Foiling a P-51

One thing I have noticed is the adhesive on BMF is somewhat weak, however BMF also has the smoothest sheet sI have found. My LHS has been having trouble getting any BMF besides gold in so I bought a 3 pack of flat, chrome, and black from Detail Master, lemme tellya that foil is pretty tough and the adhesive is strong too, my only complaint is the fact while on the backing sheet is has some wrinkles in it where BMF hasn't that ihave seen. They both take great care, but the reason for the care is different. BMF has weaker adhesive and is very prone to tearing but conforms nocely and wrinkles can be flattened to the point of almost being invisable. DM foil you got to get it right the first time, and removing excess is a major pain and leaves adhesive behind alot. Thats really the only help I can give. i just used DM foil to foil the hood on a ford focus Tuner I am building, I'd be happy to post pics if you like,

It is just sold in sheets. For complete coverage of your average size fighter (WWII) in 1/48 scale you will likely need 2 sheets. They are only about $5 per.

Rich

thanks for the reply.
does bmf come in kits for certain aircraft, etc or just sold in sheets?
take care
-spring

springfinger: the technique is the same. The only difference is in the foil. BMF comes on a backing sheet and already has the adhesive applied for you. I'm not sure, but I think BMF is thinner and will stretch better - I'm not an expert though, I've never tried household foil.
The application is quite easy once you get on to it. Start with small, flattish parts to slowly build your experience, then progress to more and more curves. You will quickly learn where to make seams (usually along panel lines). OH, and make sure you have a really, really sharp knife.

Rich

is there a difference in the techniques of BMF and Foiling or is that the same thing?

i aml very afraid of this process. i have a P-38 yelling for BMF but i just haven't got the confidence yet.

Thanks for the pics A6Efan. Those look terrific! Can't wait to finish my p-51.
And thanks for the tip too

Rich

Hi Rich.
I've done many BMF aircraft and I have found that applying the foil to the trailing edges of the wings makes handling the model much easier. So, I'd start with the middle area of the wings and the leading edges and work my way out to the trailing edges.

Thank you amcfayden. I have seen the article on foiling the P-38 and I'm using it as a reference. The tip on roughing up the surface prior to painting sounds like a good tip. I decided on BMF when I did a test comparing Alclad2 against BMF. I did one small part with each method and there was no comparison, IMO. I think the key is experience, and making sure your piece is the right shape to begin with. Once you've done a few pieces, it's quite easy!

Rich

Hi Rich,

I did that same kit in BMF. I did the small parts like flaps and undercarriage covers separately (and first) to gain confidence. (The horizontal stab was already glued in place when I started foiling.) If memory serves, I did wings, then tail, then fuse last.

I masked the forward top fuselage with Tamiya tape and airbrushed acrylic, no problems there.

Will post a pic if I figure out how.

There's an article in the Feature Stories here on FSM about foiling a P-38, I more or less used that procedure.

Best of luck,
Andre


P.S. Here is the link to the article:

http://www.finescale.com/fsm/default.aspx?c=a&id=283

P.P.S. I used the steel wool to roughen the foil before masking and painting (then Future after painting), don't know if that roughening improved the performance of tape or paint.

I guess I'll just have to find out myself...

Rich

I don't have any personal experience with BMF but I understand you should never start with the drop tanks, undercarriage covers and horizontal stabilizers!!

Nah, just kidding! Haven't a clue about BMF, just couldn't resist pulling your leg...

I guess not many use BMF. I'm also wondering if it's OK to mask over BMF. Will it pull up?
Thanks,
Rich