What's the best chrome paint

Questions in the title really. What's the best chrome paint out there? I'm looking for something to use on both models as well as props. I found one that was really good about a decade ago. Made a kitbashed xwing look awesome. But I can't remember what brand it was. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Allclad and Vallejo metal colors are what I currently use. I've heard of a new paint called molotow liquid chrome that I'm going to try and pick up to try out. It's meant for markers, but there are some videos on YouTube of people using the refill liquid through an airbrush and it looks incredible

C1 metalizer beats ALL

jthornton1993 said:

C1 metalizer beats ALL

Click to expand...

I bought a couple of pots of this for a cylon helmet last year - I'm hoping to apply it this summer, it looks very promising. So many other chrome applications I looked into seem to have a problem with handling after applying, which C1 appears to be ok with.

I can highly recommend Will Pattison's videos on YT. He recently did a few videos on his experiments with chrome paints and the Molotov pens, he didn't cover the metalizers (like C1) due to costs I believe (they aren't cheap).
Long story short he went with Alclad II as the Molotov pens seemed even less stable than Alclad.

https://youtu.be/x4nF6AxmhzE

https://youtu.be/ovNhkZcfcOs

I'm really intrigued by the C1. Does anyone know how durable it is? I'd be using this for cosplay props as well as models.

C1's pretty good for a realistic metal effect. It's fairly robust but I found it can rub off on the edges if you handle the model too much with bare fingers. I used it most successfully on my Metropolis Maria robot and I found it goes on best over a metallic base coat... It's bit dark on gloss black. I did some tests and managed to get a dull chrome effect over metallic blue. I've not tried to get a proper mirror shine with it yet. Here's a pic over a metallic gold base coat:

I'll be using some C1 on a Naboo Star Fighter.

We need a definitive answer to this question pinned at the top of the board.
There's a new thread asking this very question pretty much every month.

Are you looking for "chrome plating" or just "realistic metal"?

If chrome as in chrome plating, then Molotow Liquid Chrome is one of the best options out there right now.

Here's a thread on it: http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=272691

I'm looking for realistic metal mostly. The one I found ages ago went on great, and looked like freshly polished aluminum. The right top coat and weathering looked amazing. Still kicking myself for getting rid of the can.

Have you considered metal polishing powders? I was able to achieve an incredibly shiny chrome finish on the "intakes" of a T-70 X-Wing. First I just rubbed the powder over Aclad black base laquer, which gave a metallic finish but it wasn´t really mirror-like, especially after clear-coating (using a clear coat specifically for metallic finishes). So I removed the powder and laquer, sprayed a new layer of black base coat and polished it with 12000 grit Micro Mesh and Micro Mesh polishing fluid. The black laquer became very reflective, almost like a "black mirror". Once I rubbed on the chrome powder I could see my own reflection (you can see my hand´s reflection in the photo below). When polished enough, the metal pigments seem to bond to each other and/or the surface beneath so they don´t require a protective clear coat (at least on a static model, I cannot tell for a prop that gets handled frequently).
I also bought such powders for steel and iron finishes. Maybe other companies offer powders for different types of metal as well, I don´t know...

The powders can be applied by brush or cotton swabs, although for polishing I found these round cotton pads used for applying/removing make up to work best, especially for larger surfaces. When too much pressure is applied to a worn cotton swab, the plastic rod can scratch the polished surface.