Finishing an airplane with metal foil and making rivets

stikpusher

 

 

Don Stauffer

When I was in the AF, I remember squadron commander's aircraft were usually highly polished, compared to the rest of the planes in the squadrons.  This was in the states, with squadrons like training and transport squadrons not in combat areas.

 

 

 

 

 

Right- the look of a NMF aircraft depends a lot upon service area, timespan, etc. And what many folks think are NMF aircraft are often aluminum lacquered finishes.

 

As you said, this F-86 has a painted finish.

JohnnyK

I think that there are two types of modelers. One modeler likes to get their models done quickly and move on to the next model. Which is fine. The other type likes to tinker with their model regardless of how long it takes to complete the model. The first type of modeler would be frustrated trying to use metal foil because it takes an extended amount of time to complete that model.

John

I suspect that the modelers of the second group you mention would agree that finishing a plane in foil is an intensive labor of love done to challenge both their skills and their sense of artistic vision. Painting a convincing metal finish is always a challenge, but this type of finish requires another degree of craftsmanship altogether. Thanks again for sharing your work - rivet lines on foil, how cool is that?!?!

Don Stauffer

When I was in the AF, I remember squadron commander's aircraft were usually highly polished, compared to the rest of the planes in the squadrons.  This was in the states, with squadrons like training and transport squadrons not in combat areas.

 

 

Right- the look of a NMF aircraft depends a lot upon service area, timespan, etc. And what many folks think are NMF aircraft are often aluminum lacquered finishes.

Well I have multiple "tinkering" projects that have been going on for years... and no big deal. But I can still see myself getting easily frustrated with this stuff. One day I will have to try foil out though.

KnightTemplar5150

Working with BMF requires a unique skill set and a lot of patience. You've got a great technique there, Johnny - well done! Thanks for sharing a look at how you did it!

 

John

Tanker - Builder

Hi;

 I have to say , Them's purty things with wings ! Now on the self made foil . When you did this you made the same mistake everyone else does . You followed directions ! You should it's true , BUT , this time you shouldn't have .

 I started using foil about twenty years ago and what I did was apply Micro foil adhesive to the foil , Not , the model . I know it says to do the opposite .

 I found by accident that when you follow the instructions , it doesn't seem to work as well . I had accidently thinned some of the adhesive to spray on a plane and sprayed the foil instead ! OOOPS! ! !

     Well , when I came back the stuff had dried clear and was sticky as Hayul . I had some old bumper stickers and took them off their backing paper and stuck the stickers on my neighbor's tractor , over some rust spots !

     I then smoothed the foil onto this strange paper .TADA ! ! A safe way to keep it , use it and re-use it . Now I use Bare-Metal Foil only when I have too . My homemade foil is still the foil of preference .

   Oh ! This too , the foil you buy in grocery stores and discount stores will work better IF you buy the house brand . It is thinner and sometimes shinier too . Also , it has sometimes heavier process roller grain and some slightly different shades as well .

 Process roller grain is the lines you see in the duller shiny side and sometimes the very shiny stuff that looks like lines . They come from the big rollers that start with an aluminium billet about a ton in weight and keep thinning it till it is foil .

 Yup , I watch " How it's Made " Too ! Model On - - -T.B.

 

When I was in the AF, I remember squadron commander's aircraft were usually highly polished, compared to the rest of the planes in the squadrons.  This was in the states, with squadrons like training and transport squadrons not in combat areas.

Hi;

 I have to say , Them's purty things with wings ! Now on the self made foil . When you did this you made the same mistake everyone else does . You followed directions ! You should it's true , BUT , this time you shouldn't have .

 I started using foil about twenty years ago and what I did was apply Micro foil adhesive to the foil , Not , the model . I know it says to do the opposite .

 I found by accident that when you follow the instructions , it doesn't seem to work as well . I had accidently thinned some of the adhesive to spray on a plane and sprayed the foil instead ! OOOPS! ! !

     Well , when I came back the stuff had dried clear and was sticky as Hayul . I had some old bumper stickers and took them off their backing paper and stuck the stickers on my neighbor's tractor , over some rust spots !

     I then smoothed the foil onto this strange paper .TADA ! ! A safe way to keep it , use it and re-use it . Now I use Bare-Metal Foil only when I have too . My homemade foil is still the foil of preference .

   Oh ! This too , the foil you buy in grocery stores and discount stores will work better IF you buy the house brand . It is thinner and sometimes shinier too . Also , it has sometimes heavier process roller grain and some slightly different shades as well .

 Process roller grain is the lines you see in the duller shiny side and sometimes the very shiny stuff that looks like lines . They come from the big rollers that start with an aluminium billet about a ton in weight and keep thinning it till it is foil .

 Yup , I watch " How it's Made " Too ! Model On - - -T.B.

Working with BMF requires a unique skill set and a lot of patience. You've got a great technique there, Johnny - well done! Thanks for sharing a look at how you did it!

Following is a photo of an actual F-104. It is not a restored airplane. it is an "in service" airplane. These planes tended to be kept in a shiny condition. 

I have used Testors Metalizer and other silver paints on a number of airplanes. IMHO, they looked like painted airplanes, not real metal airplanes. Only metal looks like metal. To each his own. What is important is that we like the final results of our work.

Meh... I'm not a big fan of using BMF on aircraft kts. I prefer the Bare Metal Silver paint for realism over the shiny foil stuff. More realistic in my opinion since no aircraft in active service are shiny new -  except course restored WW2 aircrafts.

They look nice otherwise.