Can you use BMF over flat paint?

[Hotrod 97]

I have a ‘69 Mustang grille that I painted flat black - can I use Bare Metal Foil for the chrome trim, or will the texure/finish of the paint make it look strange?

[BigTallDad]

Why not spray part of the sprue and see for yourself?

[Plowboy]

If you're concerned about the texture, lightly sand what you'll be covering with foil. I usually do it whether it's a flat or gloss paint to get a smooth surface.

[espo]

As long as the surface is smooth the foil will have the same smooth appearance. 

[NOBLNG]

I was under the impression that it needed a smooth glossy surface to adhere to. Am I wrong? I guess a test using the foil and paint in question would be the best way to be sure!

[Can-Con]

Get some foil adhesive and brush it on where you want to put your foil. It will keep it stuck down on the flat paint. 

Also good under that ultra chrome foil that has a reputation for not sticking.

This is what I use.

[Plowboy]

12 minutes ago, NOBLNG said:

I was under the impression that it needed a smooth glossy surface to adhere to. Am I wrong? I guess a test using the foil and paint in question would be the best way to be sure!

It doesn't have to be glossy. Just smooth and clean. I just applied foil over primer on the scripts of my current project. No problems.

[espo]

If adhesion is a problem with the foil, gently burnish the foil. I will use a tool with a round ball type shape on the end sometimes, but still prefer  a good old fashion cotton Q-Tip for this.  

[CJ1971]

In my experience BMF will not adhere to flat paint/s like it does to gloss paint/s. Either use the Micro Foil adhesive as suggested or lightly wet sand off the flat black on the trim, leaving a smooth surface for the BMF to “stick” to. 

Cheers. 

[Hotrod 97]

Thanks everyone for the info. I will test the BMF over the paint on a piece of sprue. Just wondering - would a coat or two of Pledge Revive It make the paint surface smooth?

[peteski]

On 11/9/2019 at 4:53 PM, Hotrod 97 said:

Thanks everyone for the info. I will test the BMF over the paint on a piece of sprue. Just wondering - would a coat or two of Pledge Revive It make the paint surface smooth?

Yes, a gloss clear coat (of any type) over flat paint will change the sheen to be more glossy. That is what modelers do to prepare flat finish for waterslide decals (which are best applied to glossy surface). But I was under the impression that you wanted to retain the flat finish on that part.

[Yahshu]

On 11/10/2019 at 1:28 AM, Can-Con said:

Get some foil adhesive and brush it on where you want to put your foil. It will keep it stuck down on the flat paint. 

Also good under that ultra chrome foil that has a reputation for not sticking.

This is what I use.

One could use plain old "white glue", it's the same stuff, just a whole lot cheaper & it does the same job. 

[Can-Con]

6 hours ago, Yahshu said:

One could use plain old "white glue", it's the same stuff, just a whole lot cheaper & it does the same job. 

No, it's not the same. 

regular white glue dries hard, this stuff stays tacky,  a bit gummy when dry.

[Bainford]

19 hours ago, Can-Con said:

No, it's not the same. 

regular white glue dries hard, this stuff stays tacky,  a bit gummy when dry.

Correct! The Microscale Micro Metal Adhesive is not a PVA glue. It is a thin and milky contact glue, of the type where you apply it and let it dry/tack up before attaching the adjoining piece.

[Jantrix]

I do plenty of flat paint jobs. BMF is no problem over it.

However as using BMF requires a lot of handling, you should use a flat clear over the body first to protect the flat paint or else you risk getting shiny spots from handling, resulting in a real blotchy and uneven finish. I speak from experience.

[Hotrod 97]

On 11/10/2019 at 10:07 PM, peteski said:

Yes, a gloss clear coat (of any type) over flat paint will change the sheen to be more glossy. That is what modelers do to prepare flat finish for waterslide decals (which are best applied to glossy surface). But I was under the impression that you wanted to retain the flat finish on that part.

Thank you for the tip, Peter. I was going to try to brush the Pledge onto the trim piece bordering the grille (what I’m going to BMF) and keep the grille flat black.

 

 

11 hours ago, Jantrix said:

I do plenty of flat paint jobs. BMF is no problem over it.

However as using BMF requires a lot of handling, you should use a flat clear over the body first to protect the flat paint or else you risk getting shiny spots from handling, resulting in a real blotchy and uneven finish. I speak from experience.

Thank you very much for the advice, Rob. I’ll be sure to flat clear it before applying the BMF.

[Yahshu]

On 11/12/2019 at 3:28 AM, Can-Con said:

On 11/12/2019 at 11:19 PM, Bainford said:

 

 

Thank you for correcting me, that's good to know. I'll still stick with the PVA, works for me, maybe the stuff sold here in Oz is different to what you have in the US.