look. I suspect the paint is no longer available, but here is the info on it ... produced by nybco (New York Bronze Powder Co.), and is labeled 'The Nearest Thing to Chrome ... The Finest Chrome Aluminum Spray Enamel Made in America'. I suspect the current Chrome Paints in a spray can will still look the same ?
> 
> ...


 Here's the problem with silver spray, and jar paints: The coating is a ground up metal powder suspended in a clear base. A lot of time this coating causes things to not blend too well when not mixed in proper amounts with the base itself. The effect is the powdered particulates slough off when brushed, or disturbed in any way. Without the proper mixture no amount of heat is going to make it cure enough to be handled when sprayed on the model and allowed enough time to dry. Humidity is very low in the winter so that has no effect whatsoever on the dryness of the paint when it still does this. The cold would if you had painted this outside then brought it inside to dry. This would cause condensation to build up on it, and make some hazy spots on it. Down in a somewhat cold basement would have as little effect as well. You'd need subzero temperatures to affect the paint in a way that would be detrimental to it. I've painted outside in the winter, but I let the model, and the paint acclimate to these temperatures before painting. 

The halogen lamp that you're using is made for drying paint on cars. It's a heat lamp. I have a friend who has a couple of these. Another friend of ours uses them for heat not just light when he has to work outside on a car in the garage. We also use a salamander, but these lamps get so hot that they will melt plastic. You have to be very careful when using them! That would be hot enough to cure any type of paint, but it won't change the quality of it so that it won't make rub marks in it when used. There used to be a company call Illinois Bronze from Chicago. This had a brown label with a picture of a yard chair on the front of it that had been painted red. I don't know what happened to them - this was over twenty years ago. I bought their gold paint which I must have gotten a bad batch as it did everything it wasn't supposed to - I had them replace it when they sent me a check for the price of it. It was $4.80 at that time which is like $20.00 today since most paint was in the $1.00 - $2.00 range. It's hard - not impossible to find a $10.00 can of paint today, but most are $5.00, or $20.00 (in a pint can) just about anywhere you go. Either way, I've had some paints that were great, and others that were awful! The worst being FRESH LOOK (K-Mart brand), or Wallyworld paint. I wouldn't use these to paint a dirty old toilet with! THEY'RE THAT BAD!!! They'd be great to start fires with, but not much else.









That's been MY personal experience with them. Your experience may vary from mine, but it HAS been a while since I've used the Wallyworld brand of paint. I painted a Kaiyodo (Screamin') brand Stormtrooper with the white, and I did use a primer, but that doesn't matter now. I'll have to use some type of degreaser to remove all the old paint then repaint it with something lacquer based so that it won't change colour, or melt allowing things to leave a literal dent in it. I guess it won't matter if I can match the amount of yellowing it has, and repaint the damaged parts. It's not a whole lot, but enough to make it challenging for me to get the same effect I did when I first painted it. I want to get another to go with my Darth Vader Ertl kit that needs some help with the colours of his belt. I also want to finish that with a cloth cape, and metal chain as the ones that came with it suck! I'll post as soon as I can get around to taking pictures. Maybe someone will have some advice on sewing small things? 



~ Chris​


----------



## Ed Wong (Jan 17, 2010)

Dyonisis said:


> The halogen lamp that you're using is made for drying paint on cars. It's a heat lamp.
> 
> That's been MY personal experience with them. Your experience may vary from mine, but it HAS been a while since I've used the Wallyworld brand of paint.
> ~ Chris​


Chris, two replies.

1) minor one ... the lamp I use is NOT a heat lamp. I may have over-stated the wattage but it really is just a lamp meant as a light source so when a foot or so away from it, it is really not that hot. 

2) after spending parts of last night painting the eyes and the mouth, and this morning, using very thin black washes in the recesses of the T-800, I realize that I should have listened to the VOICE(s) OF EXPERIENCE in prior posts!! 

"Due to embarasment", I was almost going to delete my post from yesterday but decided to leave it as reference. Looks like you are correct ... even though after I "cured" the paint with the heat sources, such that I felt as though the paint was "hard", I just realized that the kind of pressure I am applying to the model with my fingers grasping it, so that I can carefully paint it, has indeed left finger prints !! Then I thought I could prevent this by holding a piece of soft T-shirt to buffer my fingers from the painted surface, but nope, all that did was cause impressions from the cloth to now be embedded in the surface 
So now I have sanded those areas to try to smooth them a bit, and will have to try another coat. I'll only do black wash in the recesses that can be done with the model lying down so I don't have to hold/grasp it again. 

So I see what you mean about the chrome paint "never drying". Now that I have gone through this again, I think this is what happened 20 years ago with the Surfer model I used this same stuff on.


----------



## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

Dyonisis said:


> ...Now THAT'S the effect I was hoping for! I know that some of the guys here showed some models that they built, but I guess that the lighting, and the type of camera you use determines the quality of your pictures (pixelation), and how well the Alclad effect works. Theirs looked somewhat more like silver spray paint. I know that they came out like this, but in their photos it doesn't show as well...


It appears that one of Alclad's "unique" properties is that it doesn't photograph particularly well under most circumstances. I've seen some brilliant build-ups in person on which the modelers used various "finishes" (sometimes using different finishes on the same build-up), and the parts looked like real metal. But in at least 95% of the photos I've seen Alclad just looks like different shades of silver paint (including their version of Chrome).


----------



## rtbeuke (Sep 29, 2008)

*Alclad vs Testor's Chrome Silver*

Various effects can be achieved with the Alclad Chrome depending on the base color used. The best chrome look I have achieved is when I used the Alclad Gloss Black Basecoat.

As previously mentioned before, Alclad doesn't always appear like chrome in photos but this one of my MPC Little Red Zingger, shows both Alcald and Testors Chrome.

Only the framing around the windshield was hand painted with Testors Chrome (Bottle)

All the rest is Alclad Chrome.



On those Surface where I could lay down a smooth coat of the Alclad Base Coat Gloss Black, the chrome comes out very shiny and more scale like than the original chrome plating.

On those areas where the black could not be laid down smooth and shiny, such as inside of wheels and the scoop, the Alclad is not as shiny and tends to have more of a matt finish that would look more like silver paint, but as you can see, compared to the Testors Chrome around the window, the Alclad still looks brighter.


----------



## Ed Wong (Jan 17, 2010)

rtbeuke said:


> Various effects can be achieved with the Alclad Chrome depending on the base color used. The best chrome look I have achieved is when I used the Alclad Gloss Black Basecoat.


Just speaking for myself, I don't question that Alclad seems to be the best method for attaining a "painted chrome" finish :thumbsup:. 
I just didn't want to use it for both expense and the fact I would have to airbrush a solvent-based product :tongue:


----------

