I'm always open and looking for new possibilities in modeling. Aroun 10 years ago, I war reading the site of a great Japanese model car modeler and I saw that when he painted the muffler used a not so common product, so, I decied to give it a shot. I started to look aound the different Japanese sites, but, the product wasn't available. From time to time I check the sites, but, with no succes. Around 7 monts ago I was placing an order in the Rainbow Ten site, when I saw that the item had changed the brand, but, with the same label. Also, I was checkin the great o Japanese modeling tutorials(highly recommended) in Youtube and I saw the product working...in live color! I didn't thought it twice to add this item to my order. This product was sitting down in my house until 2 weeks ago when I tried it for the first time. Since it comes in powder form, some caution has to be taken with it. I just took a tiny amount from the container's tread...and boila!!!!...it was magic in front of my eyes. Trying from Alclads, Model Masters metallizers, SNJ Aluinum products,etc, etc, I had never seen anything like this.
OK,....I know, what's the name...KOSUTTE GIN SAN. Since it works with the same base like Alclad products, I airbrushed 3 spoons in order to make several trials. After the first one with the Kosutte, I tried Alclad, and by far, Alclad had no chance with it. The cost, a bottle of Alclad is around $8, this cost me $16 in Japan, but, a tiny amount that I took from the container's thread was enough to cover a spoon, there's no doubt that this will give you more chroming that Alclad.
How it works?, very simple. Like Alclad, it needs a glossy black base. You just rub a cotton swab to the part covering it completely, After that, you rub it with a flannel, a rag, or with the favorite...an old t-shirt. The more you rub it, the more chrome effect you get. Another advantage that puts Alclad way back, can be clear coated(it doesnt needs it), taped and touched by fingers with no effect.
You guys can see it working here in this Youtube video at 6:43
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=984KU6mwQ5s
Here's a couple of pictures:
In this first picture we saw a clouseup of the Kosutte treated spoon.
Finally, Kosutte faces Alclad!
OK, what you do with real small parts, what I did..There's some real small cotton swabs from Gunze Sangyo #GT 037 like the ones below, or the ones intended for electronics that has a long stick. This last ones can be found in computer or electronic related stores like Radio Shack. I prefer the ones from gunze because are more solid and small.
Let me know your thoughts about this.