BMF-ish “Mirror Chrome” by TFI (Japan)

[BDSchindler]

Has anybody used this?

has a great mirror finish but be careful…it’ll pull the paint off when you remove excess.

I’ll never complain about BMF not sticking very well. This is the other extreme!

[Bainford]

I am certainly curious. Is it a metal foil like BMF? Or something flexible like the Hasegawa stuff?

Any photos of this stuff applied to a model?

[BDSchindler]

11 minutes ago, Bainford said:

I am certainly curious. Is it a metal foil like BMF? Or something flexible like the Hasegawa stuff?

Any photos of this stuff applied to a model?

I want to say it’s like sticky Mylar. Like those Mylar balloons…definitely plastic, not metal like BMF is.

[peteski]

if that's the case then this stuff after some time will raise  from any small recessed areas, because the plastic film stays elastic and the adhesive will not be able to hold it down when it wants to return to its natural relaxed state. Similar to Hasegawa chrome "foil".  This material is good for smooth flat applications.  BMF, since it is a soft pliable metal will actually permanently stretch and stay in the recessed areas.

 

EDIT: I just looked at my Hasegawa foil and this stuff *IS* Hasegawa's.  TF1 is not a company name but a part number for that foil. My Hasegawa foil has TF1 in the same spot on the identical label.  The Hasegawa Trytool logo and name are on the bottom end of the cardboard package and it was all enclosed in a transparent plastic box.  I also have their gold foil (part number) TF5, and blue window tint material TF21.

Looks like Brian got a hold of partially used foil with the bottom of the package (and plastic box) missing.

Nothing new here - move along  . . . 

Edited April 4 by peteski

[StevenGuthmiller]

2 hours ago, peteski said:

if that's the case then this stuff after some time will raise  from any small recessed areas, because the plastic film stays elastic and the adhesive will not be able to hold it down when it wants to return to its natural relaxed state. Similar to Hasegawa chrome "foil".  This material is good for smooth flat applications.  BMF, since it is a soft pliable metal will actually permanently stretch and stay in the recessed areas.

 

EDIT: I just looked at my Hasegawa foil and this stuff *IS* Hasegawa's.  TF1 is not a company name but a part number for that foil. My Hasegawa foil has TF1 in the same spot on the identical label.  The Hasegawa Trytool logo and name are on the bottom end of the cardboard package and it was all enclosed in a transparent plastic box.  I also have their gold foil (part number) TF5, and blue window tint material TF21.

Looks like Brian got a hold of partially used foil with the bottom of the package (and plastic box) missing.

Nothing new here - move along  . . . 

Is this stuff really the same material as the window tint?

If so, I’m a complete pass!

I’ll stick with BMF.

 

 

 

Steve

[peteski]

32 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Is this stuff really the same material as the window tint?

If so, I’m a complete pass!

I’ll stick with BMF.

Steve

No it isn't.  It is a very thin stretchy plastic film. Nothing like automotive window tint which is thick and not stretchy at all. I only mentioned the transparent blue material because I bough it (for depicting the top tinted band on tinted windshields).  While the film is stretchy and has a strong adhesive, when it is burnished over certain types of recessed areas does not permanently deform (stretch) like BMF does, and after some time (days or weeks) the film will unstick in the bottom of the recessed area and start going back to its original relaxed state.  BMF is also capable of compressing slightly so small creases can be smoothed out.  The film is compressible slightly, but not as compressible as the BMF.

I'm a big fan of BMF (they are using photo of my '57 BelAir on the BMF envelopes). I bought the Hasegawa Mirror Finish to try it out after seeing it discussed here couple of years ago.  I'm not abandoning BMF by  any means.  The Hasegawa stuff will have its applications, but I'll be continuing using BMF.  Hasegawa film is just another item in my stash of modeling materials.

[StevenGuthmiller]

21 minutes ago, peteski said:

No it isn't.  It is a very thin stretchy plastic film. Nothing like automotive window tint which is thick and not stretchy at all. I only mentioned the transparent blue material because I bough it (for depicting the top tinted band on tinted windshields).  While the film is stretchy and has a strong adhesive, when it is burnished over certain types of recessed areas does not permanently deform (stretch) like BMF does, and after some time (days or weeks) the film will unstick in the bottom of the recessed area and start going back to its original relaxed state.  BMF is also capable of compressing slightly so small creases can be smoothed out.  The film is compressible slightly, but not as compressible as the BMF.

I'm a big fan of BMF (they are using photo of my '57 BelAir on the BMF envelopes). I bought the Hasegawa Mirror Finish to try it out after seeing it discussed here couple of years ago.  I'm not abandoning BMF by  any means.  The Hasegawa stuff will have its applications, but I'll be continuing using BMF.  Hasegawa film is just another item in my stash of modeling materials.

I meant the window tint bands that Hasegawa sells for models.

 

 

Steve

Edited April 4 by StevenGuthmiller

[BDSchindler]

5 hours ago, peteski said:

Looks like Brian got a hold of partially used foil with the bottom of the package (and plastic box) missing.

Nothing new here - move along  . . . 

No it wasn't partially used foil...I removed it from the package and used the portion that you see missing. I placed those 2 together for the shot AFTER I used it.  I wouldn't go making blind statements based on assumptions, Pete.

Edited April 5 by BDSchindler

[peteski]

2 hours ago, BDSchindler said:

No it wasn't partially used foil...I removed it from the package and used the portion that you see missing. I placed those 2 together for the shot AFTER I used it.  I wouldn't go making blind statements based on assumptions, Pete.

Well Brian, you specifically stated that this foil was made by "TF1" from Japan.  Doesn't that clearly indicate that you thought TF1 was the manufacturer?  I simply explained that TF1 was the part number of the foil made by Hasegawa, and offered photographic proof of that. I simply wanted others to be aware that the info you presented initially in this thread was an error.  Is that wrong to do?  I mentioned that you might have been fooled by the lack of Hasegawa name, so you attributed this product to non-existing company TF1.  That to me seems clear.  You are getting mad at me for your own mistake, which I corrected? I guess I apologize but I really don't know what for.

 

You also asked if anybody has used that TF1 foil. If you look at older forum posts for the Hasegawa Mirror Finish foil you should see some mentions of how people liked using it.

 

I looked it up for you, Here is a 2022 comparison with other foils:

 

And another one from 2020:

There are more topics abut this  foil but I thought this was a good start.  You can search for the other ones.

Edited April 5 by peteski