bare-melal foil

I've switched to using HVAC tape, the cheap one found at dollar tree stores. for 2 bucks you get the equivalent amount of 2 bmf packages.

also it doesn't develop those micro cracks like bmf!

if you choose to stick with bmf you can polish it out with compound to a high shine

thanks

Also if you polish it, I would polish the bmf sheet while it's on the backing paper.

If you do it on the model you can end up with black residue all over

Hi ! You need to do this , Go and buy some Micro Foil  Adhesive .Then make your own .

Burnished side out or shiny side out .The cheapest broiler and regular foil you can buy .

 I get mine from Dollar General Stores .It's cheap , but wow does it ever work great ! ;

 You really need to do this . Just remember patience is your reward !  T.B.  P.S. I do use that H.V.A.C. tape too . It's great for surfaces on natural metal workboats .

I too use HVAC tap ..closest thing too chrome plate I have found. I use it for landing gear shafts. If I want to use thinner foil I'll use bear metal foil . I do sometimes use household foil for hose clamps - if I want to reproduce anodised fittings I'll paint tamiya transparent blue or red to the shiny side .

5-high 

Believe it or not my uncle actually uses aluminum stock and bends it for the trim.  Then polishes it.  His models are incredible.  He won 1st in People's choice at the NNL West 2 years ago.  I have yet to try that.  Not sure I have that much patience.  I'm not a big fan of BMF, really depends what its on.   For Car trim sometimes it just looks like, well.....   foil! LOL

I use it to mask off aircraft canopies (1/72) around the panel lines because it sticks way better than any tape I've ever used, and I get nice crisp panel lines after I pick the BMF off of the clear parts when I'm done painting. The only time I've used BMF on an airplane was on the aluminum cowling of a WWI Sopwith Camel, and the results were OK but not great:

Forget bare metal foil brand garbage!! HONESTLY! I hate it! I stopped at painting, and polishing the finish which I used Plasti-Kote brand nitrocellulose lacquer in black, and wet - sanded it, and polished it out with Meguiars' number 7 grade to make it shine like a mirror, then put I out Bare metal garbage on it, and now it looks like a kid did it with pieces cut from a GARBAGE CAN!!!! It's dull, and lifeless, and POINTLESS! I stopped right after I painted the body which came after I painted just about everything else, except for the fender skirts, and the hood. I waited, and prayed until technology could catch up with us - now it has with www.alcladII.com  www.alsacorp.com  and www.sprayonchrome.com each one offers this paint in actual spray form.

Now you can buy  www.hobbyrecreationproducts.com/pages/spazstix

which looks like chrome, and is purported to be shinier, and better than alclad II. I bought a bottle of this only I haven't used it yet - I need to make a spray paint booth. After that I'm going to try this stuff out. It's a little more expenisve, or cheaper than Spazstix depending on where you buy from. Check out the reviews, and actual products in use. There's a video on youtube where this girl is using Spazstix, and Alclad II side by side so that you can see the results of each - with a white plastic spoon.

~ Cobra Chris

Hi guys !

I've used HVAC tape, Alclad, Testors buffing, "rub n buff"  but I prefer Aluminum foil with Micro Sol foil glue.  That works best for me.  I've done about a dozen planes in foil:  B-17, YB-49, XF 85, B-58, T-33, part of a B-36, stuff like that. I often paint compound curves with aluminum paint before foil in case I get gaps.  I also use masking tape to form the panel edge, then cut along the tape and lift.  That way I use smaller pieces of tap which I find easier to manage.  And you can also flip the foil and alternate pieces to avoid a monocrome look.  If I cover things like wings as sub-assembly I cover the finished part with plastic wrap to avoid finger prints as well as using cotton gloves.

Here is a trick for foil:  When you hard boil eggs, put some small sheets of foil in with the eggs.  The effect looks like metal exposed to heat as in the metal around a jet exhaust.

Have Fun !