Hey, it worked for Madame Desfontaines, right?
I've used foil instead of putty for an application like this, too. I....figured, that it gives me a better scale thickness, and durability in that thickness, than putty. I still will use putty, too, but it's certainly an arrow in my quiver.
And, I have a bucket full of lead foil envelopes from X-ray blanks, that I got from my dentist when he still had the old X-ray machine. It was too little an amount to warrant the cost the environmental disposal services charge, and he didn't want just to dump it. We were talking about building models and figures, and I mentioned using lead foil. He said, "Wait a minute..." and brought out the bucket. "You want this?" "Sure, Doc!"
Prost!
Brad