Molotow Help

[Quintillus]

I bought a Molotow marker from Hobby Lobby a couple (or few) years ago when they became the talk of the town. I finally got around to needing to do some chrome touchup this past weekend, and cracked open the package and the marker itself for the first time. Fortunately, I decided to try it on a spoon first.

Needless to say, it did not work for me- otherwise why would I need help.?

The ink immediately turned dark metallic gray, and shimmered but never coalesced into the mirror finish that everyone raves about. I've tried doing some searching, but there have not been a lot of troubleshooting videos. I've played with amounts, I've played with alcohol thinner, and every so often I see the mirror effect right at the end of a run that is mid-curing. But otherwise, it just cures as a splotchy dark gray metallic.

I've uploaded a Youtube video here for you to see. Let me know if you have had similar experiences and if there is a fix. I've got a second marker, but I model so slowly that I don't want to crack open the second one only to put it away for months.

On another note, I've looked up Molotow so much the last few days that ads for chrome markers from markerszone.com have popped up in my FB feed- anyone take the bait on these and are they any good? Not endorsing them- honestly, they make me think of knock-off Sharpies!

[kruleworld]

Looks like its either not mixed or too old.

 

Quote

markerszone.com are they any good?

No. period

 

[Sandboarder]

Shake it a lot, and then shake it some more. The tip of the marker needs to be fully soaked in the chrome for it to work.

 

My first impression was the same, it’s BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH. Then I tried it again a few days later and the more I used it, the better the results get. 

[MrMiles]

I found that with molotow you need to use a little more than you might think. I always have the tip of the pen very covered in paint and i drag it on.  Its like a very fine line between too much and perfect. Too mich and it will run

 

If you get the right amounts it looks like real chrome. The body lines were done with molotow.  Ignore that my picture taking skills aren't good

Edited August 20, 2021 by MrMiles

[Steamboat]

I gave up on the marker after it got old and produced the results you described. I broke it open and poured the ink into a paint bottle. I either paint it on or for larger parts I airbrush it, both with good results. 

 

[Fat Brian]

There is something in the pens that is part of the chrome reaction that evaporates out and ruins them. Both pens I bought were useless in a couple months but the refill is still as good as day one after two years. I just put a drop or two in a water bottle lid and apply it with a brush or toothpick. 

[Classicgas]

I've got a pen that's a couple years old, works fine. One trick is you cannot keep going over a area, you'll lose the chrome effect, also, you need to let if flow onto the area you are covering, barely touch the surface and move the pen. If you use it like a sharpie, pushing it down along the surface, you get silver. Let it flow you get chrome.

[Roncla]

Molotow going off has occurred to others  on this board and I've experienced it myself. I had bought both of these refills together about 18 months ago and while the one to  the right had never been opened the left one had been partly  used and has turned to a gunmetal grey.

 

[Quintillus]

20 hours ago, kruleworld said:

No. period

Not a ringing endorsement for the markerszone markers!

15 hours ago, Fat Brian said:

There is something in the pens that is part of the chrome reaction that evaporates out and ruins them. Both pens I bought were useless in a couple months but the refill is still as good as day one after two years. I just put a drop or two in a water bottle lid and apply it with a brush or toothpick. 

The "magic chemical has evaporated" was my working theory, since I had tried near everything else.

If I crack open my next pen and get good results, I may immediately dump the ink into an empty paint bottle in hopes of prolonging it's usefulness.

2 hours ago, Roncla said:

Molotow going off has occurred to others  on this board and I've experienced it myself. I had bought both of these refills together about 18 months ago and while the one to  the right had never been opened the left one had been partly  used and has turned to a gunmetal grey.

Thanks for the crystal clear comparison! I searched but only found one other reference to Molotow turning gunmetal gray. It's not even very good at that- it turns splotchy!

 

THANKS EVERYONE FOR YOUR RESPONSES!

Edited August 21, 2021 by Quintillus
Weird quoting stuff

[Bills72sj]

I have had my pen for 2-3 years now. I pump the tip up and down on a piece of paper until the the tip is more than saturated and leaves a bubble when lifted. The next trick is to "FLOW" the liquid from the pen onto your surface with very light pressure. Do not apply as much pressure as you would when writing with a pen or pencil. If you have good heavy flow you can quickly go back and forth on a surface such as a bumper and get the whole thing to mirror shine. Just do not touch it for week.

[Classicgas]

What Bill said, which is what I said, but in more understandable language. Thanks Bill!  And like I mentioned, I had been using my pens for a couple years before they ran out.

[StevenGuthmiller]

Seems as if the “silver bullet” Molotow  pens aren’t all that they’re cracked up to be.

I knew that a long time ago.

Sometimes there’s no substitute for the tried and true methods of doing things.

Not everything improves with modern materials.

 

 

 

Steve

[Jon Haigwood]

Works great for me. I buy the refills and either use the airbrush for larger parts or dab a glob on with a tiny brush, Then I let it sit for a few months and never touch it again. 

[Sandboarder]

1 hour ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Seems as if the “silver bullet” Molotow  pens aren’t all that they’re cracked up to be.

I knew that a long time ago.

Sometimes there’s no substitute for the tried and true methods of doing things.

Not everything improves with modern materials.

 

 

 

Steve

Who needs a modern alternative when the good BMF is out of production and the current range is inferior.

 

We’ll just stick to brush painting our silver enamel paints from the glory days. 

[Classicgas]

Molotov. Air cleaner as well. 

Edited August 21, 2021 by Classicgas

[StevenGuthmiller]

7 hours ago, Sandboarder said:

Who needs a modern alternative when the good BMF is out of production and the current range is inferior.

 

We’ll just stick to brush painting our silver enamel paints from the glory days. 

In my opinion, even “bad” BMF is still better than Molotow. 

Personally, I’ll never be able to make myself put something on my models that I’ll never be able to touch again.

 

 

Steve

[Cool Hand]

8 hours ago, Sandboarder said:

We’ll just stick to brush painting our silver enamel paints from the glory days. 

Nah mate, modern alternative use a silver sharpie ?

[Sandboarder]

45 minutes ago, Cool Hand said:

Nah mate, modern alternative use a silver sharpie ?

I have no experience with the Sharpies. Are they durable?? I know most people put their models is some sort of display case but I like to touch mine (and play with them) 

[pack rat]

6 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

In my opinion, even “bad” BMF is still better than Molotow. 

Personally, I’ll never be able to make myself put something on my models that I’ll never be able to touch again.

 

 

Steve

Agreed....sort of. 

I've gone through dozens of sheets of BMF through the years (both "regular" and "ultra bright") and spent a couple of years experimenting with Molotow. 

I find Molotow handy for detailing interior bits (horn rings/dashboard trim etc) where they won't be handled...decanted only; forget the pens. My old go-to was decanted silver from a Tamiya paint pen (don't knock it until you've tried it).  Molotow can also be useful for touching up MINOR blemishes on chrome bits.

Exterior trim?  The worst sheet of BMF is still much better than Molotow in my opinion.

 

   

[slusher]

I have 2 Molatow pens that are sealed but a couple years old they are sealed are they any good now??

[Painted Black]

Question! is it pronounced "moe low toe" or some other way?

Edited August 22, 2021 by Painted Black
spelling

[StevenGuthmiller]

9 hours ago, pack rat said:

Agreed....sort of. 

I've gone through dozens of sheets of BMF through the years (both "regular" and "ultra bright") and spent a couple of years experimenting with Molotow. 

I find Molotow handy for detailing interior bits (horn rings/dashboard trim etc) where they won't be handled...decanted only; forget the pens. My old go-to was decanted silver from a Tamiya paint pen (don't knock it until you've tried it).  Molotow can also be useful for touching up MINOR blemishes on chrome bits.

Exterior trim?  The worst sheet of BMF is still much better than Molotow in my opinion.

 

   

Agreed.

I used Molotow for a short period of time for some small parts and minor touch up, but after discovering that both of my pens had gone south after using very little of the ink from either of them, I concluded that the stuff was way too expensive to throw 2/3 of it away.

That coupled with the fact that it’s way too delicate and no easier to use than any other paint, I pretty much gave up on it.

Never looked back either. 
There are better alternatives.

 

 

 

Steve