molotow liquid chrome pens and spray paints

Alumaluster is a product from Imperial Surface Technologies. Hard to get and stupid expensive. It is what actual fx shops use. I'm sure you've seen it from Legacy FX.. Iron Man, Thor's Hammer, Winter Soldier's arm, and more, all Alumaluster or IST products.

It is more durable than other chromes like Alclad and Spaz Stix because it has a resin base, and if you clear coat right it can be done without any dulling of the chrome. Clearcoat right? Yeah, water based clear with a tint of violet or blue. Teeny, tiny, minuscule drop of pigment and your chrome won't cloud.

Not seen Alumaluster before, how good is it? Durable? can you clear coat it?
 
As for the question, can Molotow be airbrushed?

IMG_7173.JPGIMG_7172.JPG

Yes. Yes it can. These photos really don't do it justice. I am looking at it right now and it's comparable to a vac metalized piece.

I will wait a day or so and then do some clear coat tests.
 
E williams

Were the pen strokes quite evident in the final finish?

It looks like it has good coverage.

The pen strokes self-leveled and disappeared for the most part, because it was applied in a wet coat. The cap is rather small, though. I'll need to do a test of a larger area.
 
Im thinking if this was decanted through an airbrush, a larger nozzle and wet coat would be better.
Something like an iwata rg-3.

I think if this was sprayed quite dry it would not give the refective surface needed.

As far as that alumaluster stuff goes, anyone have examples using it? The website pics always look better than real life.
 
When I sprayed the Liquid Chrome I definitely needed to do one wet coat. You can't apply it how you do normal chrome paints, building up slowly. When I said it wouldn't replace Alumaluster on larger areas, that was BEFORE I cracked one open and airbrushed it. As far as I'm concerned? I found my new favorite chrome. I feel like it is all around better than Alumaluster out of an airbrush and that is something I NEVER thought I'd say!


However.. since you asked for examples..
The one one closest to my hand is Alumaluster on my tests here, trying out a few various chromes.

IMG_7251.JPGIMG_7252.JPGIMG_7253.JPG


Im thinking if this was decanted through an airbrush, a larger nozzle and wet coat would be better.
Something like an iwata rg-3.

I think if this was sprayed quite dry it would not give the refective surface needed.

As far as that alumaluster stuff goes, anyone have examples using it? The website pics always look better than real life.
 
Right out of the pen, no thinning at all. :)
It comes out looking like mercury. I've never ever seen a chrome paint like it.

IMG_7122.JPG


I've got the clear down on a Kylo Ren helmet I'm painting and I'll airbrush this stuff for the chrome bands and update then. :)



@Mr Mold Maker your airbrush tests look fantastic! Did you thin the Molotow with anything when airbrushing, or did you just use it as-is out of the pen?
 
Edit, okay i should have read all the previous replies first!

Thats not bad at all, thanks for posting.

Couple of questions
Does the alumaluster need thinner for spraying and if so with what?

Is the skull alumaluster or molotow?

Cheers
 
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No worries, I am excited too. This has just changed the paint on chrome game in my humble opinion.

No, no thinning Alumaluster.
The skull is Alumaluster. The other chromes on my test piece are Spaz Stix in the middle, and Shrapnel at the end, while the Alumaluster is closest to my hand.

On the first page my post with the spray cap? That is the Molotow sprayed. Pictures seriously don't do it justice. I have attached a short clip of the spray cap.. keep in mind, that was just a dirty spray cap I grabbed for testing. Over a properly prepared and glossed base? This stuff will be wicked.



Thats not bad at all, thanks for posting.

Couple of questions
Does the alumaluster need thinner for spraying and if so with what?

Is the skull alumaluster or molotow?

You have any pics of the molotow sprayed?

Thats more than a couple of qestions sorry but im excited.
 

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Im not expecting 100% chrome mirror reflection (it would be nice but aint gonna happen) but from what you have showed it seems good enough for me.

A lot of movie chrome pieces aint mirror chrome anyway.

I saw a refill metioned for the pens, not seeing any. Anyone else had any luck?

Looking forward to seeing your results with a top coat. Good luck.

Z
 
I too have fallen for Molotow's chrome, they should sell just the paint.

My jaw dropped when I watched the first video of it, and in the back of my head I yelled "this has to be too good to be true!".
 
Keep posting! no ones complaining.

From "memory" didnt i read a urethane based lacquer is needed?
Isnt the ink alcohol based?

Something is bound to work.

Does it pick up fingerprints like that chrome aerosol paint cans do?

Thanks for your efforts
 
For typical chromes, a water based sealer like Aqua-Gloss or future are needed. A urethane clear (2K) or Lacquer and enamel clears will all eat the chrome. In most cases I will do a layer of water based dealer, and then go over that with a 2K clear.

This stuff is different. When it's drying it almost forms a sort of rubber layer. It takes a good day or so to dry, but once it does it is extremely resistant to finger prints and to buffing off. If you are familiar with typical chromes you'll know that too much handling or buffing will rub it right off the surface if you haven't sealed it.

In all honesty, I am not sure that a clear coat would even be necessary as long as the chrome was your LAST step. You can not mask over the chrome, or the tape will take a fine layer when it's removed. What I will do for this Kylo helmet is once the black bands are dry, I will mask the black and do the chrome as my very last step instead of doing the chrome, masking, and then doing the black bands. I used both Tamiya fine surface tape, as well as gorilla tape.. both the green and yellow kinds... for reference.

But yeah, other than the tape issues, this stuff is very strong and resilient and like I said may not even need clear coating.


Keep posting! no ones complaining.

From "memory" didnt i read a urethane based lacquer is needed?
Isnt the ink alcohol based?

Something is bound to work.

Does it pick up fingerprints like that chrome aerosol paint cans do?

Thanks for your efforts
 
How do you think it would accept a gold tint over the top for a 3po or ironman helmet?

Maybe an ink?
 
Accept a gold tint? Beautifully, I think. I haven't tested this, but I am pretty confident it will work fine.

When I did my Iron Man helmet I used Shrapnel and then a candy clear just like the original helmets. I think this would react quite similarly. Alclad's Candy Yellow works very well.
 
Accept a gold tint? Beautifully, I think. I haven't tested this, but I am pretty confident it will work fine...

Would love to see you try it with this and share the results. I'm looking for something that makes a near-mirror finish gold/brass color for a future long term project and your results and praise may have swayed me from using just tinted Alclad.
 
Some great pics there, Mr Mold Maker.

Molotow also does a spraypaint call Molotow Burner Chrome. I thought I'd get one of those and test it alongside the 4mm Liquid Chrome marker. I put the spoon samples alongside a store-bought silver plastic spoon for a comparison. It's kind of a dark chrome, almost a smoke chrome so probably not the ideal comparison.

chrome samples.jpg chrome samples2.jpg

Well, it's certainly no replacement for the chrome marker. As a silver spraypaint however, it's quite a nice reflective paint and you can't see the metal particles so it doesn't have that glittery effect that some silver spraypaints have. It's a very large can and has a large round spray pattern.

There are obvious streaks from the marker nib in the Liquid Chrome. I don't blame the marker, I think it's just a matter of improving my technique. Besides, as we've seen an airbrush application provides impressive results. A marker is still good for small areas though.
 
oh man... what a day to be alive :D
Mr Mold Maker
many thanks for all the tests and first insights.

here is one question. can you sand it? would you be able to spray a thicker coat or even use the markers and sand it, polish it to get an even more perfect , thicker, more durable surface?

what you guys think?
 
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@ZeroSum, the Burner Chrome looks like a good silver paint but how durable is it? Is it delicate like most silvers or is it tough enough to be handled?
 

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