Problems with Bare Metal Foil shelf life/quality

Has anyone else had problems with metal foil quality?

I have both Modeler's and BMF basic chrome metal foils and both have got wrinkles and tears during storage. They were allright when I bought them but after just a couple of months they have turned unusable because of the tears. I have stored them in room temperature in their own packages. I haven't had this problem with BMF ultra bright or black chrome foil, but they are thicker material.

Any tips on how to store the foils to prevent this cracking? Or have I just had bad luck with the foils I've bought?

This is how the Modeler's foil has cracked, BMF foil has cracked even more:
http://koti.mbnet.fi/mel/temp/bmf.jpg

-Mikko

Yes, it's happened to me too and it's a common problem. I just purchased a fresh sheet of BMF and I'm going to store it in a plastic ziplock bag to see if that helps. I'd say the warmer/drier the climate, the faster it will degrade. Not only does it get the cracks, but the adhesive degrades as well. When building my recent Porsche 914-6 I had trouble w/the crackly BMF and the lack of adhesive. I don't build many old American cars anymore, so I don't go through the foil as quickly. My last three sheets of BMF lasted for years but I wasn't able to use the whole sheet before they became unusable :banghead:

And let's talk putty and superglue...I buy big cans of Evercoat spot putty, and it always dries up before it's all used, and I have never been able to use a whole bottle of superglue before it goes bad :shakehead

Any tips on how to store the foils to prevent this cracking?

Store it in a plastic zip-up bag in the refridgerator - Sounds crazy, but it works! :screwy:

The strong glues we have around the house dry up quickly. Thats why i buy small bottles of the strong glue i use on photo etch parts. I so far havent had problems with my BMF but i hope im not speaking too soon. I keep mine in room temperature and always on top on things. You guys didnt put stuff like you kit's boxes on top of your foil, didnt you? I keep all the decals and BMFs in the empty plastic bags where the car parts used to be kept, and on top of all my hobby stuff.

Hi,

you should always hang your BMF like they do in the hobby stores. never have a problem then

My last three sheets of BMF lasted for years but I wasn't able to use the whole sheet before they became unusable :banghead:
Use it for masking :) I'm sure you know already that it's one of the best masking materials out there. Better to use it that way ather than just let it go bad on you ;)

BTW The 2 sheets of BMF I have ever bought were both sort of "scuffed" and "veined" when they reached me. I don't know any better so I thought that this stuff always looks like that. When it's fresh, is it super smooth and shiney? similar to kitchen aluminium foil on a fresh roll?

Thanks

Thanks for the ideas! I have to try them once I buy a fresh sheet.

-Mikko

Mine does that too, i'll have to try keeping it the fridge in a bag and not in its packet.

The cracking on BMF has always pissed me off too. Evey sheet I have ever see has a certain percentage unuseable due to the cracking. You need to sort through the stock in the store to pick out what look like the best ones through the tiny window in the packaging. Personally I've found it never gets worse while it is sitting in my draw waiting to be used.

I know for a fact mine has degraded over time; the last two sheets in particular I can remember were perfect when new and then over time became infected w/the tiny cracks. It's to the point that it breaks when trying to remove it from the backing. A sheet of BMF can last me several years since most of my models don't have a lot of chrome. My newest sheet will be stored in a Ziplock to see if that helps. I think what happens is that over time the aluminum foil dries out and shrinks slightly as it oxidizes, causing the cracks and allowing air to also degrade the adhesive.

Mine also degraded over time. But not that much. It was just more fragile and nearly impossible to peel more than 1 inch. New sheet have no problem, but I'm sure same thing will happen in a year or so.

my bmf does that too. I think about 1/3 of my last pack went to waste. the packaging infor on the bmf i have says to store it in the fridge in a plastic bag.

Funny- I've never had this happen. I have 4 sheets, one each of bright chrome, matte chrome, gold, and black, since at least spring of 2000 (the chrome is several months older), and none of them have done this- no wrinkles, no cracks! :dunno: Goes to show you how fast I use the stuff.

I just keep them all in the same tub of water that I store my CF decals in.



(Ok, not really about the water tub- I keep my BMF sheets randomly distributed about my workbench- but I've seen no degredation at all!!) :shakehead

A cool dry place works well.Keeping out of the light wouldn't go astray either.I store mine flat in a draw.I suspect alot of the problems are with the storage at the vendors.I've bought dodgy sheets but never had one go off at home.

I've only tried the model master.. so far, mixed results... seems too easily torn and does not want to conform well to complex curves. I am told by an industry giant (at another forum) that plain kitchen foil with micro-scale foil adhesive is just as good, if not better. I plan on going this route, as I wasted almost a full sheet (one of the two small sheets in the MM pack) on my 1958 Impala.. well, not wasted, but very worried about the results of the parts I have not done yet. One door inside worked OK, the other not at all. I will probablhy strip both doors of all paint, foil, etc and foild the WHOLE door after priming before repainting then buffing out the door handles, etc. instead of justg foiling the handles. Since this may be the way I go on a LOT of builds, the kitchen foil will probably be the way I go.

Regular kitchen aluminium foil has its uses, but is much thicker than BMF so isn't really as useful in certain applications.