Bare Metal Foil

[JollySipper]

15 minutes ago, redscampi said:

I've got a brand new package of BMF that's 20 years old...

You've got some of the Good foil, so you're already ahead of the game!

[StevenGuthmiller]

3 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

I'm still working up the nerve to try it the first time.

I know...pathetic.

But I've seen so many semi-buggered jobs that appear to be the norm, I've been procrastinating.

I have a '57 Ford drag car that's going to be multi-colored primer (supposedly pieced together from junkyard parts) and it needs chrome...but since it's mostly primer, I figgered if I bodge it, it won't be all that hard to fix...

Pathetic.   

That’s one of the things that escapes me is the fear to try BMF.

It’s probably the ONLY material used for chrome trim that if you don’t like it, you can pull it off and try again.

So much easier to deal with mistakes than any other method.

 

 

Steve

[Ace-Garageguy]

51 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

That’s one of the things that escapes me is the fear to try BMF.

I assure you sir, "fear" has nothing to do with it. That may be one of the funniest things I've ever read.

My hesitation comes from a desire to not bugger the underlying paint. My hands are still pretty steady, but occasionally I do "slip" while doing something else, and have to correct a knife cut.

AND...I've seen foil jobs where the side trim spear should be, oh, let's say about 3/4 of a scale inch wide, and as applied it's more like 3.

Peeling it off will surely result in a long knife cut in the wrong place, highly visible even if the next application of foil is perfect.

But now that I've pretty much mastered several scribing tools, and I've seen some modelers whose work I admire recommend pre-scribing prior to paint, to give the foil-cutting blade something more positive to follow than a possibly vaguely-molded trim piece, I'm more confident in my ability to achieve results I can accept from my own work.

And I'll still be starting to practice the technique on a surface that's relatively easy to repair in the event I end up with a cut somewhere I don't want one on the first try...which is highly likely.

I've rarely achieved competence at anything without a lot of trial and failure along the way, and I just don't want a bunch of half-arred foil work and scarred paint making me cringe every time I look at it....so building my proficiency on primered panels that don't need perfect paint suits my temperament and approach to skill-building.

And since I have pretty much zero interest in building anything stock, it's not like avoiding foil work is exactly holding me back. 

Edited November 27, 2023 by Ace-Garageguy

[Ace-Garageguy]

3 hours ago, redscampi said:

I've got a brand new package of BMF that's 20 years old...

I'm pretty sure I do too...

[NOBLNG]

48 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

….and I just don't want a bunch of half-arred foil work and scarred paint making me cringe every time I look at it....so building my proficiency on primered panels that don't need perfect paint suits my temperament and approach to skill-building.

Just grab any old body that you have no intention of building and do a bit of practice. You’ll be amazed at how easy it can be.

[Ace-Garageguy]

47 minutes ago, NOBLNG said:

Just grab any old body that you have no intention of building...

I'm not familiar with the concept. I fully intend to build every one of the 343,469 in the current stash. 

[Fat Brian]

2 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

I assure you sir, "fear" has nothing to do with it. That may be one of the funniest things I've ever read.

My hesitation comes from a desire to not bugger the underlying paint. My hands are still pretty steady, but occasionally I do "slip" while doing something else, and have to correct a knife cut.

AND...I've seen foil jobs where the side trim spear should be, oh, let's say about 3/4 of a scale inch wide, and as applied it's more like 3.

Peeling it off will surely result in a long knife cut in the wrong place, highly visible even if the next application of foil is perfect.

But now that I've pretty much mastered several scribing tools, and I've seen some modelers whose work I admire recommend pre-scribing prior to paint, to give the foil-cutting blade something more positive to follow than a possibly vaguely-molded trim piece, I'm more confident in my ability to achieve results I can accept from my own work.

And I'll still be starting to practice the technique on a surface that's relatively easy to repair in the event I end up with a cut somewhere I don't want one on the first try...which is highly likely.

I've rarely achieved competence at anything without a lot of trial and failure along the way, and I just don't want a bunch of half-arred foil work and scarred paint making me cringe every time I look at it....so building my proficiency on primered panels that don't need perfect paint suits my temperament and approach to skill-building.

And since I have pretty much zero interest in building anything stock, it's not like avoiding foil work is exactly holding me back. 

The pressure needed to cut the foil is very small. Here is a pic of the sheet I was cutting from the other day. You can see that you can cut the foil while barely marking the wax paper beneath. Some of my cuts aren't even visible. 

[StevenGuthmiller]

44 minutes ago, Fat Brian said:

The pressure needed to cut the foil is very small. Here is a pic of the sheet I was cutting from the other day. You can see that you can cut the foil while barely marking the wax paper beneath. Some of my cuts aren't even visible. 

Exactly.

The blade should do the work and it takes virtually no pressure to cut.

You’re not hacking on a piece of sirloin.

It’s a very gentle pressure that’s required.

I’ve replaced the same length of trim 2 or 3 times on a number of projects and I would defy anyone to be able to find a mark in the paint.

If you happen to be concerned about putting a cut in the paint with some kind of flub, all you need to do is run a piece of blue painter’s tape along the edge of the trim after the foil is laid down, and use that for your cutting guide.

If you wind up cutting through the tape and damaging the paint, you should have your tools taken away from you! ?

With this tape method, it’s virtually impossible to slip and damage the paint.......unless you’re some kind of Neanderthal.
 

 

Steve

Edited November 28, 2023 by StevenGuthmiller

[Oldriginal86]

My preferred cutting tool is a single edge razor blade. My hand shakes a bit so I need to keep my fingers close to the work.

[Bainford]

This is my weapon of choice, an x-acto blade and a short piece of heat-shrink tube. Light weight and good control. 

[atomicholiday]

8 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

 

If you wind up cutting through the tape and damaging the paint, you should have your tools taken away from you! ?

 

Dang...  Ok, so which one of you guys wants all my tools. ?

[StevenGuthmiller]

3 hours ago, atomicholiday said:

Dang...  Ok, so which one of you guys wants all my tools. ?

Seriously, If you use the method with the tape as I described, You'd have to be almost trying to cut through the tape and into the paint.

If it's a concern for you, there should never be a circumstance where you should have any problems such as that using tape as a guide/guard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

Edited November 28, 2023 by StevenGuthmiller

[Perspect Scale Modelworks]

I've used BMF to cover bumpers that were faded. Tedious but doable. I've now jumped on the Revell chrome spray bandwagon to eliminate that chore. 

Front and rear bumpers on this Caddy are BMF'd

[StevenGuthmiller]

And they look very nice!

Although they may have taken some time, skill, and thought to do, you'll never have to worry about the finish rubbing off or dulling like is common with virtually all of the chrome paints.

 

As long as I still have other options, I'm going to avoid the chrome paints as much as I possibly can.

I just don't trust them much.

Especially Molotow!

Everyone seems to have leapt onto that bandwagon, with little or no thought at all as to what the long term viability of it is.

It was never designed to be a permanent thing, So I can't imagine that it would have permanent properties.

It's going to be quite a surprise to a lot of people if ten years down the road we begin to see the stuff oxidize and turn green or purple, or whatever else might go wrong with it.

 

Excuse my rant.

I just try my best to urge people towards taking the time to learn to use BMF instead of taking unknown short cuts and using products like Molotow that have an uncertain failure possibility in the future.

 

You're Caddy pictured above proves that with some experience, you can do virtually anything with foil.

Although I might not even try to go to that length with it, it obviously can be done.

 

 

 

Steve