NavyMech06 Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I just tried Bare Metal Foil for the first time to mask a canopy the other day, and i'll agree its great. Frame lines show really well and its easy to get a straight cut with a nice new blade. However, when i took it off, it left an adhesive film on the canopy and I was wondering from the folks here that use this technique, how do you remove the film without damaging the paint around it? Do you clear the model before you remove the mask? wouldn't that make it difficult to remove the mask? That would make sense since now that i removed the mask i can't put a flat clear on it without remasking and doing it badly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Normally clear first, but stopped using BMF long ago for this purpose, simply based on the fact that the pre-made adhesive tends not to be tacky enough to really stick sometimes, and TOO tacky others, leaving a residue. If you need NMF canopy bracing, thats one thing, as I switched to using kitchen foil and MS foil glue for that, but if you are taking about using BMF for masking purposes, Id say with the temperamental way the pre-made adhesive works, I wouldn't recommend using it for masking. Ive switched to pretty much strictly using Tamiya tape in conjunction with liquid mask for the weird, compound/complex curves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffH Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I use WD40. They market a felt-tip pen version of it that is great for small areas. If you can't find the pen version then a bit on a cotton bud will do the trick. Keep it away from the paint however Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 (edited) I use WD40. They market a felt-tip pen version of it that is great for small areas. If you can't find the pen version then a bit on a cotton bud will do the trick. Keep it away from the paint however It does work but found it destroys any Future finish you have on the canopy. This is another reason I am going to start moving away from Future on canopies, and move to a multi-step polishing process including multi-grit polishing pads, some Tamiya course polishing compound and finally ending with a product line i found the works STELLAR for clear plastic canopies...................its the "Novus" line of polishing compounds designed specifically for plastics: This stuff works REALLY well on clear plastic in a two stage process followed by their clean and shine product that gives the canopy a super duper final shine, and at the same time had an anti-fogging and anti-static agents in it that really help reduce the dust that always seems to collect on canopies. Edited January 30, 2015 by Out2gtcha Uilleann 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffH Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 oh yeah...I never bought into the whole Future thing D Bellis 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I use WD40. They market a felt-tip pen version of it that is great for small areas. If you can't find the pen version then a bit on a cotton bud will do the trick. Keep it away from the paint however Jeff is correct - WD40 is what I use too. It works great, but be warned: it's petroleum-based, and will damage enamel paint finishes. If you use acrylics however, you'll be good to go. It does work but found it destroys any Future finish you have on the canopy. That's never actually happened to me Brian, that I'm aware of. I did the Texan canopy this way (Future, BMF masking, WD40 clean-up), with no ill-effects: I'm with you though, in looking to get away from dipping canopies in Future, and using polishing techniques instead (well, for LSP canopies at least). Kev D Bellis 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D Bellis Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 When removing BMF masking, it is absolutely crucial to peel the BMF off, and try to scrape it off. Use a knife blade to pick up a corner, and work it off from there. Any sideways motion will cause the adhesive to smear. And yes, I flat (or gloss, or satin) clear the paintwork before peeling the BMF masks off. If you tend to go heavy on the paints, use the same sharp blade you used to trim the masks in the first place to score the outlines again so that the paint doesn't chip along the edges. If you do end up with adhesive goo on the parts, the WD-40 the others mentioned works fine to remove it. But, the WD-40 will attack your paint, too, so you have to be very careful doing it. D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D Bellis Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 (edited) ...its the "Novus" line of polishing compounds designed specifically for plastics: Novus products are amazing. But, don't ignore the amazing benefit of using regular toothpaste with a damp cloth to polish clear plastic. Toothpaste also leaves no residue at all, so there's no issues painting the parts afterward. I find that toothpaste works 98% of the time, but Novus No.2 is required for the other 2%. Oh, and the Novus No.1 "Clean & Shine" can prevent paint from sticking to the plastic, so it should be used last (or not at all). D Edited January 31, 2015 by D Bellis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffH Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 When removing BMF masking, it is absolutely crucial to peel the BMF off, and try to scrape it off. Use a knife blade to pick up a corner, and work it off from there. Any sideways motion will cause the adhesive to smear. This However I use a tooth pick with the end chiseled with a #11. It's pointy enough but the wood is softer than the plastic so no risk of scratching the canopy D Bellis 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy1 Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 You can use GOO GONE to remove any adhesive that remains and it wont hurt the plastic or pain. besides it smells good too Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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