Chrome paint test project
01-16-19, 03:44 PM
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Chrome paint test project
The beautiful paint job on the Breaking Away thread bike has me thinking about the repaint I did on one of my bikes. That bike had chrome socks on the fork that were in bad shape. I first attempted to paint them with chrome paint, but abandoned that idea and painted them the color of the fork. Rechroming is getting harder to come by. I thought I might give the chrome paint another try. I have a wrecked/damaged frame that I can use as a test subject. I will be using different prep methods along side each other. The goal is to see if the chrome paint is a good option to rechroming. What I need from the forum is suggestions on prep. I will start with clean frame/no primer/paint over existing paint. I can go from there to whatever amount of prep people what to do. I will probably start this weekend, so give me some suggestions. The paint will be Dupli-Color Automotive Series Metallic Chrome.
01-16-19, 05:40 PM
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I used Krylon gray metal primer after sanding down the fork and chain stay on my project. I tried a test of a chrome paint but it came out looking like a shiny grayish silver; nowhere near chrome like. I forget the brand, but it wasn’t expensive. I ended up using gloss black. It was on the Merckx I rode at Thunder Ridge a couple of years ago.
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N = '96 Colnago C40, '04 Wilier Alpe D'Huez, '10 Colnago EPS, '85 Merckx Pro, '89 Merckx Century, '86 Tommasini Professional, '04 Teschner Aero FX Pro, '05 Alan Carbon Cross, '86 De Rosa Professional, '82 Colnago Super, '95 Gios Compact Pro, '95 Carrera Zeus, '84 Basso Gap, ‘89 Cinelli Supercorsa, ‘83 Bianchi Specialissima, ‘VO Randonneur, Ritchey Breakaway Steel, '84 Paletti Super Prestige, Heron Randonneur
N = '96 Colnago C40, '04 Wilier Alpe D'Huez, '10 Colnago EPS, '85 Merckx Pro, '89 Merckx Century, '86 Tommasini Professional, '04 Teschner Aero FX Pro, '05 Alan Carbon Cross, '86 De Rosa Professional, '82 Colnago Super, '95 Gios Compact Pro, '95 Carrera Zeus, '84 Basso Gap, ‘89 Cinelli Supercorsa, ‘83 Bianchi Specialissima, ‘VO Randonneur, Ritchey Breakaway Steel, '84 Paletti Super Prestige, Heron Randonneur
01-16-19, 05:49 PM
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Adam Savage, formerly of Mythbusters has a youtube channel called Tested. He has mentioned many times that there is really only one good chrome paint. I can't recall the name or if it is durable, but when I have time I can try to track it down. Savage was a modelmaker (as was I) and still is, so that is where is knowledge lies. Sadly, I believe the best chrome paint still wont be good enough to pass the eye test in the bike world
01-16-19, 05:57 PM
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I can use different brands. I can spray it, brush it, roll it etc. Just something useful to do with a trashed frame.
01-16-19, 07:53 PM
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As far as prep goes, the absolute best prep will be media blasting and a zinc-chromate etch primer, such as DuPont Vari-Prime or one of the more modern equivalents. Sand with 400-grit, until it's about half gone on the high spots. Next shoot it with a few heavy coats of build primer (also known as surfacer). Sand that "almost smooth" with 400, then "final smooth" with 600. By "almost smooth" I mean you don't want to initially sand through the build primer with the 400 if possible. You want to just start sanding through a few high spots with the 600. Now shoot a thin coat of primer sealer, so your final coats don't soften all that sanding work you did. The sealer needs to be compatible with your top coat paint type. Sand that lightly with 800, just to take any texture away. You don't want to sand through the sealer anywhere. Now use the chrome paint of your choice.
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01-16-19, 09:11 PM
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I've used an "anodizing" paint system that I bought at Advance Auto? on a set of rims, and liked the effect. It uses a metallic base coat with a color top coat. I've never tried the base topped with a light chrome paint coat, but might be worth a try.
