Bare-Metal Foil ?

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

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.

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

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.

[Mean_B16]

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.

[Vric]

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 pathetic

[Jay!]

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

[primera man]

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

[darrenj]

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

[Didymus]

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?

[roymattblack]

Here's my Revell McLaren......
The entire body, wings, in fact everything silver was BMF'd.
Great stuff if you're carefull with it.


Roy.

[generationx]

What a superb job!

[oldguy2]

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

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

Originally Posted by Didymus

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.

[Didymus]

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.

[clem24]

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

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

Originally Posted by Didymus

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.