How to apply Molotow chrome to door handles, etc., without getting out of line and removing it.

[rossfox]

I used a super small eyelash brush to put Molotow chrome on the door handles. Needless to say, I slipped and got it on the Tamiya acrylic. So, how do you put Molotow on small parts, with what and how. And how do you get the Molotow off. I did dampen a Q Tip with acohol and that was a disaster. Any suggestions.

[StevenGuthmiller]

Use foil. 😉

 

 

Steve

[rossfox]

59 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Use foil. 😉

 

 

Steve

Will foil work on very small parts like door handles? I don't have much hardly experience with BMF except around windows and didn't do very well with that. I will certainly try that as Molotow has been a hard go with me. I have gotten it on the paint in many places and ruined a good to me paint job. So foil will stick and work on very small pieces then??

[StevenGuthmiller]

32 minutes ago, rossfox said:

Will foil work on very small parts like door handles? I don't have much hardly experience with BMF except around windows and didn't do very well with that. I will certainly try that as Molotow has been a hard go with me. I have gotten it on the paint in many places and ruined a good to me paint job. So foil will stick and work on very small pieces then??

Certainly!

Just be sure that you have the correct foil, (original, or “new improved)

Stay away from the “Ultra Bright” foil.

It’s much harder to work with.

Before I began replacing door handles on my projects with resin/3-D printed parts, I always used foil for everything, including door handles.

You just need to take your time.

These are all finished with BMF, and I have many more examples in my collection.

 

 

Steve

 

[TonyW]

I still use foil, but as a masking material for handles and badges and suchlike. Cover the surrounding area, burnish it down and remove the foil from the intended area. This gives clean and sharp masking to then add chrome ink to. It's the exact opposite of using the foil as intended but materials and methods move on.

Molotov and Green Stuff World inks give a much better chrome effect in my opinion, foils can have a noticeable grain that the inks do not have. There's no creasing with ink either.

 

[Mike 1017]

Sometimes I will mask off door handles and side marker lights. 

Good Luck

Mike

[rossfox]

14 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Certainly!

Just be sure that you have the correct foil, (original, or “new improved)

Stay away from the “Ultra Bright” foil.

It’s much harder to work with.

Before I began replacing door handles on my projects with resin/3-D printed parts, I always used foil for everything, including door handles.

You just need to take your time.

These are all finished with BMF, and I have many more examples in my collection.

 

 

Steve

 

Very gorgeous models. So that is BMF?? Wow. Mine BMF is probably nearly 2 years old. Is that why it is not sticking well???

[rossfox]

9 hours ago, TonyW said:

I still use foil, but as a masking material for handles and badges and suchlike. Cover the surrounding area, burnish it down and remove the foil from the intended area. This gives clean and sharp masking to then add chrome ink to. It's the exact opposite of using the foil as intended but materials and methods move on.

Molotov and Green Stuff World inks give a much better chrome effect in my opinion, foils can have a noticeable grain that the inks do not have. There's no creasing with ink either.

 

Okay on all Tony. I had used Tamiya masking, but have found that when I remove it, the paint underneath is scored. So I have gotten afraid to put any kind of masking over paint. At least Tamiya Acrylics. But I will try BMF as masking tape. Someone mentioned Parafilm, but didn't say which type of Parafilm, as there are several types.

Edited Saturday at 04:22 PM by rossfox

[StevenGuthmiller]

41 minutes ago, rossfox said:

Very gorgeous models. So that is BMF?? Wow. Mine BMF is probably nearly 2 years old. Is that why it is not sticking well???

Could be.

Or it might just be that you got a hold of a bad sheet, or the surface that you're applying it too isn't smooth enough.

Foil works best when applied to a smooth, glossy surface.

BMF was selling some bad product a couple of years ago due to supply disruptions during the pandemic, but have since returned to original production.

 

You can do whatever you want, but what I will tell you is that I have models in my collection that were foiled decades ago that look exactly as they did 30 years ago, and I don't have to be concerned about what they're going to look like 20 years from now.

Properly applied foil will last a lifetime, regardless of the environment or the amount of handling.

Nobody can honestly guarantee the same for something like Molotow.

It's a complete experiment.

Molotow is an ink and was intended for use as a graffiti artist material and was never intended as a permanent solution for anything.

It's for that reason that I don't expect it to have any long term viability and don't use it anywhere on my models. 

BMF is real metal and can be expected to perform as real metal would.

 I understand that there are those who become frustrated with the occasional subpar workability of BMF, but those who persevere and overcome the occasional difficulties with it are rewarded with a material that in my opinion, looks better than the other options, as well as something that they will never have to watch deteriorate before their eyes.

BMF revolutionized the model car hobby probably close to 50 years ago now, and I highly doubt that any of the current "replacements" are going to ever have the same impact as foil has.

I think of it from this perspective.

Other than a slightly better finish, there's literally almost no advantage of a product such as Molotow over the old Testors "chrome silver" enamel paint. 

It's not any easier to apply, (except for the pen, which doesn't do a very good or accurate job anyway) and it is about as durable as the Testors enamel was too, rubbing off very easily with even average handling.

 

Okay, so I've rambled enough, and anybody that knows me, knows my stance on chrome inks or paints versus foil and plated parts, so I'll just leave it at that.

 

They're your models, so you need to decide on what will give you the best results.

I decided on that, with respect to trim on models, probably close to 40 years ago, and have found no evidence that any changes have become necessary.

 

 

A few more examples.

 

 

 

 

Steve

[Mattblack]

Not getting into the BMF Vs Molotow thing, but I did the side trim on my latest project with Molotow and yes I went over the edge in one place. When it was dry I carefully removed the excess with a very small amount of T-cut on a piece of kitchen towel wrapped around the end of a cocktail stick.

[peteski]

11 hours ago, rossfox said:

Someone mentioned Parafilm, but didn't say which type of Parafilm, as there are several types.

Parafilm-M is what I first learned about in an article in FineScale Modeler magazine over 30 years ago, and that is what I use for various modeling tasks (like masking).

 

11 hours ago, rossfox said:

Mine BMF is probably nearly 2 years old. Is that why it is not sticking well???

There was a bad batch around the start of the COVID pandemic and I suspect some of it is still around.  I still have some small amounts left on my first BMF chrome sheet and its adhesive is still good after 30+ years.  I have some newer BMF and it has good adhesive.

[slusher]

 If you not good at foiling or you want to use Molotow I would mash the pen get some extra paint and brush paint them  with a good brus…

[rossfox]

20 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Could be.

Or it might just be that you got a hold of a bad sheet, or the surface that you're applying it too isn't smooth enough.

Foil works best when applied to a smooth, glossy surface.

BMF was selling some bad product a couple of years ago due to supply disruptions during the pandemic, but have since returned to original production.

 

You can do whatever you want, but what I will tell you is that I have models in my collection that were foiled decades ago that look exactly as they did 30 years ago, and I don't have to be concerned about what they're going to look like 20 years from now.

Properly applied foil will last a lifetime, regardless of the environment or the amount of handling.

Nobody can honestly guarantee the same for something like Molotow.

It's a complete experiment.

Molotow is an ink and was intended for use as a graffiti artist material and was never intended as a permanent solution for anything.

It's for that reason that I don't expect it to have any long term viability and don't use it anywhere on my models. 

BMF is real metal and can be expected to perform as real metal would.

 I understand that there are those who become frustrated with the occasional subpar workability of BMF, but those who persevere and overcome the occasional difficulties with it are rewarded with a material that in my opinion, looks better than the other options, as well as something that they will never have to watch deteriorate before their eyes.

BMF revolutionized the model car hobby probably close to 50 years ago now, and I highly doubt that any of the current "replacements" are going to ever have the same impact as foil has.

I think of it from this perspective.

Other than a slightly better finish, there's literally almost no advantage of a product such as Molotow over the old Testors "chrome silver" enamel paint. 

It's not any easier to apply, (except for the pen, which doesn't do a very good or accurate job anyway) and it is about as durable as the Testors enamel was too, rubbing off very easily with even average handling.

 

Okay, so I've rambled enough, and anybody that knows me, knows my stance on chrome inks or paints versus foil and plated parts, so I'll just leave it at that.

 

They're your models, so you need to decide on what will give you the best results.

I decided on that, with respect to trim on models, probably close to 40 years ago, and have found no evidence that any changes have become necessary.

 

 

A few more examples.

 

 

 

 

Steve

Wow Steven, those models are unreal so nice. Ok on the BMF, I will try to get better with it.. I have watched a lot of video and feel kinda like I know what to do. I have only built 4 cars so far and it is a learning experience for sure. Just using the airbrush has been a challenge. Thanks for the info.

[rossfox]

10 hours ago, peteski said:

Parafilm-M is what I first learned about in an article in FineScale Modeler magazine over 30 years ago, and that is what I use for various modeling tasks (like masking).

 

There was a bad batch around the start of the COVID pandemic and I suspect some of it is still around.  I still have some small amounts left on my first BMF chrome sheet and its adhesive is still good after 30+ years.  I have some newer BMF and it has good adhesive.

Thanks Pete. I will keep trying with BMF to get better.

[StevenGuthmiller]

2 hours ago, rossfox said:

Wow Steven, those models are unreal so nice. Ok on the BMF, I will try to get better with it.. I have watched a lot of video and feel kinda like I know what to do. I have only built 4 cars so far and it is a learning experience for sure. Just using the airbrush has been a challenge. Thanks for the info.

Keep working on it.

It might take a little while to get the hang of it, but I guarantee you that once you do, you'll never go back to doing it any other way.

In all honesty, there is no comparison.

 

Just go to a few shows and you'll quickly discover that the vast majority of the best car modelers on the planet are using foil for their trim.

There's a reason for that. 

 

 

 

Steve

[rossfox]

1 hour ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Keep working on it.

It might take a little while to get the hang of it, but I guarantee you that once you do, you'll never go back to doing it any other way.

In all honesty, there is no comparison.

 

Just go to a few shows and you'll quickly discover that the vast majority of the best car modelers on the planet are using foil for their trim.

There's a reason for that. 

 

 

 

Steve

10-4 on all!

[FoMoCo66]

A steady hand and a sharp exacto you can get a good result with foil. Just make sure to burnish it so it sticks and doesn't move around on you. (Door handels, gas cap, and trim was done with BMF)

[dino246gt]

I only use the Molotov, or other "chrome" inks for interior bits, and I mostly build hardtops, that will never be touched.

If you want to use it on exterior door handles, do it last, after the model is finished, don't touch them, EVER!

I use it on engine bits sometimes, but I don't have a lot of "chrome" in my engine bay builds.

To answer your original question, how to remove chrome ink "outside the lines", I'd wipe it all off, then start again. put some on a piece of paper and use a tiny brush, and colour inside the lines! 

Cheers and happy modelling!