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Which silver paint to use?


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I'm looking to achieve a similar finish as seen in the photos below. I use primarily enamels and Testors paints but could be open to other options depending on it's availability in my area.. Would you recommend I use Testors silver enamel or some of their metalizer paints?

ptmcclellan_f105_form_zps65fdfc75.jpg

tumblr_l0xmtv3dXa1qbd38ro1_500_zpsede5a1e2.jpg

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Your best bet for a natural finish is to go with alclad. But if plain old silver is your pickings, then I'd go with model masters chrome silver. May be a bit too bright for this particular finish as this appears more of an aluminum look, but I use Chrome silver for all my silverish needs. I would say go with model masters aluminum but it's always been very grainy and unnatural in my experience with it, and looks more like a semi gloss coated gray.

Edited by scapilot
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The 1:1 scale finish on those birds is called coroguard. It was (I believe) a laquer base with ground aluminum powder in it.

Testors "aluminum" will work well but it's a bit light. One of the airline paint companies actually bottles a "coroguard" but I think it looks a bit dark.

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I have the MM Metalizer non-buffing aluminum bit that looks a bit grainy also but I can vary the shade by using a different base coat. I have never sprayed their chrome or aluminum enamel before so I guess its time to do some test shots with those.

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I wouldn't discount Tamiya AS-12 Bare Metal Silver -it is a bit more 'Silver' than 'Bare Metal', so it's good for the 'Lookalike'-style silver paint finish. It applies very well from the can, or will decant/de-gas OK if you have to airbrush it.

Then you can have hours of fun getting the exact finish you want (those Thuds look quite flat) with different clear varnishes!

Edited by ChippyWho
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Here is a test shot using the MM Non-buffing aluminum and the MM chrome silver. The silver paint is a bit old and went down thicker but the metalizer went down nice and thin. I put down just enough so I could not tell if it was painted over the green or the gray.

IMG_20130521_190928_186_zps14233751.jpg I just scuffed things to level out the existing coats of paint.

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Floquil Old Silver, maybe?

Vern

I highly recommend you look into the Floquil Silvers, they make a variety of them from Bright Silver, Platinum Mist, CSX Grey Graphite, and as Vern recommended Old Silver.

In the process of painting the B-36 I experimented with a few under-cote colors, I think you will be closer to the color your looking for by using the Old Silver and adding a bit of grey to it, the finish your looking to replicate is not a Natural Metal Finish,but a metallic paint, I feel your going down the wrong path with the Metalizers and or Alclads, and as a side note I see you've noticed the finish the Non-Buffing Metalizers leave, they are grainy, and I don't really care for them.

The wing spar on this B-36 is Bright Silver with black added, not the color your looking for but you can see the affect of the silver with grey/black added.

Curt

Step35_zps7c39f0d0.jpg

a lightened concoction

008_zps3a7de80a.jpg

Straight Floqil Bright Silver

DPP_0004CR.jpg

Edited by Netz
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So what did Testors buy out and then decide to stop making? Was it Poly Scale or Floquil?I know my LHS (30 min away) has a very limited supply of Poly Scale and Gunz but know Floquil.

Edited by Spectre711
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Model Masters has (prethinned) aluminum both buffing and non-buffing (I think they still do)...The non-buffing would be close.........

Back in the early 60's the USAF and TAC did not use letter designations for airbases....Can't tell where the two F models were and disposition as 418 and 445 are not listed on Joe Baugher's site....

The Bottom photo of D models are the group based at 562d Tactical Fighter Squadron, deployed from McConnell AFB, Wichita, KS

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Model Masters has (prethinned) aluminum both buffing and non-buffing (I think they still do)...The non-buffing would be close.........

I kind of like the look of the non-buffing also. Up in post #9 here there is a test shot I did and the left wing has the non-buffing aluminum on it where the right has the chrome silver paint.

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Netz, what primer did you use on the B-17? It's beautiful!

None, just floquil straight on to the plastic.

But if you were going to use Alclad then Tamiya grey primer, and Tamiya Black TS-14 sprays.

Curt

Step16_zps98f30ef7.jpg

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Back in the early 60's the USAF and TAC did not use letter designations for airbases....Can't tell where the two F models were and disposition as 418 and 445 are not listed on Joe Baugher's site....

I also notice the pylon and drop tank on 418 has some type of black out treatment that I see from time to time. Do you know what the story is on this?

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None, just floquil straight on to the plastic.

But if you were going to use Alclad then Tamiya grey primer, and Tamiya Black TS-14 sprays.

Curt

Thanks. Except for things like landing gear, I don't think I've every sprayed an NMF without a primer.

Stacey

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For those wondering what all that smoke is from, once you've seen it you'll never forget your first "Thud" cartridge start.

Meh. Watch a KC-135A ALERT cart start. Now THAT's smoken!

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iuse dark anodic grey quite a bit , but it is alot darker than Aluminum... This F-105 finish is very similar to the Al paint that USSR used on the Mig-21 back in the 70's It oxidized and developed a flat grayish appearance with time .. ise a paint with very fine particles... that dont have a shiny finish.. I use Alclad White aluminum coated with light sheen finish by alclad..

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