Revell 1:32 P-38 in aluminum foil (image intensive)

Very nice work!  I've been playing with foiling for a while now, with mixed results.  Your P-38 looks outstanding - did you do it one panel at a time or did you do wider areas?  I'm thinking that my next foil job will be panel by panel, for authenticity and better control around compound curves.

Here is a link to my latest effort:

/forums/697874/ShowPost.aspx 

Thanks for sharing!

Brian 

Thanks!

I took it panel by panel.  Like you said it gives better control of curves, and it minimizes having a "step" along the edge of a foil piece.  Best part is it gives complete control with multiple colors of foil.  I have the stock color foil, a "dark" boiled foil, then two milder in-between tones.  The dark color I used more or less where the kit's painting guide called for steel paint, then I mixed the subtler tones in an "almost-random" fashion with the light stock color.  That wouldn't have been possible if I used an entire sheet for each wing surface, etc.

Your B-47 looks great!  The realistic look comes from the steel-wool rub-down so don't be worried.  My wife thought I was crazy before I used the wool because it looked shiny and terrible.  This is my first foil build, and if mine has any quality to it at all its because I became better at it as I worked, and as I gained confidence I tore off old panels that I wasn't happy with.  There's still a few things about the P-38 I'm not completely happy with, but at some point you just have to put on the Future and call the foiling done!  I'm still debating putting a flatcoat or a matte on top.

Dan

Your P-38 looks great!  I just completed a B-47 in 1/144.  You are correct - foil does not work well for the smaller scales.  And much patience is required (but I just demonstrated massive patience in waiting for Texas A&M's first victory against Texas since 1999!)

My next foiling attempt will be from among Monogram 1/72 B-36, Monogram 1/48 B-29, Hasegawa 1/48 F-104, or perhaps one of my Tamiya 1/48 Thunderbolts.

Another good looking B-47...I didn't realize how popular they are!

I'm starting to wonder whether there may be a 1:24 P-51D in my future.  Wouldn't that be something covered in foil?

wing_nut wrote:

WOW That is a great looking lightning. When done well, nothing beats real metal

I have the 1/48 Monogram P-38 and I'm thinking of foiling it. If I do, I hope it comes out 1/2 as good as this one

Sweet Job on the Foil !

Bud

Thanks everybody for showering me in kind words!

Hippy-Ed:  Good luck with the 1/48 kit.  Even at 1/32 this tried my patience at times, so be ready for the nooks and crannies :)  At that scale it might be easiest to forgo individual panels and just do an entire surface at a time.  You could get a quick and easy two-tone finish by doing that and just adding darker foil on the panels you want after doing, say, a whole wing surface.

Brews: Thanks for the tip on the F-104.  I found one online but I may have to put it on hold since I just heard the Polar Lights 1/350 starship Enterprise was discontinued and I need to get one while they last!  I doubt my wife will let me get both.  Honestly it'll be tough to get one :)

Espins: Its not that hard, it just takes a little bit of patience.  It took me about a month to do, but was a lot less tedious than scribing the panel lines, which only took two weeks.  If the foiling was truly tedious I wouldn't have gone back and refoiled areas I wasn't happy with!  If thinking its too difficult is a psychological barrier, look for a nice bomber or big (1/32) fighter to build confidence on.  The bigger the panels the easier (and also, counter-intuitively, quicker) it will go.  A big B-29 is probably going to be a lot quicker than a P-38.

 Dan

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm sure this would be trying one's patience but  I think I can wing it

Wha's this about the 1/350 Enterprise being discontinued? Which one? The Refit?? 

That looks awesome! Very shiny.

I've not been brave enough to try that.

looks great! what kind of adhesive did you use to put the foil on with??

again, fine looking job

Regular supermarket foil with Mona Lisa brand metal leaf adhesive.  To be honest it didn't seem as good as an adhesive as I was hoping so next time around I might experiment with other brands.  On the other hand its the only thing I've tried so for all I know its the best there is!

And I went out and bought that 1/350 refit Enterprise.  My wife is going to kill me.  No really, she is.  Nice to have met all of you.

dbhyslop wrote:

Regular supermarket foil with Mona Lisa brand metal leaf adhesive.  To be honest it didn't seem as good as an adhesive as I was hoping so next time around I might experiment with other brands.  On the other hand its the only thing I've tried so for all I know its the best there is! And I went out and bought that 1/350 refit Enterprise.  My wife is going to kill me.  No really, she is.  Nice to have met all of you.

Well it was nice knowing ya Now did ya put me in yer will so I can get the Refit?!