Chrome Chrome Chrome everywhere

[SCRWDRVR]

Ok here is my 3rd comparison question, I've always painted all my chrome trim and emblems with silver paint and build mostly 1/25th scale cars. I have seen on YouTube some people using plumbers tape to cover them.

What process do you all use? I'm very interested in this since before getting back into modelling recently I never knew there was anything other than silver paint.

[Ramfins59]

Bare Metal Foil is the way to go for most chrome trim.  Lately Molotow "Liquid Chrome" ink markers are the new kid on the block mostly for chroming interior cranks, door handles, horn rings, vent window uprights, etc...

[Pete J.]

Ok, this is a new system that I have been experimenting with and it works.  Down side is it is stupid expensive, but you can brush it or spray it, but you need to follow their instructions.  If you use your own base it will be no different than Alcad or other "chrome" paint.  

 

[SCRWDRVR]

Wow that stuff is expensive..... I will check out the Bare Metal Foil and Molotow "Liquid Chrome" ink markers. I'm really trying to step up my game on these kits.

[StevenGuthmiller]

Bare Metal Foil is my primary tool for the vast majority of my chrome needs.

On occasion, I will use a little bit of Molotow chrome for limited applications.

But with the right techniques, you can use BMF for nearly everything, including knock out scripts & emblems.

 

Steve

 

 

[Pete J.]

11 hours ago, SCRWDRVR said:

Wow that stuff is expensive..... I will check out the Bare Metal Foil and Molotow "Liquid Chrome" ink markers. I'm really trying to step up my game on these kits.

Yes, yes it is.  However if you subscribe to there website they often have it for more than half off.  Like a lot of these products a little goes a long way.  Just for fun, I tried it on this little egg plane.  

[RogerCP]

13 hours ago, Ramfins59 said:

Bare Metal Foil is the way to go for most chrome trim.  Lately Molotow "Liquid Chrome" ink markers are the new kid on the block mostly for chroming interior cranks, door handles, horn rings, vent window uprights, etc...

Molotow "Liquid Chrome" ink markers are NOT good with what my doctor claims is "essential tremors".  They require very steady application which, I discovered very quickly, that I can't do!  But, the chrome-like appearance is fantastic IMO.

[SCRWDRVR]

11 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Bare Metal Foil is my primary tool for the vast majority of my chrome needs.

On occasion, I will use a little bit of Molotow chrome for limited applications.

But with the right techniques, you can use BMF for nearly everything, including knock out scripts & emblems.

 

Steve

 

 

Impressive, I would love to see how you did that. Next paycheck I think I'll order some of the BMF. 

[StevenGuthmiller]

11 minutes ago, SCRWDRVR said:

Impressive, I would love to see how you did that. Next paycheck I think I'll order some of the BMF. 

Easier than you may think.

The foil is applied to the script before the final color coat and then the paint is cleaned from it later.

 

Steve

[89AKurt]

I still prefer BMF, but I have encountered a sheet that had the adhesive gone bad, did not stick at all.  I have used the Molotov pen, you have to commit to applying in one sweep, DO NOT go over to touch up.

[Ace-Garageguy]

19 hours ago, SCRWDRVR said:

Ok here is my 3rd comparison question, I've always painted all my chrome trim and emblems with silver paint...

What process do you all use?...

 

14 hours ago, Ramfins59 said:

Bare Metal Foil is the way to go for most chrome trim.  Lately Molotow "Liquid Chrome" ink markers are the new kid on the block mostly for chroming interior cranks, door handles, horn rings, vent window uprights, etc...

Bare Metal Foil (BMF) is great for chrome spears and window trim, and with the right technique, scripts and emblems...though it takes a very steady hand, sharp eyes, good lighting, VERY sharp blades, and practice to get it really right.

It has one very serious limitation however: it can NOT follow complex compound surfaces like bumpers, some grilles, wheels, etc. In that case you have several options.

1) Do what I believe Mr. Guthmiller does, and send your parts out to be plated professionally when necessary.

2) Try the expensive stuff Pete J. suggests. The beauty of that material is that it is tough enough for real car interior plastic parts, and can be handled carefully with no adverse effects. It can also be topcoated with automotive urethane clear, to provide more protection (with no degradation of the chrome effect). I'm currently doing some custom interior parts for a high-dollar custom (real) '66 Chevelle. It saved me countless hours that would have been required otherwise milling some very intricate parts from aluminum, and polishing them.

3) Try the old standard airbrushable Alclad. It produces a pretty decent "chrome" effect, but turns to muddy silver if cleared. It also doesn't really like to be handled.

4) Get a Molotow REFILL, and airbrush that material. It looks a little better than Alclad, and can be handled more than Alclad as well. It can also be clearcoated for protection with the RIGHT topcoat, without ruining the chrome effect.

Edited December 28, 2018 by Ace-Garageguy

[Ace-Garageguy]

While we're at it, you have several options for non-chrome "bare metal" as well.

I highly recommend Testors "buffing metalizers". Depending on application technique and post-processing, you can achieve a range of effects from rough-cast to polished metal, and it's available in several colors.

This cowling is their "aluminum", shot wet and polished after drying a couple of hours (the cockpit cover has not yet been polished here).

I developed this technique (below) for representing aluminum body panels straight from the metal-shaping shop, using several materials. There are other guys on here who have also developed some other very realistic bare-metal finishes.

 

[Tom Geiger]

Another vote for Bare Metal Foil. I use it on every model.  As others said, there are techniques and practice involved. The results are worth it.

Molotow pen is another tool but it's not a replacement for Bare Metal Foil. It's good for small items like picking out interior door handles on door panels, and especially filling in where sprue was attached to your chrome part.  I just used it for that this morning!  Also, if you are using BMF for things like vent windows, you can use the Molotow pen for the tiny little gaps in corners and such.

I'll agree with Bill.  I love Testors Metalizers.  There are several different tones of silver and I use these tones to bring life to chassis components.  I have found that not every store stocks them,  for instance Hobby Lobby does not.  And I was to a hobby shop in NJ this past weekend that didn't have them.  

 

[SCRWDRVR]

I will definitely order some of the BMF and Molotow pens but I'm not always patient LOL so I tried some foil tape on an old build to see how it comes out, and its wasn't bad but kind of hard to cut but I like tinkering anyway...

I did the door and fender so far....

[Pete J.]

2 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

 

Bare Metal Foil (BMF) is great for chrome spears and window trim, and with the right technique, scripts and emblems...though it takes a very steady hand, sharp eyes, good lighting, VERY sharp blades, and practice to get it really right.

It has one very serious limitation however: it can NOT follow complex compound surfaces like bumpers, some grilles, wheels, etc. In that case you have several options.

1) Do what I believe Mr. Guthmiller does, and send your parts out to be plated professionally when necessary.

2) Try the expensive stuff Pete J. suggests. The beauty of that material is that it is tough enough for real car interior plastic parts, and can be handled carefully with no adverse effects. It can also be topcoated with automotive urethane clear, to provide more protection (with no degradation of the chrome effect). I'm currently doing some custom interior parts for a high-dollar custom (real) '66 Chevelle. It saved me countless hours that would have been required otherwise milling some very intricate parts from aluminum, and polishing them.

3) Try the old standard airbrushable Alclad. It produces a pretty decent "chrome" effect, but turns to muddy silver if cleared. It also doesn't really like to be handled.

4) Get a Molotow REFILL, and airbrush that material. It looks a little better than Alclad, and can be handled more than Alclad as well. It can also be clearcoated for protection with the RIGHT topcoat, without ruining the chrome effect.

Bill, Glad to hear you are using the Alsa stuff and having good results.  Too bad it is so expensive.  I now own 4 oz and it cost me a little under $150.  I am not sure what the shelf life is but I will continue to use it. 

Edited December 28, 2018 by Pete J.

[Snake45]

Bare Metal Foil and Molotow pens are both good chrome solutions, but both require practice/skill and can be hard to find and expensive. For about a decade now I've been using Silver Sharpies for most chrome trim, especially window trim. They are VERY easy to use, dry almost instantly, look good, and mistakes can be removed with common rubbing alcohol. I get them at Walmart; a 2-pack costs less than $4 and each one will do a half dozen model or more. I love them so much that if they ever stop making them, I'll have to give up car modeling and go back to airplanes. 

[SCRWDRVR]

1 hour ago, Snake45 said:

Bare Metal Foil and Molotow pens are both good chrome solutions, but both require practice/skill and can be hard to find and expensive. For about a decade now I've been using Silver Sharpies for most chrome trim, especially window trim. They are VERY easy to use, dry almost instantly, look good, and mistakes can be removed with common rubbing alcohol. I get them at Walmart; a 2-pack costs less than $4 and each one will do a half dozen model or more. I love them so much that if they ever stop making them, I'll have to give up car modeling and go back to airplanes. 

Expensive is not good for me I'm definitely on a budget, I have a silver sharpie around here somewhere I'll test it out

[gtx6970]

I use Bare Metal foil for the most part.

Although I have done an entire model using the pen with great results . BUT ,,,it requires a steady hand. Or a  Q tip  close by for the inevitable slip

 

I think this one all the trim is the pen, including the wheels

[Pete J.]

I have to add one more comment.  I use all the above methods.  I have been doing the BMF method for scripts for a very long time and it is far and away the easiest way  to get clean scripts.  I have also used BMF to make badges.  Very time consuming but the results are good.  BMF the badge, put a good glop of white glue on the badge, let it dry.  Then a large glob of putty over that to act and a handle.  Let it dry, then put it all off.  Fill the back of the indentation in the BMF with thick super glue and let that cure.  Put the whole mess in warm water to dissolve the white glue and  you have your own badge.  Sand it down to fit and bingo.  Replacement badges. 

[Snake45]

1 hour ago, Pete J. said:

I have also used BMF to make badges.  Very time consuming but the results are good.  BMF the badge, put a good glop of white glue on the badge, let it dry.  Then a large glob of putty over that to act and a handle.  Let it dry, then put it all off.  Fill the back of the indentation in the BMF with thick super glue and let that cure.  Put the whole mess in warm water to dissolve the white glue and  you have your own badge.  Sand it down to fit and bingo.  Replacement badges. 

An even easier way to do this is to use thin (cheap) kitchen foil rather than BMF. You don't have to pry it off the body, and you don't have to soak anything in hot water. Take it right off the body, fill the back with superglue (I use Elmer's wood carpenter's glue for this, too), let it dry, trim, ready to use! 

Here's a pic showing several copies of the Dean Jeffries Custom badge I made from an original, first-issue Monkeemobile body. They don't show up real well in the pic, but you get the idea. 

[SCRWDRVR]

13 hours ago, gtx6970 said:

I use Bare Metal foil for the most part.

Although I have done an entire model using the pen with great results . BUT ,,,it requires a steady hand. Or a  Q tip  close by for the inevitable slip

 

I think this one all the trim is the pen, including the wheels

That Molotow pen does an awesome job....

 

I think badges are going to be the hardest for me to get right...

[randyc]

I use them all!  Just got a Molotow for Christmas.   I think I'd rather have the refill to be able to brush paint with it though.   the hard point of the 1mm pen is too susceptible to shakes for me so far.   I was able to pump a little paint out to dip my smallest brush in.   If you get enough paint, the brush works nicely for me.   BMF is my "go to" product.  I replaced a whole section of rocker with sheet plastic and foil and polished it with chrome polish and then scratch remover and it looks very bright and shiny.  Almost as good as vac plated parts.   I also use sharpies when I don't need such a bright chrome.  Sometimes, foil is too contrived on a scale model.  I think I used too much pressure with Alclad and it came out dull.   lower pressure and DON'T touch.  I'm pretty heavy handed, so not touching is an issue for me.   Use all the tools in your box.  But in a pinch, Sharpie is easiest to get and use possibly.   That would be my starting point if I were just getting into the hobby.  

[Anglia105E]

I agree with everything mentioned on this topic, and some nice work there by Steven Guthmiller!

My experience with the Molotow Liquid Chrome Pen has made me realise that you have to think of the pen as a brush. By that I mean you need to stroke the part that you are applying the chrome to, as if you were brushing on the fluid. You have to move the pen in one direction and you can't really go over the same area twice, although I find myself doing just that, with varying results. Also, you have to watch how the liquid chrome flows over the surface of the part as it spreads out a little in some directions. This can be helpful if it fills part of the area as you want it to, but there can be some over painting that needs to be removed with a cotton bud. On the subject of drying time, I find that 24 hours is generally good in Summer temperatures, and longer now it's Winter, but the surface shouldn't really be touched or handled excessively even after 24 hours.

I haven't yet purchased a refill and tried air brushing and this is something I would like to try.  Bare Metal Foil is nice to use for larger areas, but as someone mentioned the foil doesn't like the curved ends of bumpers, where it tends to wrinkle a bit.

David

[sbk]

On 12/28/2018 at 11:26 AM, Ace-Garageguy said:

..... 4) Get a Molotow REFILL, and airbrush that material. It looks a little better than Alclad, and can be handled more than Alclad as well. It can also be clearcoated for protection with the RIGHT topcoat, without ruining the chrome effect.

I agree, it looks very good, but I am not having good results with durability. I tried removing a finger smudge from a part by lightly rubbing with a soft cloth, & the chrome look turned into aluminum. I can do that on a part sprayed with Alclad with no problem.

What clear coat works for you?

 

Thanks,

Steve

[Ace-Garageguy]

1 minute ago, sbk said:

What clear coat works for you?

Any luck, Bob Downie (zoomzoom) will chime in here. He's the guy who's had the most experience spraying the stuff that I know of.