More on Molotow pens

[Don Sikora II]

Everybody is saying how great these are but . . .

. . . is it worth $25.81 for a 30ml bottle plus shipping (if it's ever available) ?

30ml equals 1.014 oz . or 2 tablespoons .

Definitely not cheap, but that's a bit more than the contents of four square Testors 1/4-ounce bottles. That amount of "paint" would go a long way for a modeler.

[Davoski]

Hi Guys,

I am too much of a klutz to even consider BMF so I have tried about six different "chrome" gel pens instead. They were sort of OK but really just looked like silver paint as opposed to chrome.

I heard of the Molotow pens on here and did some internet research which sounded promising so I decided to order one. All I could get here in Sydney, Australia was a 2mm version and whilst I thought it was better it didn't meet the hype. 2mm also felt too big.

I then found a stockist in Perth, Western Australia and ordered a 1mm Liquid chrome pen. It seems to be a completely different product and looks (to me) to be fantastic.

It is a bit hard to photograph on my iPhone but hopefully you can see the difference compared to other products:

 

Seems to be durable after 24hr drying.

This is the link http://www.thebutchershop.com.au/shop_online/art_supplies/markers/molotow/other/liquid_chrome/

It was A$11.95 = US$9.17 plus postage. I imagine they send OS. Apparently refills are coming soon too.

The 1mm is well worth a try I reckon :-)

Cheers

Davoski

 

[MeatMan]

Megahobby has them now as well. Just started carrying them.

https://www.megahobby.com/brands/molotow-liquid-chrome

 

[Jon Haigwood]

One some cars the window trim was not as shiny as chrome, more of a aluminum finish. So Molotow chrome with a clear that dulled it a bit might just bring it to the right finish

 

I just did the window trim on a practice body by taping it off with Tamya tape. I looks good, just waiting for sufficient drying time  before I test it for durability. 

Added a coat of future over the chrome and it did dull it some.

[George Bojaciuk]

I just got an email...MegaHobby now carries these pens. I did get mine at Dick Blick.

[smhardesty]

I got an email from Dick Blick stating they have all sizes in stock. Not sure how long, but they had them this afternoon.

[Junkman]

For me they are the game changer.
I agree they won't entirely replace BMF, especially not on those easy to foil side moldings and roof gutters,
but they will in areas that are notoriously difficult to foil (at least for me), i.e. A pillars, vent windows,
wipers and small trim ornaments, such as the '57 Chevy pedestrian slicers, or '58 Chevy hayforks, etc.
They are also ace for doing the corners of window frames, which also was always tricky with foil.
Where they will completely replace foil is on interior trim.

I will also use them on my Corgi/Dinky "restorations", where the trim was painted on with silver paint.
They elevate those "models" to an entirely new level.
They are also ace for freshening up the oxidised plating on old Norevs.
I bet they are extremely useful for Hotwheels and similar restos and mods.
 

[Junkman]

Has anyone tried candy or transparent on top of them yet?

[stitchdup]

Has anyone tried candy or transparent on top of them yet?

I tried duplicolour clear on it and it went silver, and I tried a wash of tamiya light smoke but it did the same. A club member has used future and thought it was ok, but I havent tried it myself yet

[Bucket T]

Just something to consider - you can buy one size pen and get different size tips as the are removable and interchanable.  I asked Art Primo when they would get the 1mm pen in stock and customer service told me about the tips. A pair of 1mm tips is $2.99.

[Impalow]

you guys that have these.. how un-durable are they?    Like if you did some trim and then wrapped the car in a micro towel to transport it, will it rub off?   does the surface its applied to matter?  Matte or Gloss base surface make any difference?     

[Joe Handley]

I got an email from Dick Blick stating they have all sizes in stock. Not sure how long, but they had them this afternoon.

They have a couple stores in my area, I'm planning on visiting one to get some of these before too long too.

[Zoom Zoom]

you guys that have these.. how un-durable are they?    Like if you did some trim and then wrapped the car in a micro towel to transport it, will it rub off?   does the surface its applied to matter?  Matte or Gloss base surface make any difference?     

It'll rub off like Aclad. That said, using Alclad's own Aqua Gloss as a sealer/protector works very well, being the only gloss I've ever tried that really doesn't kill the reflective quality. It does get slightly softened. The first time you try one of the pens is eye-opening; this can be applied over any color or surface. It's great for detailing small items. It's not IMHO a replacement for BMF for exterior trim.  It is perfect for touching up loose BMF ends or gaps, especially around vent windows, inner door handles, window winders, dash knobs, fixing the damage from clipping a part from the sprue, etc. Eventually I'll try it through the airbrush. 

[smhardesty]

I received an email from Sandy Ritzmann at Molotow. I asked about durability. Here is her response:

"As for the durability of Liquid Chrome, this should not be an issue when it comes to light handling. The paint it self is being commonly used for models, applyed with marker or even by air brush. Here an example :"

https://scontent-frt3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/16683882_880691928700323_7111654814564140677_n.jpg?oh=074f45e723595f81eb9ba7db4d127a6b&oe=59363607

And I asked about the 30ml refill in the US. here is her reply to that:

"The 30ml Refill is not available yet in the US, but we are working on this."

[Brett Barrow]

The refill doesn't actually exist anywhere (yet).  They're working on packaging right now, should be available around May or June.  

[smhardesty]

Everyone has mentioned the cost as a concern, I can't help but think that just maybe, there is a much more economical way to get something comparable to this stuff ........ I believe it is ink; if that is the case; I wonder if indeed there is other current applications for something very close to  it; in the printing industry or elsewhere. that are being offered for a lot less & in larger quantities...... although it is being called "Chrome", as a marketing label, it is actually a super fine silver / aluminum pigment in an ink base. 

I exchanged a few emails with 2 different people at Art Primo. Each of those two people recommended a different product for chrome. Below is the reply I got from "Rick".

"For modeling or arts and crafts purposes I'd recommend using the Belton Special Chrome, that is the closest to actual chrome you will get in a spray can, period."

Not that I need a spray can, but if it's a far better product, I'm not above trying it out. Here is the product.

http://artprimo.com/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=Belton+Special+Chrome&osCsid=487919f3879e6587a149dc6228ea1aa3&x=8&y=5

[Lovefordgalaxie]

I got the 1mm pen, and found out that the vast majority of use I'll make of it is to touch up kit chrome, mostly the attachment points to the plastic trees, and restoring bumper corners after sanding the mold lines. I actually enjoy doing the foil work a lot. It's one of my favorite things to do on a model. 

Also, I got a cheap Sakura pen, that has a bigger point, took it off, and replaced the original Molotow point with it. This way I can do larger areas. I did a test on the Revell Navarro intake manifold on the '47 Ford I finished a couple of days ago. 

The chrome look is a lot better than I would get fro Alclad. A coat of testor's acrylic clear didn't hurt it. 

After use, I just clean the spare tip with car alcohol. 

[Brett Barrow]

Everyone has mentioned the cost as a concern, I can't help but think that just maybe, there is a much more economical way to get something comparable to this stuff ........  if that is the case; I wonder if indeed there is other current applications for something very close to  it; in the printing industry or elsewhere. that are being offered for a lot less & in larger quantities...... although it is being called "Chrome", as a marketing label, it is actually a super fine silver / aluminum pigment in an ink base. 

I don't think so, this stuff is pretty unique and they say they developed it (Molotow is part of Chartpak and they make a bunch of inks and other graphics products).  I think if there was something else out there like this stuff we would have found it by now.  

[Xingu]

My gut tells me, that there will need to be a fair amount more surface prep when air brushing. The pens put out a fairly thick flow. The airbrush is going to atomize it and mist it on. It may be just as much work as Alclad. My airbrushing skills are not adequate enough for me to be the guinea pig, so I will wait for others to see what works.

As to the cost.....we shell out a fair amount of money for BMF, different types of masking tapes, different types of paints we rarely use and all other sorts of tools and gadgets. If we have actually found something that gives us an adequate finish in a quicker and easier to use pen, I will fork over $12.

[crazyjim]

What am I going to do with the Alclad and Spaz Stik I have?

[Howard Cohen]

I have tried Molotow sprays since December and read all the talk about the 'chrome' pens. 1st - it is ink, as Molotow says on their website, so treat it as ink  2nd - it is not chrome plating, so don't expect chrome plating  3rd - I still prefer BMF. I was lucky to learn how to use BMF 40 years ago and I am pretty good with it. The chrome pen will get tested but I will not use it to replace BMF. Ink cannot replace metal  4th - attached you will see a body I used for testing Molotow spray paints. The 'Burner Chrome' is a large spray can and the lady in the store said the 'burner' refers to the size, not the effect. It sprayed bright silver. Clear coating made it less bright (right side of car). The reason being the clear covers the silver/metallic particles and reduces the reflective effect (so I was told by Molotow Germany). I tried Tamiya fine white primer and also tried spraying a base coat of clear and then the 'chrome' spray and the effect is the same, bright silver  Like so many other modelling items, this is another tool and not the saviour of your modelling world  

[smhardesty]

The 'Burner Chrome' is a large spray can and the lady in the store said the 'burner' refers to the size, not the effect. It sprayed bright silver. Clear coating made it less bright (right side of car). The reason being the clear covers the silver/metallic particles and reduces the reflective effect (so I was told by Molotow Germany). I tried Tamiya fine white primer and also tried spraying a base coat of clear and then the 'chrome' spray and the effect is the same, bright silver  Like so many other modelling items, this is another tool and not the saviour of your modelling world  

 

 

Howard,

I asked the representative at Molotow what "Burner" spray paints were. Here is the response I got from them.

"The Burner™ chrome is a graffiti product, first of all produced for fast work on large areas. The "chrome" effect is a bit more matt then other products, and has a fast drying time. For paint jobs I would recommend our Urban Fine-Art™ effect series, here you get the shiniest metallics available in spray. Please note that effect sprays (chrome, gold, copper) are not scratch/touch proof, this needs to be taken into consideration when applying these."

 

And I also asked about "Burner" sprays from the reps at Art Primo. I got 2 different replies from 2 different reps. Here they are.

"The Burner Chrome is a line that is high pressure and dusty and with handling will leave a burn imprint from the oil in your hands."

"Burner is a street-art term, it just means aesthetically pleasing. Like "oh that's a burner" or "Those are burner letters." Burner Chrome is just a really really good spray paint for covering large areas with thick chrome spray paint quickly."

 

 

I'm thinking that "Burner Chrome" isn't something we'd want to use, but I'm a newbie to the hobby. Maybe somebody else, like you, can see where it can be useful. Like I posted in a previous reply, Art Primo recommends "Belton Special Chrome" for modeling uses. The cost of a can is low enough that I might try it. I forget the term used, but spraying out of the can into a cup, then brushing it on is at least a possibility, especially at $6.95 per can.

 

 

As for BMF, I'm just now experimenting with it for my very first time. I really like the effect once I figured out how to peel it off and apply it without getting it all crumpled up. I agree with you that BMF is the method of choice for most of the "chroming" needs. I'm looking into Molotow, and similar liquids for tiny areas on a dash, or for painting a set of wheels. The more tools and techniques I have available, the better I may eventually become at building a kit.

[peteski]

I received an email from Sandy Ritzmann at Molotow. I asked about durability. Here is her response:

"As for the durability of Liquid Chrome, this should not be an issue when it comes to light handling. The paint itself is being commonly used for models, applyed with marker or even by air brush.

 

Really?!  Paint commonly used for models? So all they are doing is repackaging the good old Testors Chrome paint from the little square bottles, calling it Molotov and selling it for mots of money?  The stuff that never really dries?

I'm joking of course, but I just found their statement funny.

[Luc Janssens]

I don't think so, this stuff is pretty unique and they say they developed it (Molotow is part of Chartpak and they make a bunch of inks and other graphics products).  I think if there was something else out there like this stuff we would have found it by now.  

I only used the 1mm pen so far, and "chromed" some molded-in the body headlamp buckets with it, and absolutely love it.

For the interior details I would like to see a 0,5mm version, and maybe with enough demand and support from the trade, it can happen.

So Brett, you know what to do

 

 

[niteowl7710]

I don't want stuff that looks like kit chrome, because lets really face the fact that kit chrome doesn't look like real chrome in the first place.  With the exception of maybe modern trailer queen show cars, REAL cars of the day didn't have thick lacquer shellacked chrome the way it's presented in model kits.  I think we've all become a little "blind" if you will to this, because it's just what we've been conditioned to expect.  I mean really how many small parts on chrome trees are in effect nothing but door handle shaped blobs because the plating is so thick it obliterates the details.  Dechroming them, and then using one of these markers is a much more realistic effect.

As for costs...the markers cost between $8-10 a piece, a sheet of BMF is $8, and Alclad is substantially more expensive once you work in the price for the base coat and the clear coat.  I'd argue for most people these markers would last substantially longer than a sheet of BMF as well, especially for trying to foil small pieces like interior trim and grille surrounds.  You don't buy cheap tools for your 1:1 car, why does everyone want nickel paint and $5 airbrushes?