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Polished aluminum look


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Metalizer Aluminum spray works perfectly for things like that. Just spray it on & rub it out a little. You'll love it. I don't seal it afterwards though. The sealer seems to "kill" the metal affect. Steve

Yup. Steve's right.

And if you want a higher-polished look than you get with the Metalizer, try Alclad.

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Couple points about shooting the Testors Metalizers.

1) Lots of guys tend to shoot them too dry and orange-peely. That actually works very well if you want a rough-cast appearance, but not for polished. To get a good simulation of polished metal, you need to shoot the stuff wet, so it flows and self-levels. I find 3 coats gives me enough to polish on fairly aggressively without burning through edges.

2) You also want to give it plenty of time to dry, both between coats and before you polish. All day is usually about right, after the last coat.

3) I haven't shot it over resin parts, but on styrene, I really recommend a thorough scrubbing with Comet or other abrasive cleaner, a toothbrush, and hot water. This removes surface contaminants that can make the stuff fisheye, and also scuffs the surface nicely for better adhesion.

4) You want to use something soft to polish it. I've had the best results with the inside surface of old fleece like sweatshirts.

5) It's a very thin-bodied material, and doesn't fill imperfections at all. Any tiny flaw or pinhole or seam in your part will look worse when it's been Metalized.

Edited by Ace-Garageguy
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