When it comes to applying chrome trim to a model car the accepted method for years was a steady hand, masking tape, and silver paint. When Bare Metal Foil came along, it all but eliminated the need for using silver paint to replicate trim lines with it's method of using an ultra thin adhesive backed metal foil that looks just like chrome because IT IS CHROME! It would seem this stuff is fairly self explanatory, just rub it on, trim the excess, and peel it off yet my fellow builders come in droves to forums, blogs, and model meets completely vexed by the stuff. This short thread hopefully will shed some light on how to use BMF.
Bare Metal Foil
Q-tips
Pointed toothpocks
A ruler
A sharp hobby knife with spare #11 blades
Our test subject will be the window trim of a 1972 Corvette.
Using your ruler and hobby knife, trim a piece of foil to suit your needs. It's better to apply the foil in short bursts rather than large pieces. It's easier and wastes less in trimmed excess.
Lay your trimmed piece of foil (sticky side down) onto the piece of trim you wish to foil.
Use a Q-tip to burnish the foil down over the trim. Flat and round toothpicks, fingernails, and even small scarps of styrene will help form the foil around the details.
Use your hobby knife and #11 blade to trim away the excess foil. Always keep some spare blades on hand as this process dulls them quickly. Use light pressure to avoid marring the underlying surface.
Use your Q-tip to fold the foil around the edge of the window to the inside of the body.
After the foil has been folded to the inside of the body, gently remove the excess foil. Work slowly and methodically to avoid tearing the foil. Once the excess has been removed, give all of the trim a light buffing with a soft cloth and you should have something that looks similar to the photo above. Using these steps it's simply a matter of working your way around the body shell since most if not all window openings, rocker panels, trim lines, etc.. are handled the same way.
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