Hi;
I have been curious about this for quite a while. My introduction to Foil was on Model Cars, Bumpers, Trim etc. Now on Planes I thought I would try a Bare Metal finish. Someone suggested using a product pictureframers use.( Rub-n-Buff). Tried it on A.M.Ts flying Wing ( the Y.B.49). Geez, whatta job! This was back in 1959.
Now I will say this, I never finished that plane. But every Time I take it out of it's box and rub it some more it's looking almost like chrome! Makes me wish I had pulled the Trigger on Foiling an Aircraft sooner.
Now I have tried Alclad. I just don't trust it. Why? Well, if you have ever gotten close to a Real Military or Civilian N.M.F. Aircraft you'll notice something. The plane does NOT have the same sheen on every panel and if so rarely! I have never had any luck putting Tape or Foil on another spot to change the color slightly, over Alclad. It falls off in about a month.And NO, I do not want to have to clear coat the finished product. Alclad does a heck of a job if applied properly. How does it stand up to a buffing a year later though? My foil Chromed Aircraft just get their like new shine back!
I do shoot a bubble of clear over the panels where decals are and if the plane is big enough I spray the emblems. So that isn't a problem. A friend who does a lot of Santa- Fe and Amtrak showed me how. On trains I DO-NOT shoot a clear overcoat. Why? well, model RailRoads in Museums get dusty over time. So this way we can buff up the cars to like new occassionally. Now when I foil this requires some things. No dust, no stale Foil-Chrome and if I have made my own it must be stored in a large book. Why? The old Cool, Dark area for storage. Like with Decals. It's great for the Brand-Name stuff too!
I have Decals from back in the old Revell days that Have been oversprayed with Decal Film, But, their color is a rich as new. Do this with Foil( Put it in a Book) and it seems to last forever. The usefullness of "Run-N-Buff" well, on that I dunno. I have had some panels bleed onto others at the edges. So In closing, Do you prefer the ART of Foil Chroming? "Rub-N-Buff". or Alclad and why? I would like to know.