Painted trim vs. BMF

[crazyjim]

I use makeup applicators from Walgreens. Wal-Mart and CVS items are similar but don't do the job of burnishing very well. These things are flat rounded on one end and pointed round on the other. Superb for burnishing BMF.

[Art Anderson]

Some of that "wrinkling" seems to be the adhesive used with BMF. To counteract that, I use pieces of cotton tricot cloth--something every one of us likely has--it's the knit cotton that 100% cotton T-shirts are made from! I use only 100% cotton for polishing out BMF trim on a model, as pure cotton doesn't scratch, while Cotton/Polyester blend Tshirt knit almost always will.

In the outside chance one doesn't wear 100% cotton Tee's, there is a solution: Walmart etc. sell small bags of scraps of fresh cotton tricot cloth--for dusting cloths! Perfect solution. Just run those through the washing machine to get the "sizing" out of the cloth, they do the job. With practice, I've found that I can generally buff out BMF trim on a body shell to the point that it's pretty danged smooth, and of course, quite shiny.

Art

[Roadrunner]

Up until now, I've generally used BMF (with mixed results), but would like to eventually give Alclad II a whirl. Perhaps one of the reasons I prefer many 30's type cars, is that (generally speaking) there's usually not a lot of chrome to mess with.

[Pete J.]

Here is a YouTube video that I got a lot out of. It is not about laying down BMF as much as using it for masking, but he is doing a lot of cutting and really lays out the best ways to do it. Very informative and I like the finished product. Pay particular attention when he talks about the type of blade and method of cutting with it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHJmxKKxsew

[PeeBee]

I use cheapo store-brand aluminum foil (it's really thin) in lieu of BMF. Microscale sells foil adhesive that works very well and is always consistent as long as you apply it carefully (don't let it puddle, use CLEAN, smooth strokes, etc.). I'll prep several sheets at a time and store them in a shoe box. Shelf life is good past a year (maybe more) as long as you prevent the foil from attracting dust and dirt. And, there's no backing to contend with.

I have found that aggressive burnishing on the flat side of the foil (if your trying to simulate anodized or burnished aluminum or stainless) tends to shine the foil up and you begin to lose that effect.

I begin burnishing with balsa wood (approx. 1/8" square strips) and then, very carefully, go into the tight spaces with a toothpick. Always start burnishing from the center and work your way out to the edges. I try to not burnish the segments that are to be removed too aggressively in order to minimize residue. Adhesive residue is the downside to this whole method, especially if you're working with a sheet of foil that's been coated recently (within hours to a month or two; foil with older adhesive is easier to remove and leaves less residue).

To avoid a bumpy finish, sand the paint covering the trim until it's smooth (I use 1500, 1800 or 2400 micron "polishing" sticks, depending on how aggressive I need to be), and make sure the surfaces are immaculate. Foil reveals every imperfection.

I try to use as few pieces of foil as possible, and to keep the application simple and straightforward. This, however, requires a degree of planning before diving in.

Be mindful of how the foil's going to wrap around contours to avoid wrinkles and tears.

ALWAYS use a fresh blade going in.

And, if you're not in the mood, too tired, over-caffeinated, pumped from a work-out, had too many cocktails, whatever, go work on something else.

PB.

[JTalmage]

Here's a comparison on two builds of mine. These were taken at the Cincinnati Challenge by someone. I do not know who, otherwise I'd credit them. Pictures are sort of low light. but you can still see a big difference.

First one is an AMT '68 Roadrunner that I used a Testors paint pen/marker on. Then cleared over that.

Here's another picture of my first attempt at BMF. It's the AMT snap tite Barracuda.

I feel pretty confident in doing BMF now. Especially if THAT was my first try... I just cut out thin lenghts with a pair of scissors from a swiss army knife I've used for years for my model building, and then trimmed them w/ a fresh, or fairly fresh blade and then used a toothpick to rub the edges in, and used a paper towel to sort of buff the chrome. Then cleared over them. It works for me but may not work for you. But thats how I do it.

[StevenGuthmiller]

Some of that "wrinkling" seems to be the adhesive used with BMF. To counteract that, I use pieces of cotton tricot cloth--something every one of us likely has--it's the knit cotton that 100% cotton T-shirts are made from! I use only 100% cotton for polishing out BMF trim on a model, as pure cotton doesn't scratch, while Cotton/Polyester blend Tshirt knit almost always will.

In the outside chance one doesn't wear 100% cotton Tee's, there is a solution: Walmart etc. sell small bags of scraps of fresh cotton tricot cloth--for dusting cloths! Perfect solution. Just run those through the washing machine to get the "sizing" out of the cloth, they do the job. With practice, I've found that I can generally buff out BMF trim on a body shell to the point that it's pretty danged smooth, and of course, quite shiny.

Art

Same here. A cotton cloth has always worked best for me too. A cotton swab or the like is fine, but what I've found is the more pressure you can put on the foil while burnishing, the shinier it will get. You can only get so much muscle behind a Q-tip.

Steve

[Tom Geiger]

Jesse - Nice first attempt of BMF on the 'cuda. BIG difference from your first photo. There is nothing like BMF. Spend a little time learning to use it and you'll never go back to other methods.