Bare metal Foiling recommendations

[Tommy124]

On 12/11/2019 at 9:28 PM, StevenGuthmiller said:

I wait until right before my last coat or 2 of color.

I used to apply BMF onto primer but changed my process a bit, inspired by Steve's tips. I find it much easier to remove only 1 or 2 coats on the emblems than, say, 4 or 5. In some cases I use Micro Mesh 8000 grade to give them a bit of "extra" shine. 

[Bucky]

The first time I used BMF was on an AMT '63 Ford Galaxy. A good bit of BMF went on that one. I had no problems with the application, other than it taking a while! One thing I did discover is that BMF will show you how smooth your paint job really is! It's almost like a magnifying glass!!

[thatz4u]

I always use Steve's FUP method......

[StevenGuthmiller]

On 12/13/2019 at 3:59 AM, Tommy124 said:

In some cases I use Micro Mesh 8000 grade to give them a bit of "extra" shine. 

That's a great tip as well.

Even just a light rubbing with a 12000 polishing pad at the end will brighten it up quite a bit.

 

 

Steve

[Snake45]

I did this with cheap generic kitchen foil, and the paint polish polished it up nicely. 

[SfanGoch]

The bargain kitchen foil is perfect because it's thinner than the name brand variety. BTW, you could get pulled over for improperly displaying a plate like that.

[StevenGuthmiller]

Just now, SfanGoch said:

BTW, you could get pulled over for improperly displaying a plate like that.

I was just about to ask this question, but knowing snake, there's a perfectly "reasonable" explanation!

 

Lay it on us Snake!

 

 

Steve

[SfanGoch]

If you're Kevin Hart, it makes it easier for the cops to read it.

[OldNYJim]

On 12/14/2019 at 4:56 PM, SfanGoch said:

The bargain kitchen foil is perfect because it's thinner than the name brand variety. BTW, you could get pulled over for improperly displaying a plate like that.

Not in Australia ?? 

[Snake45]

On 12/14/2019 at 4:59 PM, StevenGuthmiller said:

I was just about to ask this question, but knowing snake, there's a perfectly "reasonable" explanation!

 

Lay it on us Snake!

 

 

Steve

It's a rescue glue bomb I repainted and upgraded. (Rare for me--I never repaint "rescues," saving that for full rebuilds.) When I got it, the license plate frame was installed upside down. And the taillights were glued on the OUTSIDE of the body! I repositioned both correctly, and thought it would be fun to leave the license plate as-installed as a reminder of its humble glue bomb origins. So there. 

[StevenGuthmiller]

28 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

It's a rescue glue bomb I repainted and upgraded. (Rare for me--I never repaint "rescues," saving that for full rebuilds.) When I got it, the license plate frame was installed upside down. And the taillights were glued on the OUTSIDE of the body! I repositioned both correctly, and thought it would be fun to leave the license plate as-installed as a reminder of its humble glue bomb origins. So there. 

See!

I knew that there would be a completely plausible explanation!

Snake doesn't just "goof up" things like this!

 

 

Steve

[Bucky]

Wow! I kinda like the taillights the way they were when ya got it! LoL

[Cornpatch]

he'll probley tell us he's dyslectic

[SfanGoch]

Dyslexic.

[Snake45]

1 hour ago, Cornpatch said:

he'll probley tell us he's dyslectic

There goes some now! 

[ratherbefishin]

I tried this technique after Steve responded to my query about badges and emblems.  Still learning but getting more comfortable with it.  I think I waited for my final coat to fully cure before using thinner on the foil and that seemed to be a mistake.  My latest attempt was just after the final coat was touch dry and seemed to go much easier.  Ditto on the tip of wiping the thinner on, letting it soak a little and then using a toothpick or modeling Qtip (not a regular one, way too much shedding) or those made for nail technicians to take the paint off the foil.  Much easier.

I also found that regardless of when I was applying foil, lightly wiping the chrome trim area with a touch of School glue stick really helped the foil stay in place while I burnished it down.  Learned that here somewhere.  Works for me and the glue dries clear and wipes off with a damp make up applicator.

Great ideas here, thanks to all.

Curt

 

[Kustomm]

Thanks for letting me in on this great under paint idea, and yes bmf is the best thing to come along since injection molding.

[Bucky]

I'm aware that there are different brands of adhesive hobby foil, but I have only used the BMF brand. Have any of you other builders used other brands, and if so, did you get good results?

[peteski]

11 hours ago, Bucky said:

I'm aware that there are different brands of adhesive hobby foil, but I have only used the BMF brand. Have any of you other builders used other brands, and if so, did you get good results?

As I mentioned in several other BMF-related threads here, there is no substitute for the BMF's original chrome foil!  It is not an aluminum foil and it is very thin.  Whatever alloy it is made, it is quite stretchable and pliable. Much more so than stiff aluminum foil.  I suspect it contains some low-melting-point metals (like tin, bismuth or somoe other similar metal). You can actually melt it with a regular soldering iron running at around 700 deg. F (can't do that with aluminum). Because it is not aluminum, it has a slightly warm color which make it look a bit like nickel, but it still looks great as chrome.

That pliability is what makes it the best.  Other foils (including some other varieties of BMF) are aluminum foil. They are nowhere as good or easy to work with. Years ago I tried Detail Master foil. While it looked just like chrome, it was impossible to snug into complex curves. I only used it few times on flat surfaces and tossed it.

And to toot my own horn a bit, the model showcased on the BMF packaging is mine.  I sent some photos of my models to BMF, back around 20 years ago, and El (BMF's proprietor) decided to use them in ads, and on the packaging.

[Ctmodeler]

Hey guys 

Sorry to ask a dumb question here , but I was reading this post and have the same exact thing to accomplish. Some really small scripts on the belvedere to make chrome . By reading this I cannot figure out exactly how you guys go about doing this . Your works looks excellent . Can someone please explain to me how to do that to very small scripts ? Thank you all so much. Having so much fun since getting back into modeling !!

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, Ctmodeler said:

Hey guys 

Sorry to ask a dumb question here , but I was reading this post and have the same exact thing to accomplish. Some really small scripts on the belvedere to make chrome . By reading this I cannot figure out exactly how you guys go about doing this . Your works looks excellent . Can someone please explain to me how to do that to very small scripts ? Thank you all so much. Having so much fun since getting back into modeling !!

Here is a quick primer for how I do it.

Prepare the body as you normally would and begin the painting process.

When you are just about ready to spray on your final color coat, foil the fine scripts that you are focusing on.

Cover the script with foil, burnish it down tightly and trim as close to the script as possible.

Then go ahead and spray on your final color coat.

Once the final coat is at least dry enough to handle, using a small conical swab, like those made by Tamiya, dip it in lacquer thinner and lightly wipe it over the surface of the script being careful not to get thinner on the surrounding body panel.

Let the thinner soak in for 30 seconds or so and the dip a sharpened tooth pick into lacquer thinner and use it to carefully scrape away the paint from the portions of the chrome script that you want exposed.

One the script is exposed, lightly wipe it down with a soft cotton cloth.

 

Once you have completed the scripts you can leave them as is or you can now go ahead and add any clear coats over the body that you care to.

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

 

 

Steve