New Tamiya Aluminium Metal Foil

[Mustang fan]

I just got a pack of this new metal foil from Tamiya, and from my first tests it look better than Bare Metal in some key points:

-Shine is a notch better, and tint is more white (Bare metal has a slight yellow tint in comparison)

-Adhesion is much better, and makes application of tiny pieces easier

-Less sensitive to tearing, because of its higher thickness

Now the only downside to this foil is that its thickness (0.1mm) makes it harder to conform to complex shapes, and overlapping of pieces is more visible. It is however still very thin and it can be worked pretty much like Bare metal, it just need more work in case of a non-flat support. It sticks better on non glossy surfaces too.

Here are a few shots I took:

 

 

There are two sheets in the pack:

 

Here is a test on my WIP 71 Mustang, with two pieces overlapping in the middle:

 

Now a comparison between Bare Metal and Tamiya, when applied on a glass jar (Bare metal on top):

Both products have been polished using a Q-tip. The Tamiya foil polished great , the brushed aluminium aspect disappears after a few swipes of the Qtip!

All in all I think I will use Tamiya from now on, at least for all the bright work on the car bodies. Price wise, it is about the same as Bare Metal, per square inch.

 

[espo]

Any adhesive residue left on the body and paint from where the excess foil is removed? 

[Mustang fan]

I did not see any residue after I removed it from the bare plastic or the glass.

 

[peteski]

How do you know the foil's thickness?   Is that mentioned on the packaging, or you measured it (off the backing paper of course)?

I'm asking because 0.1mm (0.004") is *AWFULY* thick!  Much much thicker than even heavy-duty household aluminum foil.  Maybe you meant 0.01mm (0.0004"). That would be more like what I would expect.

[Mustang fan]

The thickness is mentioned on the packaging, but you are right it is 0.01mm not 0.1mm !

It is noticeably thicker than BMF, but not as thick as kitchen foil...