Bare-Metal Foil ?

Hi guys

I would like to know if there is any use for Bare-Metal Foil in modern modeling ? (no old 50's cars)

I will place an order soon, and want to know if I should add this to my order

also, is there any picture of the different color they offer?

thanks

Vric,
On modern race cars you can use BMF to imitate heat shielding on underbodies and engine compartments.
I also use chrome BMF for side and rear view mirrors as it looks more realistic.

BMF has a website, I will see if I can find the URL for you.

Ray

Originally posted by freakray
Vric,
On modern race cars you can use BMF to imitate heat shielding on underbodies and engine compartments.
I also use chrome BMF for side and rear view mirrors as it looks more realistic.

BMF has a website, I will see if I can find the URL for you.

Ray

http://www.bare-metal.com

I know, but there is no pic beside a 50's old Cadilac....

do you have some exemple of the use of "heat shielding on underbodies and engine compartments."

never worked with Bare metal, so I ask before spend my money

i ordered a flat sheet...you never know if you can use it;)maybe behind the headlights?:)

i used half a sheet to chrome out the engine bay on my impala. it's blin ding

The chrome works very well for the backing of lights, much better than painting silver as it gives a very good shine. It's also good, as perviously mentioned, for both internal and external mirrors. It's fairly good at conforming over irregular surfaces if you're careful with it, and sticks quite well.

I used it behind the headlight. If you want to see how it looks, search for my 400R model.:)

Originally posted by cph81
I used it behind the headlight. If you want to see how it looks, search for my 400R model.:)

half of the pics aren't working anymore

thanks for anwser

I did compare BMF and Japanese Modelers, BMF looks more chrome!!

I mostly use it on the backs of lights and mirrors

It has uses for headlight/taillight reflectors, making tiny hose clamp details, heat shielding, etc. Some modern cars like Mercedes, BMW, Lexus have small amounts of bright trim around the beltline or the side windows, and bare metal foil is the best product for the job.

Don't bother with any of their products other than the original chrome. Don't be tempted by their bright chrome, aluminum, copper, gold, black...none of them work well at all (they tend to have not nearly enough adhesive, they are thicker and hard to cut correctly, don't burnish down nearly as well, etc.)...but the original chrome is a great product.

I have heard people sometimes use it as a masking tape...never tried it myself, but the results are meant to be quite good

Originally posted by primera man
I have heard people sometimes use it as a masking tape...never tried it myself, but the results are meant to be quite good

DOH! I forgot that part, yes it is excellent as a mask for tricky little areas, especially on interior parts or exterior parts where you need a very, very thin mask that you can cut/trim very precisely. I used it as masking material on parts of my recent F355. Yes, in some instances it is preferable to Tamiya tape which is what I use a majority of the time.

Originally posted by ZoomZoomMX-5


DOH! I forgot that part, yes it is excellent as a mask for tricky little areas, especially on interior parts or exterior parts where you need a very, very thin mask that you can cut/trim very precisely. I used it as masking material on parts of my recent F355. Yes, in some instances it is preferable to Tamiya tape which is what I use a majority of the time.

hey zoomzoom, did you get my PM 2 day ago ?

Originally posted by ZoomZoomMX-5


DOH! I forgot that part, yes it is excellent as a mask for tricky little areas, especially on interior parts or exterior parts where you need a very, very thin mask that you can cut/trim very precisely. I used it as masking material on parts of my recent F355. Yes, in some instances it is preferable to Tamiya tape which is what I use a majority of the time.

How do you get on when taking it off ?
The paint would have to be very very thin or it would leave a jaggered edge wouldn't it?
I know the stuff can be quite hard to get off on its own without having a layer or two of paint on it.

Originally posted by primera man


How do you get on when taking it off ?
The paint would have to be very very thin or it would leave a jaggered edge wouldn't it?
I know the stuff can be quite hard to get off on its own without having a layer or two of paint on it.

I've only used it to mask airbrushed acrylic, which goes on thinner than the foil, so I've had no trouble with it lifting up or jagged edges, I remove the foil masking w/in minutes, I use tiny tweezers to lift up an edge, then carefully peel it back. If there's any residue, Tamiya compound will take it right off.

Originally posted by Vric


hey zoomzoom, did you get my PM 2 day ago ?

Yeah, sorry-hectic day and I was out of town. I don't have any other pics of that model.

I use the BMF on just about all my models to some extent. It works great for that polished muffler look, polished engine components, underbody, interior (mirrors and such) and pretty much anywhere a reflective surface will look more realistic. I do not really like chrome in real life but I love polished aluminum which is what the BMF looks more like to me, so in short I love the stuff on ALL my modern models.

Originally posted by ZoomZoomMX-5


Yeah, sorry-hectic day and I was out of town. I don't have any other pics of that model.

:( :( :(

So, is Bare-Metal Foil ok for engin detail ?is it possible to get it on complex surface ?

Thanks.. this thread is more popular than any of my lastest project :rolleyes: pathetic :D

I've had BMF leak as a mask before, and haven't been brave enough to try it again since then... :o

Thanks ZZ :) ....I might try it and see how it turns out

I recommend it
Used it to "chrome" the rims of an F1 Ferrari and used it for the head lightlight housings and floodlights for my subaru
click on the link bilow and see
http://www.angelfire.com/de2/darren/sub.html

I like BMF except for when it crinkles, especially on window frames. I'm working on the Moebius '53 Hudson, and those thin chrome window frames are a bear. The BMF looks smooth on the straight parts, but on the 90 degree corners, the BMF scrunches up and looks wrinkly, no matter how much it's burnished.

It sometimes happens on straight areas too. Once there's a wrinkle, it's doggone hard to make it smooth. Burnishing helps, but most often there's that little ridge.

Any ideas on how to make smooth bends with BMF?

Here's my Revell McLaren......
The entire body, wings, in fact everything silver was BMF'd.
Great stuff if you're carefull with it.
http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb355/roymattblack/IMG_0495a.jpg
http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb355/roymattblack/IMG_0501a.jpg
Roy.

What a superb job!

you can also use BMF for interiors and for chroming exhaust tips...

Any ideas on how to make smooth bends with BMF?

Don't make bends with it. It can do gentle curves, like a wheel opening molding, but for small stuff like a vent window, either do it in one large piece, and carefully trim it from the center, or cut smaller pieces and put the overlap/joint in the corners. Really depends on the subject and how fine the trim is to begin with. Sometimes it pays to not be stingy, and use big pieces for the window trim to avoid bends and wrinkles.

Also...I hate BMF. I like how it looks, but I never, ever look forward to the actual job of applying. It's a royal pain...it can't be rushed, and you have to be in the right mood/frame of mind to get it right.

I've partially solved my own problem. My BMF was looking wrinkly and uneven, especially when I was "bending" it around tight corners.

I was doing a couple of things wrong. When the foil was in place, I would start pressing it down from the center, using a metal burnishing tool with a small, smooth tip. Then I'd use the same tool to fit the foil tightly onto the work.

Well, I was using the wrong tool for the job. I've switched now to cotton swabs, starting with the regular drugstore swabs, then going to a 1/8" diameter hobby swab, and then working in the details with very fine tipped swabs that I get at Burbank House of Hobbies. (I don't know the brand name - the packaging is all in Japanese except for the word "good." Which they actually are!)

The soft cotton swabs have a lot of advantages over the metal burnishing tool. At all three stages, when you press down on the BMF, the swab distributes the pressure more evenly, and is much less likely to wrinkle the foil. Because the cotton is soft, you get a much smoother, more uniform surface. Plus it polishes the surface. The smaller swabs likewise. The super-fine tipped swabs really get into the nooks and crannies. Unlike a hard tool, they don't scrunch the foil and cause wrinkles.

Problem solved! My newest BMF looks much more like real chrome - smooth and even, instead of like cheap Christmas tinsel.

BMF is simply awesome for headlights and taillights. Only real problem I have is getting it to stick, especially on tricky areas.

Problem solved! My newest BMF looks much more like real chrome - smooth and even, instead of like cheap Christmas tinsel.

Aha! That would explain a lot. I've been using the various hobby swabs for awhile now, they seem tailor-made for the chore of applying foil. They are worth their weight in gold, especially when you get down to the very fine, pointed swabs. I can imagine the frustration factor of using only a metal burnishing tool on foil.

Another "discovery" that's worked well: when I've wrapped the foil around to the back side of a fender or window, I've applied a coat of clear acrylic onto the hidden portion. The idea is to seal the foil to the underside and keep it from peeling off from behind.