I’ve been modeling for years and I’ve never quite figured out how the add chrome trim to a model. I can use bare metal foil it’s pretty easy, looks good, but when the model doesn’t have a lot of detail but you know there’s chrome trim that needs to go around a window frame or a long a body panel, how do you go about doing it?
I tried free hand painting, dry brushing technique, masking, just never quite looks as good as bare metal foil.
Thanks
Some folks are using the Molotow chrome pens. Stores selling art supplies should have them.
I use one for landing gear oleos and vehicle mirrors. Love it. They come in a couple of tip sizes. Got mine at Hobby Lobby.
BMF is good, but so is the thinnest (cheapest) “aluminum” foil.
Didn’t know they existed. Looks like Hobby Lobby is on the to do list this weekend.
Thanks
Let us know what you think about it. If you go to HL, they carry it in the model kit supply section.
I like the Molotow pen too, for small detail and lettering. But, you must be careful. If you get any ink on the body it is pretty hard to get off without making a flaw in paint.
Just picked up a 1mm today. Very impressed with my practice runs. Crazy how chrome it looks. Thank for the help
Sounds like a nice thing for mirrors. Are you using any special color as a base before you use this pen?
I haven’t yet. Seems to be thick enough to cover most colors of styrene. It does seem to be a little fragile to handling though, so I try to use it as late as possible in the build
I’m in the same boat. About to start a 70 Chevelle and the one thing I’m concerned with is the chrome trim. I have heard about the molotow pens. What is a good size to start with?
I experimented a bit with the Molotow pens and found the stuff can be thined with laquer thinner. On a happy accident I had to do some touch up but my pen was empty so I removed the back of the pen and put a few drops of thinner in it and shook it…voila more chrome paint. So then the next one I bought was dumped in a jar and added 30% Laquer thinner and now it goes farther and I can use a small brush instead of the pen for more control. I did a couple of 1/25 car bumpers with the small pen and had no problems. The small tip on the pen is really good for placards and emblems on cars but you have to be sure there is not much paint on the tip, almost like dry brushing.
It doesn’t seem to matter what base color if any is underneath the chrome to my eye.
This stuff flows together quite nicely so the smallest size , 1mm I think, will sufice for any situation .
For the real rivet counter fanatics, Pilot makes a 1mm silver paint paint pen that works like the Molotow, but gives you a finish that looks more like the polished stainless steel or aluminum trim used instead of plated chrome on some cars.
Moltow also sells refill bottles of their chrome so you can airbrush it without breaking into pens.
The Molotow finish can be rubbed off in handling but I cover it with Whateverthehellthey’recallingFuturethesedays (To be referred to henceforth as WTHTCFTD for short) and to my old eyes it still looks like chrome.
Where did you pick up the Pilot stuff? Do places like Hobby Lobby and Michaels carry it?
Don;
Office Depot sells Pilot products .
Hobby Lobby also sells them. It is called “silver marker SC-S-EF”. They also make it in gold but I haven’t had any use for that color in modeling, I just use it for fancy writing on colored paper like greeting cards.
I wish I didn‘t have Advanced Modelers Syndrome that causes me to research which cars use polished metal instead of chrome, and where, and use the appropriate marker. It’s not like anyone else is ever going to notice!
At least its not as extreme as the time I bought a $5 swap meet SMER Alfa-Romeo kit as a “quick build” and ended up scratch building wire wheels for it.