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Vallejo Products
Alclad II FAQ
We sell the range of Alclad II lacquers and supporting products on THIS page. It is great stuff, but it's not something you just slap on. With attention to preparation, using the right Alclad lacquers for the job, and taking your time to experiment and learn how to use them, you can get some truly stunning results. The information below is by no means exhaustive, but should help give you a few pointers to get the best results.
PREPARATION
Preparation is key to getting a good finish with Alclad II.
- Ensure the object to be sprayed is thoroughly clean and dust free.
- Special attention must be paid to ensuring all surfaces are free of grease, mould release agents, oil or finger marks.
- Once clean, use a lint-free cloth or similar to handle the model to avoid putting new finger marks onto it.
- Apply the correct primer for the type of Alclad being used and the surface being sprayed.
PRIMERS
Injection Moulded Plastic and similar materials
You MUST use a primer before spraying Alclad onto injection moulded plastic. Alclad is strong enough to dissolve or craze the kind of plastics kits are made from !
Regular Alclad Finishes can be primed with any of the following;
- ALC302 - Grey Primer
- ALC306 - White Primer & Microfiller
- ALC309 - Black Primer & Microfiller
- Tamiya or Gunze Sangyo plastic primers
- Car Primer, white or grey (Halford's finest !)
If you use plastic primers or car primers, once dry they should be lightly polished with 1000/1200 wet & dry paper to give a less absorbent smooth surface (again, ensuring no dust is left behind).
High Shine Alclad Finishes can be primed with;
- ALC303 - Clear Base
- ALC305 - Gloss Black Base
- Other high quality enamel paints can also be used, but it is strongly advised to carry out some testing on scrap plastic of the same type as your kit to ensure it provides enough coverage to protect the plastic from beaing eaten by the Alclad and gives a result you are happy with.
Prismatic Alclad Finishes and Holomatic Spectral Chrome should be primed with;
- ALC305 - Gloss Black Base. These finishes require a very smooth dark gloss base coat; 2-3 light coats of Gloss Black Base should be used.
Lexan Polycarbonate
Alclad is designed to be sprayed straight onto the INSIDE of lexan polycarbonate bodyshells without a primer (but make sure it is clean and grease free !). A backing coat is then applied afterwards.
SPRAYING
- Alclad II should be applied by airbrush at a pressure of 12-15 PSI.
- Spray from 2-3 inches from the model using a narrow to medium width spray fan.
- Use your airbrush as if it were a paint brush to spray in a methodical manner.
- For Lexan Polycarbonate body shells, apply 2-3 light coats to the inside of the shell, and once dry apply an appropriate backing coat.
FINISHING
Injection Moulded Plastic
- Regular Alclad finishes don't need to be buffed; tonal variation can be gained by polishing selected panels with Micromesh (ALC301)
- Regular Alclad finishes can be masked over and painted.
- The Prismatic finishes and Holomatic Spectral Chrome (ALC205) should have 2-3 light coats of water based clear (ALC600 Aqua Gloss) applied once completely dry.
Lexan Polycarbonate
- Regular Alclad - back with 2-3 light coats of any paint (experiment to find what will give you the finished look you prefer)
- High Shine Alclad - back with 2-3 light coats of black or silver
- Prismatic finishes and Holomatic Spectral Chrome - back with black or silver water based paint.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Decal setting solutions.
Can be used with regular Alclad, but are not recommended for High Shine Alclad.
Aqua Gloss Clear.
Unlike the rest of Alclad's products, this is a water based laquer which dries in about 15-20 minutes. To get best results, you really do need to read the instructions and do a few tests !
- Can be used as an undercoat for Alclad II laquers, and as a sealer for the High Shine colours.
- Can be used on matt finishes as a pre-decal sealer coat.
- Can be used to apply a gloss sheen to model aircraft canopies and other transparent kit parts, applied either by airbrush or dipping.
- Protects transparent kit parts from cyano-acrylate fumes.