Neo's Foiling Tutorial

[Neo]

Ok so here is a contribution from me to SMA.

At Fruit's request here is a small foiling tutorial (btw if more info is needed pm me i have tons of tutorial on foiling)

Ingrediants
I use Bare Metal Foil sheets before but they are too expansive but great for a fist time or small detail.
you need:
- Sharp #11 bladeS
- Kitchen heavy duty foil
- Adhesive: I use gold left glue but some peaple prefer MicroScale BMF glue(i havent tried it its too expensive)
- A bondo scraper
- Sanding stick or 1000+ sandpaper
-(optianal) Excel or other burnishing tool (Excel is like 9$)
- A perfectly flat surface . I use ceramic tile as its smooth dosent get damages with the blade and easy to clean (dont try wood seen in background that board is now useless)
- An old falt brush
- Rubbing alchool
- Qtips (real one not the dollar store crap)

Step #1
-use the bondo scaper to smooth out your pice of foil
-Put foil mat side UP and clean using rubbing alchool
-Apply glue with brush MAKE SURE ITS EVEN make multiple passes as the glue tends to make little pools (as seen in pic its fine)

Step #2
-wait until glue as dried to clear
-Cut a piece BIGGER than the surface to cove

Step#3
-Apply the piece making sure you overlap the previous(or if the first piece make it stick out)
-Wet the Qtip(i lik it lightly)
-Start in the middle and rub gently from side to side(if you get wrinkles pull off a little and start over. you may use your nails to kill a wrinkle)

more next post cant fit all in this one

 

[Neo]

Ok tutorial continues

Step #4
-burnish the foil with your Qtip

- Now this looks like crap but dont worry your #11 blade is yyour friend

Step #5

-Cut all surplus foil away ideally on a panel line or somewhere the joints wont show
- I also use a Excel burnishing tool to get the foil nicely into the cracks(ALWAYS pull do not push as you may rip the foil)
-Now take a sanding stick and pass lightly over the seams of your foil and wrincles (ideally follow the airflow) you may also use 1000+ sand paper

Step6
Look at your work and say man there more than 30 pieces of foil on this wing and you cant even see the junctions

Hope this was or will be usefull to some one

Disclamer : Im not a foiling pro this is only my second model after my 1/32 P-51D(picture on previous page) Try this technique at your own risk and dont be shy to post or pm me questions. FOILING CAN GET VERY ADDICTIVE you have bean warn
Cheers

Neo

 

[Neo]

Now for those who want a good shine.

I use "Wenol Blue polish", apply some to the surface then rub off with a cloth(old t shirt is great) then break out the dremel and a polishing weel. At medium speed carefully polish the foil. wearing gloves!

you should get this type of result

Note on this pic you see a polishing cone. I only use this for where the wheel cant reach as this is more a hard foam and if you press too hard while polishing you WILL MAKE grooves in your surface

Cheers


Neo

 

[ShutterAce]

Thanks for this Neo! This seems to be becoming a lost art.

If you haven't tried foiling it's really easy and the results are very nice. I've never done a whole airframe but have used it in conjunction with Metalizer and Alclad for differing effects. Works great!

 

[Neo]

Your Welcome

now after doing all this i just realized i posted it in the wrong forum as this one is more for lights and things maybe it should be in the painting forum ???

 

[RocketSilo]

could one substitute 3M super 77 spray adhesive , or would that be too sticky?
I ask because I have a large can already and it's not cheap.
I would like to try this technique out.. thanks for the posting Neo

 

[Neo]

could one substitute 3M super 77 spray adhesive , or would that be too sticky?
I ask because I have a large can already and it's not cheap.
I would like to try this technique out.. thanks for the posting Neo

Im not sure that will work. the glue needs to dry perfectly flat and has to be very smooth even with gold leaf adhesive sometime slight bumps will show when you apply the foil. You also nee something that dosent dry too fast so that when you burnishing to foil on with your qtip it will push the wrinkles away. But it never hurts to try!

 

[RocketSilo]

Thanks Neo ,
It sounds like the spray may be too aggressive, it's not something that could be easily lifted back up to remove a wrinkle,once stuck.. I will try an experiment with it and report back.

I have a project on the back burner that could use some foiling

 

[fumblethumbs]

Excellent stuff Neo! Thanks a lot for posting this technique.

 

[Chris S]

That really is neat Neo .....Very nice SBS too . I like the finish you achieved with the polishing ,and it looks like the foil settles down really well over the details ,something I'll have to try !!

Chris.

 

[Quaralane]

Thanks for this info, Neo.
Could prove very useful

 

[Grendels]

Much apreciated!!! Very well done and something I have been thinking about. One of my future projects is a B38 peacemaker, perfect subject for a foil job