Has anyone read the great article in the mag on foiling aircraft?? Don,t miss it. I will say that I have thought about it and I do have a commentt o make on the foil. I have learned that if you foil an aircraft there are as in the article many ways to get texture and panel differences.There was though something I noticed in the photos.It caught my eye because I have had the exact same problem when I foil aircraft. That said heres my comment.When you foil aircraft make sure you cover any and all gaps.Now , sometimes they are almost NOT noticable ,but , they will show in photos after the fact!.The way to avoid this is simple and one of my students showed me! Take your foil and as you apply each panel make them just a little larger than the last panel you installed.Take the new piece and burnish it down gently.When you are covering the adjacent panel you,ll see the edge of the other panel showing up .Now , take a very sharp(NEW) E-XACTO blade (preferrably a number 11.)And carefully cut at the seam. now, when you finish burnishing you will find no gaps.And you will not see any in photo,s either.There is another way to texture foil too.When I was doing a model of the aircraft I once owned I wanted to replicate the slightly bumpy(PEBBLY) surface of the new panels just behind the cowl vents on both engines. I took the thinnest foil I use (DOLLAR GENERAL BRAND) and pressed it into 320 grit sandpaper.It will give it that pebbly look.I do so much like the article though because he is thorough and factual in the way he works the foil. It is definitely a case of hey ,LISTEN UP !!! tankerbuilder
Yes, the FSM article on metal foil was pretty good; in fact, the whole issue was pretty good. It intrigued me to maybe explore trying metal foil. I am totally ignorant on how to do this, so I will be doing some research. Not even sure where to get the foil. I saw some at Hobby Lobby and I went there today only to find out much of the models and supplies were out…not sure why. Again, time to do some research. I have a number of aircraft I can try this on and I have been using Alclad.
I’m stuck in college, so all my mail is still at home waiting for me…meaning I don’t have the magazine yet! [:(]
a cheaper alternative to buying metal foil at a hobby shop is to make some yourself using micro-scale Foil adhesive brushed on the thinnest aluminum foil you can get. Then you burnish it down just like the regular stuff. Check out the NMF group build. Lots of great tips and builds going on over there. [:)]
IT is really not that difficult, you just have to get the surface perfect! Here is a 1/48 Fishbed I did up in foil:
OWL
BTDT. Foiling is something every modeler should experience. It has its nuances just like painting does. You either are really good or you really suck…there are few in the middle.
I’m doing a lot of NMF painting at the moment. I have several builds underway including this RF-4 which started to get its base of aluminum which I am polishing up to a really really nice shine.
Yup that’s acrylic!
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I laid down the paint earlier this afternoon, spend about a half hour giver her the shine you see here.
This one is going to get a variety of NMF tonal effects and some splashy paint too. Think of it as a hot rod for setting speed records and air show appearances.
Love the Fishbed, OWL, and the RF-4, Hawkeye. I definitely have to try this. Will look at the Group build and do some reading. I have a number of kits crying out for a metal finish.
Hey, HAWKEYE ! That F-4 looks awesome.That is exactly what I was talking about.That shine is awesome ! Now do you know where I can get the MOMOGRAM century series F-100?? That is the plane I won the NATIONAL VETERANS CREATIVE ARTS contest in model aircraft in NO.CAL. They (the hospital staff in my area )didn,t want to give it back so,to do one for home I gotta find another one ,with that kind of shine it really stood out in CAL.ANG colors.I do so love foiling aircraft and I have even succeeded in doing wire wheels on a 1/25 model car.Is that a glutton for punishment or what ?? tankerbuilder p.s. lets see her when your done ,okay??
They are around, check vendors at local shows or eBay. The Trumpeter offering is much better and assembles up nice though it is more pricey.
Hey guy ,thank you.I do have the TRUMPETER kit,the HASEGAWA kit The LINDBERG kit ad infinitem.The problem is NO aftermarket decals are available for the CALIFORNIA ANG . like the ones in the “CENTURY SERIES” by good old MONOGRAM.You are right in that the TRUMPY kit is darned fine.I have all the listed birds mostly foiled.Including some F-104s I have around . I think I am going to have to make more foil chrome sheets . Now where did I put that bottle of MICRO SCALE foil adhesive?? OOPS thinking out loud , sorry , YEAH RIGHT!! Thanks again . tankerbuilder