Painting over chrome plated parts

C

chevy_power427

I have never done this. I have a customer, just bought some mirrors for his motorcycle and wants them painted. They are chromed metal, and some chromed plastic parts. I just want to make sure, sometimes someone has a procedure, if it can be done properly. Painting parts is nothing, but making sure they stay nice for a long time is another thing.
 
I watched the guy at counts customs use a spray chrome and then candy black over them. are they looking for actual paint or just candy. If they want paint you do what you can to rough it up, which is not much, and hope for the best. The whole point of chrome is so nothing will stick to it and cause it to oxidize. We powdercoated a motorcycle frame that had a forged chrome fork. The guy went after it with a grinding wheel on a 4 1/2" grinder, but you could clearly still see chrome, some copper, some steel. I set it in 25% hydrochloric acid, then in a cold phosphate tank and all the chrome got cloudy and slightly iridescent. Then we powder coated it. Did not seem to want to chip off when we took the flash off from the masking plugs. Really dont know how it held up.
 
On the chrome, HAND-SAND with 180 dry. 700-1 and two coats of epoxy.
Chrome plastic scuff, 700-1 and epoxy.

Done every day and works great.
 
Barry;n81277 said:
On the chrome, HAND-SAND with 180 dry. 700-1 and two coats of epoxy.
Chrome plastic scuff, 700-1 and epoxy.

Done every day and works great.
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Good to know. Thank you.
 
DATEC;n81291 said:
Works even on chromed metal? That's cool, didn't know that, thanks.
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I did a 50 Lincoln front and rear bumpers somewhere around 2000 for a friend, still perfect today and its driven a lot as its a restro-rod.
 
i have painted a ton of chrome. only difference in my procedure from barry's is that i etch the chrome with a blaster and this ultra fine crushed glass. its so fine it feels like baby powder. it just makes the chrome look like dull nickel so the epoxy sticks.
 
Jim C;n81332 said:
i have painted a ton of chrome. only difference in my procedure from barry's is that i etch the chrome with a blaster and this ultra fine crushed glass. its so fine it feels like baby powder. it just makes the chrome look like dull nickel so the epoxy sticks.
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A lot of shops I talk to do it the way you do, perfect.
 
Jim C;n81332 said:
i have painted a ton of chrome. only difference in my procedure from barry's is that i etch the chrome with a blaster and this ultra fine crushed glass. its so fine it feels like baby powder. it just makes the chrome look like dull nickel so the epoxy sticks.
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So there's no need to send it out to be dechromed? I would think it would be best but mabey not after reading this?
 
I'm sure that would be perfect but sounds like money down the drain as well as time to me.
 
i agree UNLESS the chrome has issues. if the chrome is pitted or flaking then all the paint in the world wont lock that down. just like anything else, you cant hide anything under paint or its gonna come back to haunt you
 
a chemical process. its very difficult to blast off chrome. if its chrome plated aluminum like wheels, etc then its impossible. you will destroy the wheel trying to blast chrome off it.
 
Jim C;n81398 said:
a chemical process. its very difficult to blast off chrome. if its chrome plated aluminum like wheels, etc then its impossible. you will destroy the wheel trying to blast chrome off it.
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Thank you, makes perfect sense.
 
they have been calling me about every 2 week for the past 3 mos wanting to sell me a setup for it. if i really had a use already in place for it i would do it but right now i know it would just sit here.
 
wow Jim, I know these new companies are pushing really hard. Do they have a program where they will get you a discounted machine or give you one if you agree to allow people to see how it works? Dont know if thats an option.

My first look was on counting cars, I guess they paid 3500 for the setup, then another 3500 when he ran out of supplies, so its definitely not a cheap alternative, but with quality chrome shops going down or using this envirochrome anyway, its really going to open a part of the business up.
 
An issue I had before with old chrome bumpers being blasted & then powdercoated was the old sun cracked look showing up through later. But this was powdercoating over 10 years ago, new may be better & spi epoxy probably way better. Even with this issue though, a 2nd sanding & priming later on if this issue shows up would be less likely to show up again.
 
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