Introduction

Tarnished Steel, item 2251 from Darkstar Miniatures is a color in a new range of acrylic metallic paints - Molten Metals. Molten Metals are water-based paints formulated to dry permanent while remaining glossy and bright with no need for gloss clear coat. They are also designed to accept polishing to improve the sheen. The range currently consists of:

Tarnished Steel
Bright Steel
Steel
Baroque
Pewter
Graphite
Classic Gold
Fine Gold
Imperial Gold
Royal Gold
Regency Gold
Pale Gold
Victorian Gold
Renaissance Gold
Silver
Old Silver
Brass
Copper
Bronze
Blackened Bronze
Platinum

Darkstar Miniatures is a UK company that also makes 54mm and 75mm figures and busts in two series, Historical Figures and Fantasy Range. They also make Reaper paints and Darkstar pigments, ink washes, and now Molten Metals.

Molten Metals Tarnished Steel

Airbrushes.com carries Molten Metals and kindly sent Tarnished Steel for review.

These paints are packaged in soft 17ml squeeze bottles. Each bottle has an agitator inside to ensure proper mixing when the bottle is shaken. The bottles are a nice design with a clean but sullen appearance, not surprising considering Darkstar's modeling genre.

The paint consists of fine pigments suspended in a medium the consistency that reminds me of Vallejo, or white glue for those who haven't used that brand. That makes it easy to control how much one squeezes out.

Performance

I applied the color directly from the bottle onto a spare Homare 18-cylinder radial engine and onto a fuel tank from a vintage Revell V2 rocket. Both pieces were "primed" decades ago with ancient enamels and neither were cleaned prior to applying Tarnished Steel. (I like to demonstrate paints based on "rookie mistakes.") I airbrushed the color chip. Let's see how they worked.

Hand Brushing

Unlike previous Molten Metals I've tried, this color was thin in coverage when brushed. Fortunately, the paint dries fairly fast and a second coat was applied after about 15 minutes.

Airbrushing

Darkstar Miniatures states that for airbrushing the paint need only be thinned water-to-paint at 1 to 10. (Water only.) That ratio worked well through my Aztec black nozzle and I did not need to thin it more like previous colors I have demonstrated. The paint sprayed great. Cleaning was good with just water, and complete with an airbrush cleaner.

Tarnished Steel dried to a smooth and almost glossy finish. Darkstar Miniatures claims this paint can be polished to a higher sheen after curing for 24 hours; polishing worked in previous reviews.

Conclusion

I have been very impressed with these paints. I find them to be excellent for any modeling category and genre - airframes and powerplants, military ordnance, Steampunk, railroad, antiquity, classic figures. Anything that needs a raw metallic look. Molten Metals is an excellent product for modelers hunting for that perfect acrylic paint. Stored in neat bottles, the paint has a good consistency.

This Molten Metals did not cover as well with a brush as other mainstream acrylic paints I have used. Airbrushing was highly satisfactorily.

There has been a dearth of quality acrylic metallic colors for too long and I praise Darkstar for bringing us this fine range of paint. Highly recommended.

Please remember to tell vendors and retailers that you saw Molten Metals here - on AEROSCALE.