When I do something out of my norm (Armor) I like to shift to either the "Wingy" side, or the "Shiney" side.

Regarding the "Shiney" side, my biggest gripe is that when you remove a chromed part from the tree, you're inevitably left with a spot that now shows plastic and the build up of the chrome. Once cleaned up, the plastic is quite apparent. WHY?

Building my Ranchero now and the ONLY parts where the attachment points were in a good spot were the rims! Everything else requires something to "fix" it to make it presentable. The only chrome on the kit (other than the rims) I kept was the front grill/bumper/lights. The only way to hid the attachment points was to cover the entire top with black (which fits the now painted bumper portion).

So, why do the manufacturers insist on poor choices for the attachment points? Take Pegasus - seems they do their chrome rims as one piece, no sprue. They're clean. But they are a niche market and can afford that? How about AMT, MPC, and the others? Yes, I know...cost.

Has anyone here come up with a viable solution? Metal Foil? That the name of the company that does sheets of metal foils? Their chrome sheet is...well, like the back side of aluminum foil...lacking shine. I've got a sheet of it...not impressed.

Paint? Is there a true Chrome paint out there? I bought a can of Valspar Metallic silver. Lid is chrome. Wonder, will that do it?

Thoughts on my ramblings?

Mike

I'll test the Valspar this evening.

I use a US product I found in an art supply shop, called liqui-plate. It's available in several finishes, has a very fine pigment and so dries to a better finish than silver paint. Only drawback is that you have to clean the brush with cellulose thinners. If it's only used for small touch-up areas it's hard to tell from the chrome.

Dave, do you have a source or link?

Thanks.

Mike

p.s. One coat of the Valspar on some sheet stock. Shiney and fluid...but not chrome.

Damn - looks as if it's been dropped. The bottle I have says that it was made by American Art Clay Co. (AMACO); but it's no longer listed on their website. Could be because the vapour is harmfull according to the label. Nearest I can think of to describe it is 'alclad for paintbrushes'

I hate the look of the pre-chromed parts, so I strip them using oven cleaner and give them some ALCLAD loving!

Technology has come along way when it comes to Chrome and paint. There are at least two products I can think of that professional painters use to "paint" chrome. One is actually microscopic (~ < 0.01mm) chrome flakes that settle together. On a flat surface they create a mirror, not a mirror-like image. A guy I know who works in marketing and has just had a Merc SLR "chromed" this way. Gaudy as all get out, but a cool head-turner.

House of Kolor has one of the products I'm thinking about, don't know the cost. And the other is Silver Nitrate. Silver Nitrate is used on plastic all the time. With the right primer I'm sure we modelers could the HoK product...

It is simply a matter if cost. the tool designs of AMT, Revell, Monogram etc. are old fashioned. Shake and bake tool desing with as few moving parts inside the tool as posible. These tool designs leaves only one place for the gate. Modern tooling have more moving parts(sliders) which gives more options for the tool designer to place the gate in an appropriate place.

BMF ultra brigth chrome works fine for chrome trim, door handles and other smaller areas. I have never tried it on larger areas like bumbers. Doubt it will look good.
Bare metal foil have several different styles of foil(Chrome, ultra bright chrome, black chrome, matte alu. etc.)
Make sure to use the chrome or ultra bright chrome(My favorit)a sharp scalpel and a burnishing tool are essential tools

I have seen some pretty amazing result with Alclad II chrome. Have a bottle at home. Have yet to try it though.

Regarding the Alclad; must it be air brushed? I tried some of their aluminum on a plane and it was a mess... Can it be brushed on?

Mike

Alclad has to be airbushed. I think it's basically a metal flake with a large amount of carrier fluid to get through the airbrush. The results are excellent though and can be lightly polished like real metal if you're careful!

Hi Mike: Here is the proper method of using Alclad Chrome. If you use it right from the bottle it will just be silver paint. So- first strip your chrome with Oven Cleaner, wash thoroughly. Now sand off any imperfections. polish the parts with 1500 sand paper. They must be very smooth. Now prime and paint the parts with a very dark blue enamel. This must go on very shiny and smooth, no orange peel or dry spray. Let this dry for at least 24 hours. Now spray on a wet but thin coat of Alclad Chrome. Stand and watch it for a few moments, and right in front of your eyes it will turn into a beautiful chrome. If you have some light areas give it a second coat. When dry it CAN NOT be polished or clear coated. the finished result will be a nicer chrome than the kit came with. Hope this has been a help. Bob

Shoot, thanks Bob!

Pretty clear cut. You mentioned "dark blue enamel." Is there a reason for that color versus, say...gloss black?

Mike

p.s. Going to see if the LHS has the chrome....

Hi Mike: The normal routine for the base colour of the Alclad chrome is black. However - real automobile show chrome has a blue tinge to it. cheap chrome has a yellow tinge to it. So to similate real show chrome use a very dark blue enamel such as Model Master or Humbrol. Hope this helps. Bob

I have found that if you are careful you can brush Alclad II on to small areas.

Cheers Rob.

I concur Rob.