Lacquer Thinner (by Lee K. 07/24/2008)

[Bill L.]

I get my lacquer thinner in a can from Lowes.  Lacquer thinner is lacquer thinner.  It can thin the Mr. Surfacer just as well as their own (expensive) product.

The debate of what to use to prime a model with for preparation under Alclad is a long and contentious one.  Since Alclad is a lacquer, it follows that the old adage L-E-A should be followed to avoid uneven drying times, cracking, and rough finishes.  Lacquer goes on first, Enamel on top of lacquer, with Acrylic last.  Alcald should be primed with a lacquer primer.  Modelers confuse the statement in the original instructions for priming Alclad with Tamiya acrylic gloss black -- what they meant was the lacquer-based spray can gloss black, not the acrylic that we modelers use from Tamiya's paint line.

"Bondo" Phil Brandt urges Alclad users to prime the styrene with a good lacquer-based primer first.  Krylon Sandable Primer fits the bill here.  So does any cheap automotive primer.  I've used Floquil Old Silver as a primer as well,m although it technically is an enamel.  Alclad sells their own relatively expensive primer.  Like Alclad's recent problems with their metalizers, sometimes the primer doesn't dry either because of a manufacturing defect (not enough Japan dryer was added to the mix).  In the future, I'm going to prime my Alclad models with Krylon laqcuer gloss black, decanted and sprayed through my airbrush.

Decanting a spray can can be a little messy.  Cover a clean glass jar with plastic or Saran Wrap.  Punch a small hole in the wrap and stick a cocktail stirrer straw through it and attach to the spray can's nozzle.  Spray a little bit and let it settle before spraying again.  Do this until you have enough paint in the jar to work with .  Then lift the wrap off slightly and let the propellent outgas from the decanted paint by sitting for several hours before your load it into your airbrush.

Lee Kolosna