I saw a neat article in this months mag on tea candle foil for detailing . The second source , for you coffee drinkers out there is simple . FOLGERS coffee and COFFEE MATE coffee creamer have foil seals that are also heavier than the foil on the roll . This foil can be used for lots of stuff where you need heavier foil . You will need to clean it off , but ,you can use it for tarps , cut up for seatbelts etc. So there is another source of useable foil ,from the kitchen ! Catch you next time TANKERBUILDER
Don’t forget yogurt containers and medicine bottles!
Incidentally, yogurt containers are good source of scrap plastic too, especially if you need that occassional odd curved piece. Most of them are polypropelene (PP), so experiment with scrap and your preferred adhesive to see how it reacts first.
Most medicince bottles are polyethylene (PE)…the sort of “slick” plastic cutting boards are made from. Not as good for modeling, in my opinion.
yogurt containers …nice …for a crab boat i used 2 inch foil tape with the backing on ,a pounce wheel for rivets,cut into panel sections…great fake steel look for the hull.,but it wasnt free… fx guy(www.1 madmodeler)crab boat pics plus others.
My favorite source of a heavyweight foil for detailing is wine-bottle hood lead.
It can be cut into strips and fashioned into seatbelts which have enough heft to hold their shape. It is also a great source for scratch flag material. I’ve used it to scratchbuild damage also. Working on a USS Pittsburgh which lost her bow in a typhoon. Cut off the plastic bow and sistered in some sheet lead for the torn plates. Also made some interior decks & bulkheads torn by the storm.
Twist top wine bottles won’t help, neither will some wines with aluminum hoods. Next time you’re at your wine merchant and are debating between two bottles, scratch the hood with your thumbnail and select the bottle which has the lead one.
I like this time of year, because it seems like there are lots of Easter candies that are still covered in foil. Chocolate bunnies are often covered in a fairly heavy-gauge foil that is perfect for modeling. I also have foil from some Reese’s eggs and chocolate coins that are thin, but they come in handy for some projects. It not only gives you a good excuse to go check out the candy aisle, but you can also walk away with a tasty treat or two as an added bonus! [:P]
One other place I scrounge is soft drink cans. Not exactly foil, but it has some uses. I cut up one tall-boy energy drink can recently, and I got enough material to last for a while. Just cut off the top, cut down the middle of the can, and around the bottom.
Hope that gives you some helpful ideas.
Try my tea-candle foil idea instead… (Yeah, that was me in the May FSM [:D])
It’s easier to cut than soda cans and will do the same jobs… Flaps, cowl flaps, fenders, hatches, etc…
I am planning on trying your idea Hans for cowl flaps [bow]
Years ago I bought detailng aluminum foil from Diamond’s craft store. It comes in different sizes and thicknesses. The envelope brings a bunch of med. sized sheets for under $4. This stuff is perfect for slings, belts, etc.
Reynolds makes an EXTRA heavy duty foil.
Its thicker than the regular stuff. Dont know how it would compare to what is being mentioned here.
Available at SAMS.
Unfortunatly unless you’re a connisuer most wine now has plastic cork wraps.
Don’t know what & where you’re buying and I don’t consider myself a connoisseur; but I have been able to locate some very enjoyable wines for less than 25 dollars, that go well with both the dinner and the company, and have the added benefit of having a sheet lead hood.
Don’t buy the wine for the hood. Buy the wine for what is good. Keep your eyes and mind open for what can be repurposed