More on Molotow pens

[MrObsessive]

10 minutes ago, Dodge Driver said:

It looked passable, but a wider tip would go faster and reduce the need for overlapping strokes.

Merry Christmas, BTW

One thing (if maybe a caution) about the Molotow pens, is that yes like you said Frank, they're at their best when a single pass can be made. Multiple passes I found tends to make the finish duller. One BIG caveat is that the paint CANNOT BE TOUCHED for at least 24 hours----possibly longer! You might be able to speed things up by putting the part in the dehydrator-----then covering it with "Liquitex" which protects the finish, but doesn't change its brilliance.

Here's my '63 Porsche 356 resto where I did use the pen to bring the wheels back to life, as well as the mirrors.

All the other trim was done with BMF, but the pens do come in handy for those irregular surfaces that don't do well with BMF. BTW, the pens were used over the existing chrome, and not over a black base as some might suggest.

[1972coronet]

54 minutes ago, Dodge Driver said:

I just did a quick test on a Jo-Han '73 Torino's windshield trim. the trim is about 1/32 inch wide. With the 1mm tip, it took two passes to get the trim covered. It looked passable, but a wider tip would go faster and reduce the need for overlapping strokes.

Merry Christmas, BTW

Very good , sir ! Thanks much for your experiment , and for the well-wishes . Same to you and yours 

[1972coronet]

36 minutes ago, MrObsessive said:

One thing (if maybe a caution) about the Molotow pens, is that yes like you said Frank, they're at their best when a single pass can be made. Multiple passes I found tends to make the finish duller. One BIG caveat is that the paint CANNOT BE TOUCHED for at least 24 hours----possibly longer! You might be able to speed things up by putting the part in the dehydrator-----then covering it with "Liquitex" which protects the finish, but doesn't change its brilliance.

Here's my '63 Porsche 356 resto where I did use the pen to bring the wheels back to life, as well as the mirrors.

All the other trim was done with BMF, but the pens do come in handy for those irregular surfaces that don't do well with BMF. BTW, the pens were used over the existing chrome, and not over a black base as some might suggest.

That's a fantastic Porsche , Bill ! Great job ! 

So , the 2 millimetre pen it is then . 

( side bar : I've used Duplicolor [ et al. ] aerosol Chrome , and it works and looks great ! I've used it on transmission pans , oil pans , bumpers , etc. , etc. , and it is super . Additionally ; it can be handled in short order , too . Its flash-time is quick ; and , the finish is quite durable [ i.e. , can be handled numerous times without marring or compromising the finish ] . )

Thanks again , guys !

[MrObsessive]

John, the Duplicolor chrome aerosol sounds pretty neat. My only caveat with those however is that Duplicolor depending on how you spray it, can be a bit too hot for plastic and could lead to etching. A big turn off for me as even a little etching in something that's supposed to be reflective chrome, kills the whole effect.

At least that's been my experience with Duplicolor in the past.

One advantage of the Molotow pens is that they're alcohol based------no chance of etching in that case.

[Anglia105E]

Merry Christmas to Bill and John, and I agree with you both that multiple passes with the Molotow Liquid Chrome pen are not as effective as a single pass. I have been using my first 1 mm tip pen for a couple of weeks and generally very happy with the product. There are some snow trap vents on the front of a 1:24 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud that could not be chromed by any other means. Not tried the Molotow pen on resin parts yet but I shall be doing so in due course. Definately important to wait at least 24 hours before handling the liquid chromed part. It works well on clear acetate windscreen surrounds and bumpers /fenders, but maybe the 2 mm tip is better for larger parts. I shall order a 30 ml refill for my pen or perhaps order two new pens. This has to be one of the most important products to become available to scale model builders since Bare Metal Foil in my opinion.

David

[1972coronet]

7 hours ago, MrObsessive said:

John, the Duplicolor chrome aerosol sounds pretty neat. My only caveat with those however is that Duplicolor depending on how you spray it, can be a bit too hot for plastic and could lead to etching. A big turn off for me as even a little etching in something that's supposed to be reflective chrome, kills the whole effect.

At least that's been my experience with Duplicolor in the past.

One advantage of the Molotow pens is that they're alcohol based------no chance of etching in that case.

I should have qualified my reverence of Duplicolor Chrome by stating that , yes , a base-coat is necessary . However , unlike Alclad , the base-colour does not affect the outcome of the aerosol (spray can) chrome . I've tried different colours as bases ; zinc yellow , flat black , gloss black , grey , blue , etc. , etc. , with each one resulting in a beautiful chrome finish .

That point , along with its quick flash-time and dry-time , and its durability , are its selling points ( plus , Alclad seems so tedious and temperamental ... and it exhibits mediocre results ) .

[porschercr]

Does the Molotow need a gloss black base?

[Janne Herajärvi]

1 hour ago, porschercr said:

Does the Molotow need a gloss black base?

It does not actually need any base coats.. I have used it straight over plastic, bu also over about any colored paint i have used in my builds.. Just avoid handling of that part for couple days, or better, dont ever touch Molotowed part spot again.. 

[Mike999]

I've used Molotow pens over unpainted plastic.  Also tried them over a base of Tamiya X-1 Gloss Black.  I couldn't see any difference.

[1972coronet]

RE : Touching the "Molotowed" Surface :

While I don't recommend that one touches the surface more often than is "necessary" , I've noticed that so long as one doesn't "heavy hand" the part(s) with the Molotow surface , then it's okay ; pretty durable finish .

[aurfalien]

Hello sirs,

Unsure if any one here had the issue of a clogged 1mm tip.

But what I did that finally resolved the issue was a full 24 hour soaking of the entire nib in SuperClean.

Remember to take the tip off the sponge part and soak both.

Hope this helps.

PS make sure to primer the nib by dipping the sponge portion in the chrome before inserting it back in the tip.  I'm breaking down what the nib is into 2 parts, the aluminum tip and the highly dense sponge.

Edited April 8, 2018 by aurfalien

[highway]

3 minutes ago, aurfalien said:

Hello sirs,

Unsure if any one here had the issue of a clogged 1mm tip.

But what I did that finally resolved the issue was a full 24 hour soaking of the entire nib in SuperClean.

Remember to take the tip off the sponge part and soak both.

Hope this helps.

I'm sorry, but since SuperClean is also used by many as a paint stripper, after everything soaks up the SuperClean that just sounds like it's been transformed to a paint stripping pen to me.

[aurfalien]

23 minutes ago, highway said:

I'm sorry, but since SuperClean is also used by many as a paint stripper, after everything soaks up the SuperClean that just sounds like it's been transformed to a paint stripping pen to me.

I forgot to mention to then soak it in water for a good bit.

BTW this is meant to be a helpful tip.  No need to be critical.

[Bucket T]

FWIW, I soaked my 1mm tip in paint thinner.  So far so good.

[CabDriver]

On 12/25/2017 at 4:27 PM, MrObsessive said:

You might be able to speed things up by putting the part in the dehydrator-----then covering it with "Liquitex" which protects the finish, but doesn't change its brilliance.

The Liquitex tip is a good one, thank you Bill!  Which Liquitex?  This one?

[youpey]

i only just found this thread after visiting my lhs. at my lhs the guy tries to sell all kinds of snake oils and stuff as the next big thing. i typically ignore him, but this time he said that it is all he uses now.

 

i tried it and loved it

[Zoom Zoom]

On 12/25/2017 at 11:27 AM, MrObsessive said:

One thing (if maybe a caution) about the Molotow pens, is that yes like you said Frank, they're at their best when a single pass can be made. Multiple passes I found tends to make the finish duller. One BIG caveat is that the paint CANNOT BE TOUCHED for at least 24 hours----possibly longer! You might be able to speed things up by putting the part in the dehydrator-----then covering it with "Liquitex" which protects the finish, but doesn't change its brilliance.

When airbrushed you spray in wet coats; treat it like paint and don't do mist coats, the wet coats allow it to keep the "liquid mylar" appearance.

Do NOT put it in a dehydrator for at least several hours. Better off to wait overnight; the finish will dull if put in a dehydrator too soon.

Would like to see "Liquitex" results. My best results by far were protecting with Spaz Stix Ultimate Clear, airbrushed after the chrome was thoroughly dry. It barely changed the reflective appearance. Future was the worst, dulled it to silver. This stuff is nothing like Alclad or Spaz Stix chromes. Thankfully!

[CabDriver]

22 minutes ago, Zoom Zoom said:

Would like to see "Liquitex" results. My best results by far were protecting with Spaz Stix Ultimate Clear, airbrushed after the chrome was thoroughly dry. It barely changed the reflective appearance. Future was the worst, dulled it to silver. This stuff is nothing like Alclad or Spaz Stix chromes. Thankfully!

I heard from someone else that the Spaz Stix worked well too...glad to hear that Future doesnt work, that's a good tip - I was going to try that next!  Thanks Bob!

PS: nice Miata!

[CabDriver]

Top tip, btw - I've been using Duane Reede (Walgreens) isopropyl alcohol to clean my airbrush after using this stuff - works great at $4 for a big bottle.  

[Impalow]

With some help from Bob, Ive had excellent luck using the Molotow through a cheapo amazon airbrush(8.00).... Every bit of chrome on this is airbrushed Molotow topped with SpazStix Clear.  The spazStix clear did dull it in some spots... but I think it had more to do with my application technique. I was experimenting with heavy vs light coats of the clear, it did make a difference... but there was so much chrome on this, i lost track of what was what.  It even stood up to the Vallejo Model Washes without any issues.     I did have some issues with fingerprints in the clear on the chassis... i think it was just my sweaty hands holding it tightly during assembly... other than that, no issues at all.  

 

[Zoom Zoom]

35 minutes ago, CabDriver said:

I heard from someone else that the Spaz Stix worked well too...glad to hear that Future doesnt work, that's a good tip - I was going to try that next!  Thanks Bob!

PS: nice Miata!

Thanks; I need to update the picture as I sold the white Miata in 2014 to one of my best friends and now have a red '06. Loved the white '96, best car I have ever owned. The red one is much faster and quite reliable but not quite as bulletproof as the '96. 

Alclad's Aqua Gloss is acceptable as well but it's not quite as clear as the Spaz Stix clear. I was surprised how poorly Future did on Molotow; a Future dip w/Alclad or Spaz Stix chromes works quite well, better than their own clears. But not for Molotow...

[Zoom Zoom]

Eric, that Comet is absolutely insanely cool! As expected   Glad the Molotow worked out so well for you. I almost wonder if the Spaz Stix clear is an enamel, when dry it's definitely softer than a lacquer.

[simonr]

This was my most recent work airbrushing Molotow...

Edited April 9, 2018 by simonr

[peteski]

On 4/8/2018 at 7:52 PM, aurfalien said:

I forgot to mention to then soak it in water for a good bit.

BTW this is meant to be a helpful tip.  No need to be critical.

Lets think about this for a bit:  Molotow is alcohol-solvent-based.  The tip is made from some sort of fiber.  If the tip is clogged up with dry paint why not soak it in a solvent. How about the same solvent used in the paint itself (alcohol). SO soak it in either 99% isopropyl alcohol or maybe in denatured alcohol.  Or if that fails, lacquer thinner or acetone will do a good job of dissolving the dried up paint.  No need to use SuperClean.  All the liquids I mentioned will dry with no residue, and you will be able to use the tip again without rinsing the tip  in water.

Edited April 10, 2018 by peteski

[aurfalien]

1 hour ago, peteski said:

Lets thing about this for a bit:  Molotow is alcohol-solvent-based.  The tip is made from some sort of fiber.  If the tip is clogged up with dry paint why not soak it in a solvent. How about the same solvent used in the paint itself (alcohol). SO soak it in either 99% isopropyl alcohol or maybe in denatured alcohol.  Or if that fails, lacquer thinner or acetone will do a good job of dissolving the dried up paint.  No need to use SuperClean.  All the liquids I mentioned will dry with no residue, and you will be able to use the tip again without rinsing the tip  in water.

Welp, I tried those (alcohol and lacquer thinner) and nothing seemed to work.  I don;t have denatured alcohol or acetone though.

I suppose it was really clogged, unsure.  But the SuperClean finally did it for me.  Your mileage may very though.