Bare Metal Foil

[Plowboy]

4 hours ago, Belugawrx said:

Its not plumbers tape, its 'Multi purpose HVAC foil tape'

And it's way too thick for models. 

[Belugawrx]

14 minutes ago, Plowboy said:

And it's way too thick for models. 

I concur

[Snake45]

5 hours ago, Plowboy said:

And it's way too thick for models. 

I've found it usable for plain (unribbed) rocker panel trim), but not much else. As you say it's thick, and won't take much/any "contouring." 

Edited July 26, 2021 by Snake45

[PatW]

Oh well I've used it now for 2 years, and to me it's perfect, BMF is too expensive for a pensioner like me to buy in such small sheets.

[MeatMan]

43 minutes ago, PatW said:

Oh well I've used it now for 2 years, and to me it's perfect, BMF is too expensive for a pensioner like me to buy in such small sheets.

I have seen online posts where they bought foil tape at dollar stores and got thinner tape than regular foil tape yet still a bit thicker than BMF and they liked it. Perhaps it depends on the source. The tape I have is way too thick for trim around windows etc. Also, the adhesive is extremely unforgiving. It will pull the paint right off.

[Ctmodeler]

What is the mil thickness of bmf ? Does anyone know

[crazyjim]

13 hours ago, Ctmodeler said:

What is the mil thickness of bmf ? Does anyone know

Which one?  There was NEW IMPROVED CHROME (which was the best), ULTRA CHROME and now CHROME. 

[AC Norton]

1 hour ago, crazyjim said:

Which one?  There was NEW IMPROVED CHROME (which was the best), ULTRA CHROME and now CHROME. 

I HAVE CHECKED UP AROUND MY AREA, AND MADE SOME EBAY  INQUIRIES ABOUT GETTING ' NEW IMPROVED CHROME '  SOME WHERE, WITH NO POSITIVE RESULTS..... I PERSONALLY HAVE ENOUGH FOR 2, MAYBE 3 REGULAR BUILDS WITH SMALL SCRAPS LEFT OVER, BUT THATS IT....APPEARS THIS IS BECOMING A PROBLEM FOR MANY OF US......ALL THE NEWS THATS FIT TO PRINT....ACE...?

Edited July 27, 2021 by AC Norton

[Ctmodeler]

3 hours ago, crazyjim said:

Which one?  There was NEW IMPROVED CHROME (which was the best), ULTRA CHROME and now CHROME. 

Didn't think about that. Any of em 

[Snake45]

17 hours ago, Ctmodeler said:

What is the mil thickness of bmf ? Does anyone know

Dunno about BMF, but I just happened to have a piece of cheap kitchen foil and my dial caliper on the bench, so I miked that. Looks like it went about a third of the way to the first mark, which is .001" And BMF is much thinner than THAT. 

Few here would have an instrument that could measure it. Ace Garage might. 

[Bainford]

On 7/26/2021 at 8:06 PM, Ctmodeler said:

What is the mil thickness of bmf ? Does anyone know

I don’t have any of the current ‘chrome’ and never had the ultra bright stuff, but measured up what I have on hand. 
New Improved Chrome = .0008”, or 8 tenths of a thou (or 0.8 mil)
BMF Matte Aluminum = .0013”, or 1.3 thou. 
BMF Black Chrome = .0009”, or 9 tenths of a thou. 
 

I was curious about this myself. I expected the New Improved stuff to be closer to half a thou. 

[Ctmodeler]

15 hours ago, Bainford said:

I don’t have any of the current ‘chrome’ and never had the ultra bright stuff, but measured up what I have on hand. 
New Improved Chrome = .0008”, or 8 tenths of a thou (or 0.8 mil)
BMF Matte Aluminum = .0013”, or 1.3 thou. 
BMF Black Chrome = .0009”, or 9 tenths of a thou. 
 

I was curious about this myself. I expected the New Improved stuff to be closer to half a thou. 

Cool. Thanks for the accurate information. 

[crazyjim]

Sure hope the NEW IMPROVED CHROME comes back soon.

[Snake45]

17 hours ago, Bainford said:

I don’t have any of the current ‘chrome’ and never had the ultra bright stuff, but measured up what I have on hand. 
New Improved Chrome = .0008”, or 8 tenths of a thou (or 0.8 mil)
BMF Matte Aluminum = .0013”, or 1.3 thou. 
BMF Black Chrome = .0009”, or 9 tenths of a thou. 
 

I was curious about this myself. I expected the New Improved stuff to be closer to half a thou. 

Do these figures include the backing paper? Or did you take the foil off and measure only that? 

[Bainford]

2 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

Do these figures include the backing paper? Or did you take the foil off and measure only that? 

Those figures are foil and adhesive only. No backing paper.

[Snake45]

47 minutes ago, Bainford said:

Those figures are foil and adhesive only. No backing paper.

Thanks! I'd have thought they'd have been much thinner than my cheap kitchen foil. 

[Bainford]

5 hours ago, Snake45 said:

Thanks! I'd have thought they'd have been much thinner than my cheap kitchen foil. 

Curiosity got me again, so I measured some aluminum foil from the kitchen. It is Alcan brand, so not one of the cheaper ones. To my astonishment it measured .0007” thick. Just to double check, I measured a new piece of BMF New Improved Chrome, and sure enough it measured .0008”. 

Now, it must be considered that the BMF is foil + adhesive, but just the same I would never have guessed that kitchen foil is thinner than BMF. 

[AC Norton]

30 minutes ago, Bainford said:

Curiosity got me again, so I measured some aluminum foil from the kitchen. It is Alcan brand, so not one of the cheaper ones. To my astonishment it measured .0007” thick. Just to double check, I measured a new piece of BMF New Improved Chrome, and sure enough it measured .0008”. 

Now, it must be considered that the BMF is foil + adhesive, but just the same I would never have guessed that kitchen foil is thinner than BMF. 

I HAVE NEVER CONSIDERED ALL THESE MEASURING DETAILS, BUT WILL STICK WITH USING THE BMF I HAVE ON HAND....IF I START USING KITCHEN FOIL, IT WILL END UP THAT I WON'T HAVE WHAT'S NEEDED TO COOK DINNER...LOL.....the ACE...?

[Snake45]

1 hour ago, Bainford said:

Curiosity got me again, so I measured some aluminum foil from the kitchen. It is Alcan brand, so not one of the cheaper ones. To my astonishment it measured .0007” thick. 

That sounds about right. I don't have any name brand stuff like Alcoa or Reynolds Wrap on hand but they seem about twice as thick or more as the cheap stuff I have. 

But like you, I'm astonished that BMF is that thick. I still have part of an ancient sheet around here somewhere. I'll have to see if I can get a measurement on it. 

[peteski]

As I seem to repeat in every BMF related thread, BMF Chrome (or Improved Chrome) are *NOT* aluminum foil. It is some  sort of soft metal alloy, which is very stretchy.  That is why it conforms to complex surfaces so well. It is not just the thickness that makes the difference between BMF and aluminum foil.

The very thin adhesive also makes difference.  HVAC duct tape uses much thicker layer of adhesive. If you burnish that foil the soft addhesive will cause the foil not to look smooth.

[AC Norton]

......SO MY NEXT QUESTION IS....IF JUST ULTRA BRIGHT AND JUST CHROME BMF ARE THE ONLY TYPES AROUND THESE DAYS, WHICH IS THE BETTER OF THE TWO HERE, BEING  EVERYONE IS SAYING  BOTH ARE  BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH, IF I NEED TO GET SOME....THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR INPUT...ACE

[crazyjim]

Neither is any good.  I've been using the matte aluminum with limited results.

[Michael jones]

New improved chrome turned out pretty good here...

[TransAmMike]

looks good Michael and cool looking P-51 too.?