Bare Metal Foil before or after clear coating?

[CorvetteR]

After getting the modeling bug around Xmas I decided to go all in and invest in Donn Yost's DVD (awesome) and an airbrush and painted the first body with it. The 2 previous models I started with were painted with a rattle can and I tried to paint on the chrome trim with MM silver chrome trim paint. I was not happy how the trim came out and am interested in trying bare metal foil (aluminum foil?). My three questions are: can I use aluminum foil for this application, do I have to glue the foil down on the car and if so what kind of glue, and finally should I clear over the foil or apply it before the foil? Thx for your help.

[Timok1]

Welcome, Rob . Not sure about clear. But I know BMF has its own adhesive . 

[hgbben]

Before clear Rob

[maltsr]

I usually apply clear paint before adding BMF.

[High octane]

I usually apply clear paint before adding BMF.

Most all of the modelers I know and also myself apply the Bare Metal Foil AFTER the clear coats. There is NO reason to protect the BMF, as I have a model done with it from the early 80's and it still looks great.

[Snake45]

Generally, after, but before wax, if you're going to be using that.

Sometimes, though, I like to apply foil to a small detailed emblem BEFORE any paint, including primer, and then mask it off with a liquid mask. After paint and polish, I strip off the mask and have a VERY crisp, clean emblem in "chrome."

[CorvetteR]

Thanks all for the suggestions. Off to the spray booth.

[StevenGuthmiller]

I've tried it both ways & found that it works best to foil after the paint is completely done & polished.

Although, as Snake said, if you use wax, I would save that for after the foil just for adhesion purposes.

Clear coating over the foil will actually "dull" the affect of the foil.

The clear will not adhere well to the foil anyway, so if you polish your bodies afterwards, you may find clear coat flaking off of the foil causing an uneven look.

 

Steve