Zoom Posted October 20, 2016 Share Posted October 20, 2016 I need some tips how to achieve nice “chrome” edges around the “wheel well”. My first idea was to try to scribe a grove and then add BMF and cut the BMF with a blade following the groove. Nice try but I could not get the groove even and smooth, so here I am.I try with a marker but that it is hard to get it right. Can anyone give me a tips how to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake45 Posted October 20, 2016 Share Posted October 20, 2016 I do mine with Silver Sharpie these day. Fast, cheap, easy, what's not to like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunajammer Posted October 20, 2016 Share Posted October 20, 2016 (edited) In given circumstances, and this might be one of them, I cut the BMF into thin strips first, then lightly lay it down adjusting as I go. Once satisfied, burnish it down. You'll have a nice crisp edge. Edited October 20, 2016 by Lunajammer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randyc Posted October 20, 2016 Share Posted October 20, 2016 A set of drafting dividers can be set up to scribe a line. Like a compass but with two metal points. The line could be scribed to make an 'edge" for paint or foil. Or you could take a thin strip of plastic and glue it to the inner edge. Sand it down to stick out ever so slightly and shape inside and out as necessary. Cover with paint or foil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenGuthmiller Posted October 21, 2016 Share Posted October 21, 2016 I use a lot of blue painters tape as a "guide" when I foil & it works very well. Wheel well trim is the toughest, but it is possible to get a nice straight edge. I cut extremely thin strips of painters tape & carefully lay them down along the edge of the foiled area with a tweezers. Then you use the edge of the tape as a guide for your blade. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim N Posted October 21, 2016 Share Posted October 21, 2016 Steven, that is a brilliant idea. I too struggle with putting foil on my kits and never thought about using painters tape as a guide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modelbuilder Mark Posted October 21, 2016 Share Posted October 21, 2016 Steve KNOWS his chrome. He does a LOT of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigTallDad Posted October 21, 2016 Share Posted October 21, 2016 A set of drafting dividers can be set up to scribe a line. Like a compass but with two metal points. The line could be scribed to make an 'edge" for paint or foil. Or you could take a thin strip of plastic and glue it to the inner edge. Sand it down to stick out ever so slightly and shape inside and out as necessary. Cover with paint or foil.Or you could use a compass...remove the pencil and insert an Xacto knife. Place the pivot pin inside the fender well, tweak the adjustment, and run the blade along the outside of the fender well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted October 21, 2016 Share Posted October 21, 2016 Only if the wheel cutout is perfectly round, which in most cases it is not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenGuthmiller Posted October 21, 2016 Share Posted October 21, 2016 Steven, that is a brilliant idea. I too struggle with putting foil on my kits and never thought about using painters tape as a guide.I use this technique now for nearly all of my foiling.It's much easier to get a good straight edge on the straight sections as well.Works fantastic on drip rails also. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoom Posted October 21, 2016 Author Share Posted October 21, 2016 Thank you all for your thoughts and tips. I tried Steve´s tips with a tape for steering the knife. I use Tamiya’s 3mm and this is easy to “bend”. I used the same tape, applied before the Sharpie marker that Snake suggest. Both worked, if you want more shiny chrome I think the BMF is the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted October 21, 2016 Share Posted October 21, 2016 I use a lot of blue painters tape as a "guide" when I foil & it works very well. Wheel well trim is the toughest, but it is possible to get a nice straight edge. I cut extremely thin strips of painters tape & carefully lay them down along the edge of the foiled area with a tweezers. Then you use the edge of the tape as a guide for your blade. THANK YOU Mr. Guthmiller! I've been in awe of your foil work since I first saw one of your models. Now I finally have some hope of turning out something I can think of as at least decent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Anderson Posted October 21, 2016 Share Posted October 21, 2016 (edited) Deleted Edited October 21, 2016 by Art Anderson Delete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake45 Posted October 21, 2016 Share Posted October 21, 2016 Thank you all for your thoughts and tips. I tried Steve´s tips with a tape for steering the knife. I use Tamiya’s 3mm and this is easy to “bend”. I used the same tape, applied before the Sharpie marker that Snake suggest. Both worked, if you want more shiny chrome I think the BMF is the best. Glad you found something that worked for you! I occasionally use a masking tape in conjunction with the Sharpie, but not for wheel opening edges. I find it pretty easy to do those freehand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigTallDad Posted October 21, 2016 Share Posted October 21, 2016 (edited) Only if the wheel cutout is perfectly round, which in most cases it is not.Harry, if you're responding to my post...the distance between the pivot pin and the blade tip determines the width of the trim. The "roundness" of the opening is of no consequence, since the pivot pin is following the opening of the wheel well. Edited October 22, 2016 by BigTallDad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenGuthmiller Posted October 21, 2016 Share Posted October 21, 2016 Thank you all for your thoughts and tips. I tried Steve´s tips with a tape for steering the knife. I use Tamiya’s 3mm and this is easy to “bend”. I used the same tape, applied before the Sharpie marker that Snake suggest. Both worked, if you want more shiny chrome I think the BMF is the best. Yup. Any tape will work as long as it's thin enough to bend around the opening without kinking. Looks like you've got it pretty much dialed in! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteski Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 Steven, that is a brilliant idea. I too struggle with putting foil on my kits and never thought about using painters tape as a guide. I can vouch vouch for that technique too. I've been using it for years and I thought I invented it. But obviously others had the same bright idea. The other good thing about that technique is that the tape automatically (and cleanly) pulls up the extra foil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenGuthmiller Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 (edited) The other good thing about that technique is that the tape automatically (and cleanly) pulls up the extra foil. Most of the time! Steve Edited October 24, 2016 by StevenGuthmiller Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyjim Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 One of our FAST guys cuts a length of BMF using a straight edge and sharp blade. He then applies the BMF to the wheel well and slowly works it around. No trimming and guide tape necessary with his method. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randyc Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 Or you could use a compass...remove the pencil and insert an Xacto knife. Place the pivot pin inside the fender well, tweak the adjustment, and run the blade along the outside of the fender well.What kind of compass will hold an Xacto blade? The ones I have are part of a set that someone gave me many years ago and will only hold the metal pins and a pencil lead. Not big enough to hold a blade. that would be awesome to be able to do that. Or am I not seeing it right in my mind? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exotics_Builder Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 I've seen compasses such as this that can hold an Xacto knife handle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenGuthmiller Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 One of our FAST guys cuts a length of BMF using a straight edge and sharp blade. He then applies the BMF to the wheel well and slowly works it around. No trimming and guide tape necessary with his method. I'm skeptical that this can be done with no kinks in the foil.I have not tried it, so I could be wrong, but it doesn't seem possible. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyjim Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 It works!! I've seen it done several times when we had a BMF tutorial at a FAST meeting. Search for builds by Alan Wickham/real gone 58 (maybe all one word). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigTallDad Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 (edited) What kind of compass will hold an Xacto blade? The ones I have are part of a set that someone gave me many years ago and will only hold the metal pins and a pencil lead. Not big enough to hold a blade. that would be awesome to be able to do that. Or am I not seeing it right in my mind?Sorry, but I I said "knife", not "blade"...to me the knife includes the handle.Exotics_Builder showed a picture of such a compass. If the compass will hold a lead pencil, it'll probably hold an Xacto knife handle.I'd strongly suggest you use an Xacto handle that has the swiveling blade. Edited October 25, 2016 by BigTallDad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randyc Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 Oh okay. And mine will only hold the "lead" out of a pencil. Not a handle. Thanks for the info though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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