BMF On A Budget

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pstager
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BMF On A Budget

Post by pstager »

Hi all,

Bare Metal Foil is an incredible product, but it comes at a hefty price. A single sheet is much more expensive than an equivalent bottle of paint, and one does not get nearly as much mileage. Last night, however, I stumbled on a potential stand-in.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who's looked at a new sheet of aluminum foil and saw a wing or a monocoque, but has struggled with how to turn it into something usable. I tried using CA, but the trouble with that was how hard the cement gets. In order to make aluminum foil work, you'd have to be able to thoroughly burnish it like you would do with BMF. CA sets quickly and hard as a rock, making this impossible. While navigating the mess that is my workbench, I came across a bottle of spray glue I've had for a few years from an experiment with painted CF using tulle fabric. The glue is very tacky and doesn't quite "set" fully. I rummaged through my parts bin and found a rear wing from an F2001 and got to experimenting.

After spraying the part down, applying the aluminum foil, and burnishing it down, I got some very good results:

https://i.imgur.com/D5mZQFK.jpeg
Image
Image

The glue is strong enough to hold the foil in place but flexible enough to allow it to be burnished. So far, it's held up! I'll be keeping an eye on it in the long term to see if it holds up over time.

I used an airbox piece to test out the matte side. Works ok in some spots, but a little thick for complex curves:

Image

To be clear, this is not BMF quality, but for the price I think it would work very well for broad, flat surfaces.

Here's the glue I used:

Image
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Re: BMF On A Budget

Post by CK »

Hi Pat,

Nice demonstration for using aluminum foil on model parts.

I have been using kitchen aluminum foil on models for awhile. It is usually for smaller parts like handles, window trim and wiper arms. I use a product from Microscale called Micro Metal Foil Adhesive. It is easy to use. The adhesive is a milky liquid that is brushed on the back side of the aluminum foil. Once it dries to clear it works like normal self adhesive tape.

I have thought about using the spray adhesive. I don't know if the adhesive will be flat on the sprayed surface. A very smooth surface is required to have plating like result when the foil overlays on the adhesive surface.

I like aluminum foil more than BMF as it is thicker. It can be burnished better to give a plating like surface. It is not that easy to tear it.
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Re: BMF On A Budget

Post by F1tommy »

Also try Litho. The model aircraft guys swear by it, and you can add rivet detail with special tools.

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Re: BMF On A Budget

Post by rusomela »

I have been using aluminum tape for air conditioning for years. a whole roll costs around 1.50 euros. can be found in hardware stores or bazaars

https://es.aliexpress.com/item/10050033 ... fd78ba3832
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Re: BMF On A Budget

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Re: BMF On A Budget

Post by gp-models »

Look at the jewelery stuff, there is special glue for such things and Achat stone pencils which you can use to bring up a shiny finish.
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Re: BMF On A Budget

Post by eyckles »

The problem i’ve noticed with BMF is that is doesn’t stick as it used to be anymore. Sometimes after application it comes back off again. Maybe they changed the glue. I found that alu tape is a good replacement, but it’s not as shiny as Chrome BMF
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Re: BMF On A Budget

Post by pstager »

Thanks for the tips everyone! Good to know theres several options. I’d like to work foils into more of my builds. Lots of good paint options, but none quite like the real thing.
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