Paint on bare metal?

You have to treat it like a real airplane, in other words, you are not painting plastic anymore, it's aluminum! It can be masked if it has been well burnished to the model and a low-tack mask is used and carefully removed. Prime the foil with a self-etching primer that you can get at the hardware store. It is sold as self-etching or aluminum etching primer. Then, your color coats will stick!

QUOTE: Originally posted by Ashley You have to treat it like a real airplane, in other words, you are not painting plastic anymore, it's aluminum! It can be masked if it has been well burnished to the model and a low-tack mask is used and carefully removed. Prime the foil with a self-etching primer that you can get at the hardware store. It is sold as self-etching or aluminum etching primer. Then, your color coats will stick!

Thanks Ashley, I'm off to the hardware store as soon as the snow melts. will self-etching primer damage any plastic it may come in contact with?

You know, I've never tried it on plastic! I have always had the entire model foiled, and I carefully masked the whole model when I did this. I worked out this technique originally to make canopy frames. I buff household foil with a Scotchbrite pad and cleah it with alcohol, then prime it with the self etching primer. Then I'll paint one side the exterior color, and the other the interior color, Then I cut it in strips and apply them to the canopy with foil adhesive.

QUOTE: Originally posted by Ashley You have to treat it like a real airplane, in other words, you are not painting plastic anymore, it's aluminum! It can be masked if it has been well burnished to the model and a low-tack mask is used and carefully removed. Prime the foil with a self-etching primer that you can get at the hardware store. It is sold as self-etching or aluminum etching primer. Then, your color coats will stick!

Aluminum Etching Primer? Are you sure hardware stores will sell this (I live in the Philippines)? it wouldn't be a clear primer would it? What happens if i want to wash the model? and where do you get foil adhesive? sorry for all the questions...

Oooh, the Philippines. I don't know if it would be carried there, but it should be. The primer is essentially zinc chromate. I have seen it called self-etching primer, zinc yellow primer and aluminum etching primer. The can should state that it is formulated for aluminum.

By washing the model, I assume you mean a color wash to accent the panel lines? Once it is painted, you can use washes, dry-brushing and other weathering techniques as normal!

Micro-Mark makes a foil adhesive, they call it Micro Metal Foil Adhesive, and it is essentially a contact type cement. You brush it on, allow it to "dry", and then burnish the foil in place. It is a good alternative to Bare-Metal foil, especially if you can get Nestle's Crunch candy bars. They are wrapped in a highly reflective, extremely thin foil that makes great landing gear strut oleos!