One of my pens has had something similar happen---it's just plain "silvery-grey" now. Not at ALL like when it was new, and much worse than the above pics. And I tried shaking the HECK out it, like all day---kept it by my side, and shook it whenever I could. Didn't help. Somehow, the ink inside just "gets old and dull" after 1+ years. (I store mine horizontal, like I do for almost all paint-pens)

 

Yeah, if anything, the recent posts on this thread just show that there's a "shelf life" to the ink for these pens, in that after a while, they just turn plain silver. I didn't take any photos to update after what I did a couple of days ago, but there's little noticeable change anyway. The ink is now very slightly shinier, but that's it. It's not reflective like you would expect from chrome and seems to be "textured" now, which suggests that it lost some of the ability to self-cure.

I'm not sure if I should get a new pen and try again, because as mentioned, I don't really like chrome in general to begin with, and don't foresee much use out of it. Also, the long drying and curing time and the fact that you basically can't touch the chromed area again without dulling the finish (and the difficulty in finding a clear coat to protect the finish) are major downsides to me. At this point, I'm contemplating having the piece professionally chromed to restore it, even if it costs me some money. Shouldn't be too outrageously expensive though, since it is a small part.

 

I've got just a little chrome to apply and should likely just buy a single pen (Cobra Commander faceplate)

But I started shopping around and saw how much nicer a spray finish with Molotow looks over a larger surface (that then needs a clear coat). Found these two:


So what is the difference? I see Molotow is currently branded as a 20 YEAR EDITION and the larger refill has likely been sitting in an art supply store for quite a while. Amazon and all the newer spots seem to stick with the 30mL refill bottle.

I'm probably better off sticking with just a pen, but one does get tempted to see if they could mirror finish and older figure just for fun using an air sprayer. @artimus prime have any history on these two? Thanks

 

Honestly can't tell you the difference without researching them. My guess is the only difference is one is ready to spray. Meaning thinned for an airbrush hence the same price.
I haven't used it in an airbrush personally but the few videos I've seen look great.

 

The one on the right could just be a “chrome” silver paint and not their “liquid chrome” formula.

The one on the left appears to be the refill for the markers, which of course could also me used in an airbrush.

I’ve seen some videos of people using liquid chrome in an airbrush, though I don’t remember if they thinned it or now. I think maybe someone in this thread might have used LC in an airbrush too.

 

I did watch a video of one guy cracking open a pen and air brushing right from there (I guess it is already pretty thin). Several comments were telling the guy that it would be much cheaper to buy the re-fills rather than purchasing a bunch of pens. Nothing seems inexpensive with Molotow, but the results seem difficult to argue with.

 

IMHO, you should buy the smallest amount you think you'll use up before it gets old. I tried "reviving" my old pen again---shook like crazy, throughout the day. To the point of making my arm sore. Pumped the nib a ton, let it pool, wasted tons of ink (in case "old" ink was saturating the nib). No improvement---it's basically "dull gunmetal" now, not even a decent "silver". And far, far from the mirror-like paint it used to be. A cheap Deco-art pen does a better silver now.

Don't get me wrong--a fresh, new Molotow marker is *amazing*. But don't expect anything like that when your next project comes along a few months later, that you really want that super-smooth chrome for...

 

I'm not finding anything about that alcohol based paint, I'd be interested to see what it's about.