How have you guys been dealing with the "new" Bare Metal Foil?

[TooOld]

Ordered on the 11th and received today the 13th !

On the right is my old sheet next to the new sheet I just received , I didn't dig out my micrometers to measure the thickness but using calipers they both are approx .001" thick .  I cut a small corner off the new sheet to measure the thickness and to test applying it to a part , the adhesive is good (not too much) and it sticks just fine . It has a smooth finish and looks just like the original stuff . . . I think we have a winner !  Hopefully Steve's results will confirm this .

[Dpate]

Sweet! I've been keeping a eye out on this topic for awhile.  I'll eventually make me a order directly from BMF themselves instead of ordering from random places with old stock.

[StevenGuthmiller]

Just received my BMF order today, so here's the assessment that I promised.

 

I consider it about a 90% win.

 

First of all, shipping was crazy fast, which is a great start.

Ordered last Thursday, and received it today.

Not bad at all in my book.

 

My first inspection was just the general look of the sheet right out of the package, and it looked fairly good.

Generally, a good sheet will look like smooth, flat, brushed aluminum.

The look was pretty good, although it did display what could be a little bit of adhesive texture.

 

Next, was to cut a piece and remove it from the backing.

It performed exactly like the old foil, cutting easily and pulling up from the backing without the curl that you get from foil that is too thick.

A very good sign.

 

Then a test application.

Again, it went on, burnished down, and polished up just like the old stuff.

Adhesion was exceptional, and conformity to contours were very good.

Trimming went just as well as the old foil.

 

Now, the only complaint......and this is really nothing new.

There appeared to be a little too much adhesive texture for my taste, as stated earlier in the post.

 

But, as I said, this is something that was an issue on occasion with the old stuff too, and is not a deal breaker by any stretch in my opinion.

 

So, for any of you that were on the fence about the performance of the latest incarnation of BMF, you should be fairly confident that you will get an acceptable product.

 

Both sheets that I purchased were pretty much identical in performance features.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

 

[peteski]

Thanks for the review Steve.

I'm a bit puzzled about the "brushed aluminum" statement.  Aluminum has a "cool" bluish-silver color. BMF has a distinctly "warm" silver tone -- more like nickel than anything else.  I also never thought that it had a brushed look to it.  While it is not mirror-like reflective, it is nowhere as dull as brushed metal.  Or does the new stuff look duller than the old original BMF?

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 minute ago, peteski said:

Thanks for the review Steve.

I'm a bit puzzled about the "brushed aluminum" statement.  Aluminum has a "cool" bluish-silver color. BMF has a distinctly "warm" silver tone -- more like nickel than anything else.  I also never thought that it had a brushed look to it.  While it is not mirror-like reflective, it is nowhere as dull as brushed metal.  Or does the new stuff look duller than the old original BMF?

I only meant that it will look pretty dull with visible lines, much like brushed aluminum.

If it looks too shiny right out of the package, you’ll probably be disappointed in it’s performance. 
The thicker “ultra-bright” foil, and the thicker stuff that everyone has been complaining about for the past year usually look a little glossier right out of the package.

Call it a failed attempt to describe what looks like a good sheet of foil when opened.

It’s just a look that it seems to have right out of the sleeve that’s been a pretty good indication to me that it’s going to be a good sheet before I even cut into it that is a little hard to describe.

 

 

 

 

Steve

[peteski]

OK, thanks for the clarification.  Nice to have the original  stuff back.  The photo of how well it confirms to the molding, and script confirms that it's the "good stuff". Also nice to know that the adhesive is also good.

[Mr. Metallic]

I just really wish that BMF Inc had done something better to differentiate the brand new stuff from everything that came before. Unless you buy directly from BMF you are taking a BIG gamble on whether or not you are getting something usable. There is still a ton of the older stuff floating around hobby shops, online retailers and swap vendors that you don't know what you're buying. The "new and improved" sticker is something that they have been putting on their product for years, so it does nothing to differentiate the truly NEW product. 

[StevenGuthmiller]

27 minutes ago, Mr. Metallic said:

I just really wish that BMF Inc had done something better to differentiate the brand new stuff from everything that came before. Unless you buy directly from BMF you are taking a BIG gamble on whether or not you are getting something usable. There is still a ton of the older stuff floating around hobby shops, online retailers and swap vendors that you don't know what you're buying. The "new and improved" sticker is something that they have been putting on their product for years, so it does nothing to differentiate the truly NEW product. 

You're probably going to get it cheaper ordering directly from BMF anyway.

$7.50 per sheet.

 

 

 

Steve

[Mr. Metallic]

6 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

You're probably going to get it cheaper ordering directly from BMF anyway.

$7.50 per sheet.

 

 

 

Steve

Sure, plus $6 shipping. I'm not saying that's unreasonable, but budget is a factor for many people. Makes sense to stock up on several sheets.

[StevenGuthmiller]

28 minutes ago, Mr. Metallic said:

Sure, plus $6 shipping. I'm not saying that's unreasonable, but budget is a factor for many people. Makes sense to stock up on several sheets.

Then you just have to weigh the risks.

Either you buy from BMF directly and be certain, or buy somewhere else and take a chance.

It’s an individual choice.

 

 

 

 

Steve

[peteski]

Well, if you do get one of the "bad batch" sheets for a hobby store, cant you contact BMF to get a free replacement?  I can imagine BMF will be really hurting if lots of modelers start doing this.  I hope this doesn't kill BMF company for good this time.

[Tommy124]

I have been following this thread with quite some interest. I did not face problems with BMF not being adhesive (enough) but I noticed differences in thickness and "appearance", as far as the chrome brightness is concerned.

The first time that I worked with this "new quality" was when I did my 1970 Plymouth GTX. The foil seemed to look too "chromy" and I was afraid it's too thick to lay it down and cut it properly. However, I was surprised to find that it looked real good and could be dealt with. The only difference now being that I switched my scalpel blades more often to make them cut through the "thick stuff" properly.

 

However, this - or any kind of - BMF Chrome foil is very hard to come by here in Europe currently. I have some assumptions what could be the reason for that. The situation definitely worsened in the beginning of the Covid pandemic. So it's no surprise I am looking at self-made alternatives, especially as I am regularly using BMF as a masking material but would actually not require "genuine" BMF for that purpose. 

Some weeks ago I found the below tutorial on YT. I think it's interesting because it's actually about making sheets of adhesive foil for using later on, rather than the glue-and-apply-instantly procedure that was shown earlier in this thread. I did some testing myself with the "gold leaf bond" aswell as BMF adhesive but did not succeed yet. I used silicone paper aswell as plastic foil as a carrier material, but it's not been good yet. I believe the secret is in finding a carrier that will allow to apply the adhesive very evenly but still keep it from drying out over time.

 

[David G.]

Late last year I bought a couple sheets of what has now become known as "the bad stuff" and I've been using a diluted PVA solution to get it to stick. After discovering this thread a couple of weeks ago, I emailed BMF at customerservice@bare-metal.com explaining the quality issue and have yet to receive a reply.

Does it normally take them this long to respond or do I have the wrong address?

David G.

[tbill]

I ordered 5 sheets from BMF Saturday, got it today ( Wednesday). It is packaged differently, each sheet in an individual zip lock bag, and what looks like the envelope is a fold open card with the foil sheet inside. I did a quick test piece, seems to be back to what we are all used to. I’m pleased that I can foil with confidence again after dealing with the sub par sheets I have purchased in the last year or so.

 

[1972coronet]

2 hours ago, tbill said:

I ordered 5 sheets from BMF Saturday, got it today ( Wednesday). It is packaged differently, each sheet in an individual zip lock bag, and what looks like the envelope is a fold open card with the foil sheet inside. I did a quick test piece, seems to be back to what we are all used to. I’m pleased that I can foil with confidence again after dealing with the sub par sheets I have purchased in the last year or so.

Potentially silly enquiry here: Is the part number updated or changed? Any indication -- bar code, SKU -- that it is indeed the improved item (other than the "NEW IMPROVED CHROME!!" decal)?