How to paint a chrome part

Comments: one Published: 11/30/2015

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Tags:How to apply paint and varnishCar paintChrome plating

Chrome parts are a rather controversial element of car decor, due to its obvious garishness. Many car enthusiasts consider themselves ardent opponents of chrome parts and try in every possible way to camouflage such decorations of car manufacturers by covering them with film or painting. Those who are comfortable with chrome are also often forced to mask the decor due to scratches or cracks on it. Yes, chrome plating is not a particularly durable coating and often rubs off or even swells on radiator grilles, which looks very unflattering.

Painting chrome parts

To combat such imperfections, you can use color film, but the film will also lose its appearance over time and begin to peel off. It is best to paint chrome black, which always looks acceptable and even stylish.

How to paint a chrome part black

All existing chrome paint for cars is sold in two variations:

funds in the bank;
nitro paint pumped into a can.

It may seem that different packages contain the same material, therefore, the method of application should not differ significantly, but there is a difference. To get the desired result, first of all, you need to choose the right product.

The price for one can is always higher than for the same product in a jar PHOTO: ad-cd.net

The material from a can is more difficult to apply, but the aesthetic similarity to real chrome coatings is much higher. This method of application is used by professionals PHOTO: tinas-orel.ru

To obtain satisfactory results when working with a cylinder, you must study the instructions. When painting, make slow movements, evenly applying the composition to the surface. It is important that joints do not form in one place, so you need to process the entire part as a whole, without waiting for one part to dry.

Spray paint for metal

When applying black chrome coating, you need to remember one problem - the product dries almost instantly. A situation is possible when, when sprayed, the paint gets onto the base, but does not have time to adhere to the plastic or metal. In this case, after drying, the paint layer can be easily removed with a fingernail.

To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to study the application technology and act strictly according to the points:

Prepare the surface for work, apply a base coat of primer.
Cover the base with a special varnish for polymerization, after which you need to let it dry for 2-3 days.
Additionally, the surface should be polished.
A chrome coating is applied to the resulting gloss. You need to act carefully and slowly, bringing the can at a distance of no more than 10 cm so that the coating has time to “catch” before drying.

After the first layer has dried, it is recommended to apply another one, which will play a protective function.

Before painting begins, the metal surface is treated PHOTO: buffandshine.com.ua

The coating can be not only shiny, but also matte and black PHOTO: pbs.twimg.com

Painting chrome parts

In order for black chrome paint to lay flat, you need to choose the right tools for applying it. To work, you will need sandpaper, acetone or a special degreaser, clear varnish and chrome powder paint.

There is no need to skimp on primer for processing parts; it is better to purchase the product in a can PHOTO: forgiato.com

Coloring is performed in several stages:

using a special tool, the chrome part is removed from the car;
the surface is rubbed with sandpaper until matte appears;
primer is applied. It is recommended to dry the part for 2-3 days;
paint splatters.

The most important task is to thoroughly clean the part before applying paint. Before painting chrome, you need to make sure that there are no traces or old layer left.

Painting over primer

Painting chrome parts is possible without the use of acidic agents. It is necessary to choose a suitable primer on which the paint will adhere well. Primers in the form of aerosols are often chosen. If you choose primer in cans, it is better to use a primer-putty that paint adheres well to.

First, the chrome surface must be degreased, since its surface is very smooth and shiny. First, wipe the part with a solvent, and before the priming process, degrease the surfaces with anti-silicone. To prevent fingerprints from remaining on the part, you need to use napkins or cloth gloves.
Then you need to remove the gloss from the surface, since the paint will not stick to such a flat surface. To do this, use fine-grained sanding paper with a grit of 2000. If this step is skipped, the paint will peel off.
Then the parts are primed. It is best to apply the primer in two thin layers, waiting for the first layer to dry.
If high quality painting is required, the primer layer is also sanded with 500, 800 or 1000 sandpaper. If dust or other contaminants adhere to the surface during the process, they are also removed with sandpaper.
For painting it is better to use a small spray gun. The paint must be applied in a thin, even layer. If desired, you can apply several layers to achieve uniform, dense paint.

Every car owner wants his car to stand out from the crowd of others. Service stations today offer absolutely everything that makes the car look exclusive and extravagant. Metallic and pearlescent paint jobs are still popular; in addition, some car enthusiasts are experimenting with color, painting their cars in chameleon tones. But the most fashionable option for painting the body now is chrome paint.

Chrome and gold plating of cars is often requested by owners of exclusive cars. Sometimes painting can be done using other colors (nickel paint and black chrome paint). You can chrome not the entire car body, but only parts of it, because car windows, wheels and any plastic parts can be painted.

Until recently, to obtain a chrome finish, specialists covered the car with real chrome (plates of minimal thickness). It was then carefully varnished and returned to the owner. The desired effect was achieved, but hexavalent chromium had a very negative effect on health. Therefore, completely new car paints and chrome plating methods appeared.

Often racing cars are chromed, which produce a fantastic effect on spectators. A base chrome coating allows you to bring a variety of design ideas to life, since the chrome will break through the layer of paintwork applied on top and create a shimmering effect.

Painting the entire car body with chrome is not the best solution, as it will look too pretentious, and in sunny weather, problems can arise for all road users.

Finishing the body with such material is not only giving the car a more stylish and noble appearance, but also an excellent way to protect it from the negative effects of the environment. It is worth noting that the cost of such a procedure is quite high.

Chrome plating of plastic: stages of work

At the first stage, the part is prepared. It is treated with a degreasing solution, which is prepared from the following components:

soda ash;
sodium hydroxide;
silicate glue.

The ingredients are mixed in equal parts and diluted with water, then put on fire and brought to a boil. When the solution is ready, the part to be chromed is lowered into it.

After the part is degreased, proceed to the next stage - chrome plating. This can be done using a galvanic bath or a special brush. Everyone chooses the method that they consider most convenient.

Chrome plating with a brush

You can make a brush yourself. You will need a hollow tube made of plexiglass. A bristle is fixed to one end of it, which can be made from a bundle of bare copper wire. The brush is wrapped with a thin lead wire. The brush and the part are connected to the battery. A transformer can act as a power source, then the hand is connected to it with a diode, while the anode goes to the transformer winding, and the cathode is connected to the part. The diode is not useful for the battery.

Next, a reagent is applied to the part with a brush, which is poured into the glass handle of the brush before work. The procedure is carried out carefully, with smooth movements, you need to ensure that the solution spreads evenly. The solution is constantly added to the brush. The substance is applied in several layers. Each area is processed up to 35 times. As a result, the coating should be a thick, uniform layer.

Chrome plating using a galvanic bath

If chrome plating of plastic is carried out in a galvanic bath, the electrolyte is heated to 60 degrees and left for about three hours. The anode is lowered into the container, and the cathode is connected to the transformer. Then the part is lowered into the bathtub. It must be hung on a bracket so that the object in no case touches the walls of the bathtub, so as not to damage the uniformity of application of the substance.

The procedure is repeated several times until the chrome layer lies perfectly even. On average, the main process takes about half an hour.

The next step is to wash the part under the tap and boil it in three liters of water for half an hour. The treated element must be dried well for two hours. Do not touch the part until it is completely dry. To make the surface shine, it is polished with a soft cloth. At this point the work can be considered completed.

At the end of the work, care should be taken to dispose of the waste substance. Electrolyte should not be poured down the drain, much less splashed into the yard, since it contains harmful chemical compounds and acids.

Procedure for painting parts

The process of working with chrome is quite long, but you need to be careful and perform priming according to the following scheme:

Remove the chrome part from the car using a flat tool, depending on the case, it can be a flat-head screwdriver or a clip-on clip.
Rub the surface of the chrome with sandpaper until a matte effect appears. Sometimes, if the chrome is already pretty cracked, you can remove the chrome coating using a knife or the same screwdriver. It will come off in small pieces that resemble foil.

Repainting chrome plates

You can use Scotchbrite to matt all glossy surfaces. This should be done very carefully and “wet”, since any glossy area, even the smallest one, can cause the paint to crack and peel off.

A sufficiently matted chrome surface will resemble aluminum, with hints of copper visible in places. This surface can then be painted by performing preliminary priming.

Then the part must be washed very well and dried perfectly, then apply a degreaser.
If your part is not completely, but only in fragments, covered with chrome, then the next step is to apply a primer for plastic parts coated with chrome. Read the instructions carefully and follow the manufacturer's instructions - shake the can for a minute, then spray an even layer, wait 5 minutes until it dries and repeat application. It is very important not to get on matted chrome. Leave to dry for 15-20 minutes.

Please note that it is impossible to completely remove the chrome film from the part manually; all you can achieve at home is to grout the chrome to a matte state. This is necessary to increase adhesion, which will prevent the paint from peeling.

In addition, it is advisable to use a phosphating or acid primer, since it can penetrate quite deeply into micro-scratches in chrome. We have a separate article about acidic soil - acidic soil for a car.

Painting chrome parts black

Painting with preliminary acid priming

You can use acidic primer for chrome-plated parts, which creates a protective film on the surface of the part and eats into the metal to 0.5 microns. This will promote better paint adhesion on the chrome part. Then apply a standard primer for painting and then the paint itself.

You can use a two-component phosphating primer for these purposes, consisting of a base and an acid diluent. The base is a suspension of pigments and fillers in a solution of polyvinyl butyral in a mixture of volatile organic solvents, and the acid diluent is a solution of orthophosphoric acid. Such primers are used for treating metal surfaces during intraoperative wounds, and instead of oxidation and phosphating.

Regular primer is then used to protect the metal from corrosion, filling in minor scratches and depressions to improve the quality of the paint job.

Then paint with the selected paint using the usual method. The result should be a durable coating that will last a long time.

Review of popular manufacturers

Chrome paint has gained quite a lot of popularity. And this popularity is growing every day. Therefore, we will focus on the most popular cans:

The wide range of types of chrome paint that exist today, as well as a huge range of colors, allow even an ordinary person to apply chrome paint without special training.

Painting chrome parts

Choose the right paint

If you are working on a chrome item, use plain black spray paint. However, there are specialized varieties, and you should opt for them. For example, if you are painting your rims, be sure to get automotive paint because it will have a strong formula that can withstand moisture, dirt, and extreme conditions. If we are talking about painting craft metal, you will need a paint that is safe for soft metal surfaces.

Materials and tools

The list of items and materials needed for painting chrome is quite extensive, but there is nothing expensive or difficult to purchase. Everything you may need for work can be easily purchased at any household goods store:

Latex gloves;
Respirator;
Plastic container;
Toothbrush;
Liquid soap with a degreasing effect;
Sandpaper 120, 240 and 320;
Brushes;
Spray;
Primer for metal;
Putty for metal;
Latex or acrylic paint for metal;
Protective film.

Optionally, some items listed here may be subject to change. For example, if we are talking about painting chrome faucets, then it is better to use automotive paint primer and automotive enamel.