Alclad II vs. Kosutte Gin San

[Lownslow]

I sent an email to rainbow ten requesting pricing & shipping to FLA USA. Asked for same on the baby cotton swabs too. I know Japan is on a different time zone so a reply might be tomorrow. I wonder how you pay for the stuff? Credit card?

lmk i find their system to be a bit of a pain

[sjordan2]

Probably because a spoon, a muffler, or any other broad smooth surface is easy. Anything else is probably a challenge and the results are less than steller. I wish Mr. Simonr would post some pics of some parts other than a spoon that he has rubbed with the "magic chrome powder". That will be the real test. How about a bumper, a valve cover, a wheel?

It strikes me that broad, smooth surfaces are the most important areas for this kind of stuff – if it's everything it's cracked up to be.

[Raydee]

Wow, that does look really good!

But why aren't you wearing a shirt???

I used it for rubbing the powder...jejeje

Simón P. Rivera Torres

Maybe he models in the nude,HAHAhahahahaha

[Ben]

I'm really interested as well but like others are saying, i'd like to see some small automotive type parts done up using this product before I jump in and buy it. For those that have purchased it, please post pics as soon as you you can!

[Mooneyzs]

I'm really interested as well but like others are saying, i'd like to see some small automotive type parts done up using this product before I jump in and buy it. For those that have purchased it, please post pics as soon as you you can!

I have to agree with Ben here and say when those who have purchased it....Post some pics of your results. we'd love to see them. I am willing to buy and purchase this stuff myself but I just recently learned about the Alclad and bought myself a bottle and am excited to try that But am very curious about this powder stuff for sure.

[Ben]

The reason, i'm so interested is the "no painting" part! I hate painting in general and the thought of getting out the airbrush just to spray the Alclad puts me off even more.

I'm just lazy I guess! LOL

I was thinking though, this stuff might be cool to "partially plate" an item? Such as a headlight bucket that needs to be body color on the outside and "chrome" on the inside. Maybe it could be done without even having to mask anything? Just a thought.

[jbwelda]

ok heres is maybe or not a unique request:

can someone who actually ordered some of this sell me half? its sure to be more than youll use in your natural lifetime (esp if its as toxic as it sounds, to me anyway...i dont like the "metallic" and powder part but what the hey), and i will be willing to pay for a good chunk of the total price for you, making your half very inexpensive.

inbox me please if youre interested or email at jbwelda at gmail dot com.

many thanks as always!

[Lownslow]

I just placed an order from hwjapan.com. Well see what happens.

whats the STK number i want to order from there

[jevries]

Hi guys, 85Biaritz pointed me out to this Kosutte Gin San discussion and here's my conclusion.

I bought Kosutte Ginsan last year when I was in Japan after seeing comparisson pictures with Alclad and others.

The Pro's:

- Very easy to apply even more intricate parts can be done although buffing is much harder.

- Pretty much the best shine possible depending on your (black) surface

- If there are any fingerprints on your chromed parts it's pretty easy to apply some more powder and polish.

The Con's:

- It's not looking like regular chrome, it's more of a gunmetal chrome, read darker tone.

- It's sensitive to touching just like Alclad

- Can't be coated with a clearcoat because it get's dull.

All and all a nice product with the best shine out there but I'm sorry it just doesn't look like regular chrome. Looking at your chromed part on the top, like on the spraycan cap I used, it looks like real chrome but as soon as you move the part you will notice it's no chrome.

I tried several different basecoats to accomplish the right effect but no luck. To be honest I'm not going to use this

product since I'm looking for the best chrome possible and that's achieved by sending my parts out to the chromer. B)

Here's a bunch of pics to show you how it shines and the comparisson with regular chromed parts and a small piece of pvc chrome tape.

Edited March 10, 2010 by jevries

[jevries]

Interesting stuff - reminds me of a finer version of the old Rub-n-Buff metallic pastes!

That's basicaly what it is. It feels a bit waxy and it sticks like hell even on your hands it's hard to remove almost like it's magnetic but it isn't.

[cruz]

I don't know guys, I have had success using Alclad specially because I use it on small parts, when it comes to bumpers or anything bigger, I don't think there is anything out there that would do the job as well as the regular method of chroming. The base coat really has a lot to do with the effect on the part when it's alcladed, I have always used Testor's Gloss Black without any issues. Lately, what I have been doing is shooting the Alclad when my paint is tacky, not dry like a lot of people do. I am sure there are a lot of ways to do this, I have success doing it this way.

[crazyjim]

HW Japan is out of stock of Kosutte Ginsan for 3-21 days.

[sjordan2]

The pictures shown in this thread indicate to me that it looks better than Alclad in many ways and would probably be better for things like window surrounds and body trim, and perhaps more realistic than today's tricky BMF. I hope someone will do a demo on how that would look. For my additional 2 cents, I'd add that, to me, the average kit chrome looks unrealistically bright unless washes or other techniques are used to tone it down.

Edited March 10, 2010 by sjordan2

[jevries]

Alclad seems to have the better tint more silvery. Kosutte has the best shine period.

Here a bunch of sample pics:

The fingerprint test: I must say it holds better than alclad plus you can use a tiny bit of powder and polish it again.

Tint comparison outside:

Applied to a more difficult black styrene part. As you can see if the part isn't absolutely polished it get's a bit of a dull look.

The best silver chrome tint you get using white plastic base BUT...you get a nasty side effect a yellowish tint looking at from different angles.

Unuseable.

Hope this helps you guys out deciding what works best. As said before I stick to shipping my stuff out to have it chromed. :lol:

Edited March 10, 2010 by jevries

[jevries]

The pictures shown in this thread indicate to me that it looks better than Alclad in many ways and would probably be better for things like window surrounds and body trim, and perhaps more realistic than today's tricky BMF. I hope someone will do a demo on how that would look. For my additional 2 cents, I'd add that, to me, the average kit chrome looks unrealistically bright unless washes or other techniques are used to tone it down.

Pretty much impossible to use for window trim...it's messy stuff. Def stick to BMF or similar product like this stuff from Hasegawa:

It's a ultra thin pvc like chrome plastic and it looks stunning although I must admit it's harder to work with than regular BMF.

The BMF on the right is made by Goodsmile Racing and is trully excellent and better than the BMF I know. I've heard there's an new improved BMF that's almost similar to this stuff though. :lol:

Edited March 10, 2010 by jevries

[jevries]

I'll stop you right there: While I enjoyed that magazine and have 20 or so issues, the standards of building shown were typically on the, and I'll be nice, novice end of the spectrum. Using a dark blue under Alclad gives it a slightly different cast which I find provides more of the multi-hue reflection that chrome plating on a real car (not to be confused with vacuum metalized plastic in a model kit) shows in sunlight, than straight black underneath. That said, Alclad isn't really quite shiny enough to replace plated chrome, but to me using very dark blue underneath looks more like brass-chrome-nickel plating than when shot over black.

The gunmetal speck spraycan cap worked better than the black but a grey resin cast item I polished with Kosutte didn't do the trick....it just became a shiny grey. Metallic silver became also yellowish.

The thing is that the coating is really, really thin and even multiple treatments doesn't make the part anymore chrome looking. I'm pretty positive that if your looking for real chrome this doesn't do the job for you so I wouldn't even bother spending $24 on it. This stuff is being sold for at least 10 years now and if it was that great than many model builders would have known about it.

I have a metallic blue spray can and will give it a try tomorrow and post the results.

[meaneyme]

I think I will stick with the Alclad, it's been pretty good to me. I will surely try this method only when or if it becomes easily available to us here in the states.

[simonr]

I have news from the person that introduced this to me. Work's own online store says that the next production run is scheduled for April or May, so the usual Japanese stores should restock it by early summer.

Simón P. Rivera Torres

I think I will stick with the Alclad, it's been pretty good to me. I will surely try this method only when or if it becomes easily available to us here in the states.

Edited March 11, 2010 by simonr

[jevries]

Here the final photo's of Kosutte Ginsan used on a blue metallic spray can cap and metallic blue parts.

It does look better but still it looks like polished steel and misses the bright silver tint.

If you want your parts to look like high polished metal than this is the best product you can buy. If you spray a perfect high gloss blue basecoat there's simply nothing that can go wrong with this stuff.

Blue painted wire wheel photo with and without flash.

Fender part and original chromed grill to compare.

Original chromed kit grill and blue metallic cap with Kosutte applied.

Blue metallic chromed cap and chrome vinyl tape.

Original chromed kit grill on chrome vinyl tape.

That's it.

[Junkman]

I'm not ordering anything. If I want chrome, I send it to Bob Shebilske. Always has been, always will.

[jevries]

I'm not ordering anything. If I want chrome, I send it to Bob Shebilske. Always has been, always will.

Is Bob the guy from Chrome Tech USA?

[crazyjim]

Nobody will have to worry about for a while HWJ is out of stock until April or May. They will not accept backorders.

[MrObsessive]

Is Bob the guy from Chrome Tech USA?

Yup! That's him-------another good plater is Little Motor Kar Company located down the road from me here in Reading, PA.

He good for those of us who live locally and can take our parts directly to him.

[crazyjim]

Howdy Bill. How have you been feeling? Weren't you going to do an interior tutorial on your '49 Merc? Something about cutting the door panels?

Is there a website for Little Motor Kar Company? Googled found a place in TX but not PA.

[Harry P.]

Those photos are great! Best way to see exactly what the product looks like.