does bare metal foil spoil?

[youpey]

I found some foil in my closet yesterday that i didnt know i had, it has to be a couple of years old since i bought it from a place that is no longer in business. It looks like it is discolored a bit, almost like it has yellowed.

does bare metal foil expire?

[stitchdup]

I've had some of the ultra chrome turn black on me. It polishes up again though with non abrasive metal polishes (abrasive leaves scratches). I think as long as the glue is still good you should be able to polish it up and use it

[Fat Brian]

I've had old foil get a layer of oxidation on it. I learned this when rubbing it down put black streaks all over a flat white paint job. Putting the sheet on a hard surface and rubbing it with a soft cloth should get most of it off.

[peteski]

Since the metal used in that foil is not aluminum (it is some sort of soft alloy), it always has a slightly warm hue,,and can discolor further from long exposure to air.  But as others have mentioned, the discoloration cam be rubbed out.  JUst use smooth hard surface to hold the sheet for cleaning.  You coudl probably even use a little but of whatever you use to polish out paint (like Novus).

I have also heard that some people have problem with the adhesive losing it stickiness, but I have not experienced that wit older foil.  You can easily check if the adhesive is still good by applying a piece of foil to some surface (like a plastic spoon).

[kurth]

I have had the adhesive fail,   usually on a sheet which was open for at least a year. I also remember reading that if you see wrinkles in the foil on the sheet, it is a sign that the adhesive may have failed. 

[Russell C]

5 minutes ago, kurth said:

...if you see wrinkles in the foil on the sheet, it is a sign that the adhesive may have failed. 

Not so for the 4 sheets I bought around 1980, where I'm only now starting to cut into the 4th sheet for larger bits. Adhesive is still good, I just avoid the wrinkles which can't be salvaged, and I can polish what I do use to a brilliant shine with Simichrome polish. (works great on any metal)

 

[peteski]

My BMF is old, but not *THAT* old. Yours is like time capsule!  It shows the old address, and no area code for their phone number!  Actually on the inside of the cover mine shows "Copyright 1981", so it is just a bit newer than yours.

BTW, El Mason, the creator of BMF passed away few years back.  Now his son is running the business.

Edited May 26, 2021 by peteski

[John1955]

I recently found some ancient pinstriping rolls that I'd bought from AW in circa 1978, there are black rolls, white ones and one is silver. Widths are  .125", .062" and .030. I assumed they would no longer be any good and almost threw them away. But to my surprise (and delight), when I tried applying some to models already built that I was restoring, the adhesive was strong and still good. I guess you never know until you try. 

[kurth]

12 hours ago, Russell C said:

Not so for the 4 sheets I bought around 1980, where I'm only now starting to cut into the 4th sheet for larger bits. Adhesive is still good, I just avoid the wrinkles which can't be salvaged, and I can polish what I do use to a brilliant shine with Simichrome polish. (works great on any metal)

 

 

Cool, I am glad you had good luck with the old BMF. It looks like you were able to use just about every little scrap of that sheet. ??

 

 

[MADmodelDOCTOR]

Very interesting topic.

[Russell C]

23 hours ago, peteski said:

....the inside of the cover mine shows "Copyright 1981", so it is just a bit newer than yours. .....

Here's my whole 4-sheet collection. I hadn't thought to re-read the inside covers lately, they're all even older than I thought. I might have bought them all instead in the late '70s, probably from a hobby shop that had a big unsold pile of them, or maybe from Autoworld, which might have had a large older stockpile. The flames shapes in the 3rd sheet result from the paint masks I used for my Lambo Flambé. Never had much use for large areas, so I just avoided the wrinkled bits.

[peteski]

1973?!  Wow!  That's really old!  Good to see example of the longevity of this product.  I'm curious: what model is pictured on the cover?

BMF's website shows: "Bare-Metal Foil was invented in 1970 by Eldred Mason because of his desire to have a more natural finish on his model aircraft."  Your foil is probably one of the original batches.

Edited May 26, 2021 by peteski

[Russell C]

22 hours ago, peteski said:

1973?!  Wow!  ... I'm curious: what model is pictured on the cover?

Never gave much thought to the covers because I'm not a plane guy. No idea what that is.

Edited May 27, 2021 by Russell C
typo

[Matt Bacon]

1 hour ago, Russell C said:

Never gave much thought to the covers because I'm not a plane guy. No idea what that is.

Republic RF-84F Thunderflash, reconnaissance version of the F-84F Thunderstreak, not to be confused (except by Congress money-men) with the earlier F-84 Thunderjet…

best,

M.

[peteski]

Yes, these must be the original runs of the foil, because it's original purpose was for covering models of natural-metal aircraft.  Only later on it started to be used for automotive trim (so the later packaging featured Dennis Doty's car model, and the current version features my model).

Looks like back then they didn't even call it "chrome", because it was meant to simulate aluminum aircraft skin.

Quoting the BMF's website: Bare-Metal Foil was invented in 1970 by Eldred Mason because of his desire to have a more natural finish on his model aircraft. Since that time the Bare-Metal Foil Co. has been providing both amateur and expert hobbyists with outstanding hobby products. Bare-Metal Foil is the original detailing foil used to duplicate the chrome on model cars and natural metal on model aircraft. Bare-Metal is so thin that a modeler can cover rocker panels, keyholes, door handles, and nameplates on model cars and 100% of the detail will still show right through. On model aircraft Bare-Metal Foil can be used to cover the entire model, revealing every rivet and panel line. No other product can produce a more realistic appearance.

I'm glad you hung on to, and still use those old sheets of BMF. Like I mentioned, it's like a piece of modeling history!

Edited May 27, 2021 by peteski

[Russell C]

I learn something new every day! Glad to accidentally save history.

[AMT68]

I have the 1987 release of the AMT '65 Pontiac Bonneville "Prestige Series" which included a piece of foil to be used for the rocker trim. Tried it last year during the build but it had lost it's adhesiveness however. 

Another very interesting topic btw. 

[peteski]

Did it specifically mention that it is Bare Metal Foil, or was it Detail Master version of the foil?

[Rocking Rodney Rat]

It should have an expiration date on it somewhere.... -RRR

[peteski]

1 hour ago, Rocking Rodney Rat said:

It should have an expiration date on it somewhere.... -RRR

If you weren't joking, no there wasn't ever, and isn't any expiration date on BMF.  It is not like food.

[89AKurt]

I've had a sheet with no useful adhesive, no idea about date made.

[Bugatti Fan]

Guys, besides BMF I have used smooth aluminium plumbing tape. It is a bit thicker than  BMF, self adhesive and a bit more forgiving. Plus the amount on a roll equates to a number of sheets of BMF.

It depends on what you are doing which product would work better, so it would be a case of experimenting a bit.

[Rocking Rodney Rat]

8 hours ago, peteski said:

If you weren't joking, no there wasn't ever, and isn't any expiration date on BMF.  It is not like food.

Thanks for clearing that up for us...? -RRR 

[Kromolly]

Interesting read here, including the history.  And I thought my CA 1995 BMF was old!  ?

[peteski]

4 hours ago, Rocking Rodney Rat said:

Thanks for clearing that up for us...? -RRR 

In today's world of online communication one never knows if someone is serious or joking, even if the joke seams obvious to most readers.  There are lots of totally clueless people posting total fallacies in the Interwebs, convinced that they know what they're talking about. Your post seemed to be "serious".  A smiley would have made the intent of your post clearer.