Started experimenting with getting chrome Monokote to go around compound curves, after I noticed the chrome on my Best Of pack Cobra Commander wasn't looking so hot.. I'd like to try some Ultrakote, I hear it's a little more stretchy, even before being heated up.


Destro's there for refference. In person, the Monokote's not quite as bright as the vac metal, but it's still pretty close. I'm going to redo Cobra Commander's head, because there's some slight lines that didn't quite get strtched all the way out. They don't show in the photo, but they're there. It took a few attmepts to get CC's head as good as it is, andI'm still not completely happy with it. I still think it looks better than the worn looking vac metal did.

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Looks pretty good to me, nice work on them, have you tried to chrome a gun yet or a sword blade ?

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The Viper looks perfect. I'm downloading this picture. can you post or PM me an entire squad of Vipers with chrome faceplates?

TUTORIAL TIME!

please list your online resource source, too!

please?

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I just phailed at Improving CC's mask. The way I'm trying to press the head into the Monokote, while pulling that the edges of it, has killed my thumbs and fingertips. It also really ate into my Monokote supply.

Guns aren't gonna be possible. This is a self adhesive, plastic film. It's the stuff they use to cover some radio control model airplanes. You'll never get it around a tiny complex shape, like a gun. I can barely get it around Cobra Commander's mask. A sword could probably be done, but I'd be afraid to break it, in the attempt.

A picture with a squad of Vipers would require me to have more than one Viper in my collection. If you send me a squad, I'll chrome them, and send you a picture of them.

I have no online resource. I buy the stuff from a brick and motor hobby shop. I did google for "Monokote around a compound curve" and hit a few of those links, to see what I could gleam. You can get it from any online hobby shop, that sells RC plane supplies. I've been using the trim strips, because they don't cost as much as a full roll. Outised of fumbling around with Cobra Commander, I rarely use much of the stuff at any one time. If anybody gets some Ultrakote to try for this, I'd love to know how well it works for you.

Dunno how good of a tutorial I can give, but here's what I've been doing. First, take the head off the fig. I've been useing an electric ceramic tower heater to heat the Monokote up. For CC, I'm still not sure whether focusing my stretching the material more on the horizontal or vertical plane worked better. It had to be cut quite a bit over sized, so that I hade enough to pull on. I end up holding the edges of the Monokote, and pressing on the back of the head, while trying to stretch the Monokote. It's really a lot of trial and error, to find what works best. The chin and jawline end up being the hardest parts.

For the Viper and BAT, the best way seems to be to cut the peice a little wider than the face plate, and overly long. Start under the chin, and pull the Monokote up while heating it. (make sure you've got a good grip on it, on it the bottom of the head.) Once you've got a good centerline stretch in the material, it should (hopefully) press down fairly smoothly. I started at the top of the visor, on the Viper, and had sometroubles getting it smooth. The BAT went much better, starting at the chin. I've got a spare Viper head, I want to try starting at the chin on. I use an X-acto knife, with a fresh blade to trim the Monokote, as I go. Having something to press it into the edge of the face plate helps.

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Pretty cool. What if you set up a station to do this, maybe with a heat gun or hair dryer below it, blowing on the Monokote to warm it/soften it, or maybe just a, with clamps on either side holding it, leaving y our hands free to work with the object being covered?

Something else to try, that I've used and is fairly easy to work with, is aluminum tape. I used it on the removable helmet CC from Valor vs Venom, as well as to 'chrome' parts of vehicles. It's fairly easy to work with as long as you go slowly to avoid wrinkles. Still won't be able to cover complex curves or get extreme detail, but I think it's a bit cheaper than Monokote (Northern Tool has a 2" by 10yd roll for $8) Not as shiny as vac-chrome, but I think it's comparable to Monokote. I've boxed up all my non-25th style figures so I can't post pics, but I may be able to dig out one of the vehicles I've used it on.

That chrome faced BAT made me soil myself.

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I think I broke TR1ER.

A test with my spare Viper head showed that you really have to start at the top, on them.

Mark M, I haven't tried aluminum tape, but I have tried bare metal foil. I couldn't get it as shiny as I wanted, and it's really fragile. I know that aluminum tape like you're talking about is a lot stronger, and doesn't have the soft plastic layer under the metal. A heat gun is what you're supposed to use with this stuff, but I worry about it melting the heads. Clamps would not only have to hold very tight, but also not tear the Monokote. The slightest hole in this stuff, will tear out quick.

eHobbies carries the Ultrakote in chrome. If I can refrain from spending it all at Marauder's, the next time I get some money in my Pay Pal account, I might order some. I've bought slot car stuff them in the past, with no problems.

*hands Killcarr a new pair of skivvies, and points him towards the bathroom*

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Ah, thanks. I haven't seen the Monokote in person, so I'm just going off the pics, so the aluminum tape may not be as shiny, either, but it is pretty durable (it better be, since it's actually made for construction use). Maybe a hair dryer instead of a heat gun? Won't be as hot, so shouldn't melt the head, but should make the Monokote at least a bit more pliable. As far as clamps, maybe some electronics clamps with padding in them? Not sure if that would help, but figured I'd throw out some ideas, since you've struck on something cool here that the customizing community can really use, if it is easy enough.



It'd be cool to see your results with Ultracote. Hmmm... Marauder, refuse all orders from Greyryder!

It made me soil Billy too...



Have you shown the ones in the background yet? They look interesting.

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I've got threads for those guys, all over the place. Most of them have their pages, that can be viewed at the link in my sig, though a few of them need updating. The most recent work to Angel, is here. And the most recent pictures of a few others are in this thread

The guy in the blue shirt on the left is spread out over threads than I can keep track of. The best pictures of him, are probably these three, with the last one showing the current bandolier.
http://www.quantumrip.com/18/other/unknown5.jpg
http://www.quantumrip.com/18/other/unknown6.jpg
http://www.quantumrip.com/18/other/unknown9.jpg



NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

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Have you ever tried the method called electro plating? i don't know much about it, but its how they put crome on most objects... the process can be pretty expensive... but you have to get someone who does electroplating to do it for you.

Well... so I'm told. i think you cant do it to a specific area though... so you would have to pain over the rest.

There are companies that will do it, but it's really not a DIY process like this is. There are chemicals involved you don't want to mess with or deal with disposing of, and then there are the intricacies of the process. You can't electroplate a non-conductive surface, so you have to introduce a conductive substrate first to which the metal will bond.

Ignore the wrinkles, as I slapped the aluminum tape on CC in maybe 2 minutes with no positioning or finesse , just to show what the tape looks like on a figure.
The first pic is with flash, the second without, to show the reflectivity of the tape.