Refinishing with chrome and paint
 

Hello All:
I have recently purchased a 1989 Waterford built Schwinn Paramount and intend to refinish to my taste. I would love the frame to end up with chrome head lugs, fork, and stays with the tubes painted Kool Orange.
Can you any of you tell me the ins and outs of chroming part but not all of a frame? I have read that paint and powdercoat won't stick to chrome so I guess chroming the whole frame is not a good option.
Thanks in advance,
Jim

You can paint chrome but you have to rough it up. Usually by sanding it with sand paper and then painting it with a self etching primer before you use normal primer and paint.

The whole frame would get chromed, the shop would only prep/polish the shiney chrome areas. This goes for the fork too.

Singlespd and Michael Angelo pegged it.

I'm curious about your rationale - would you mind elaborating a bit? I'm wondering if it is worth it to you to emulate an earlier Paramount frame style, versus simply acquiring one that is already chromed in those places - for the price of paint and chrome you'd easily be able to purchase a classic-era frame. No criticism is intended by this observation, it's just me trying to satisfy my curiosity. I also have a 1989 Waterford-built Paramount, as well as a couple of "classic" era Paramounts. One can't help but try to compare them from time to time (it's a sickness, really.) My 1989, like yours, I'm sure, has no chrome at all; it's fully painted, whereas my 1972 has chrome "socks" and lugs. Aesthetically, I find both to be very appealing, but I'm having a difficult time picturing my later bike dressed in the chrome and paint livery of the earlier ones.

Whatever you decide to do, I'm sure that pictures of the finished bike will be greatly appreciated, and I'm anxious to see how it turns out.

Actually you cant, plenty have tried, only the early Italian roadies figured out how to paint over it.

Most people forget the etching primer and just roughen it up with sand paper and then use regular primer. Ive done it on car bumpers many times and have yet to see one peel. Rattle can primer wont cut it. Must use professional grade products.

I have talked to chrome platers and the concept of just partially immersing a frame or fork is very hard for them to conceive. unless it is a very small facility there are just too many people involved in the work that would all have to "buy-in" to the concept.

Thanks Everyone.
Is it not possible to put the frame in the bath with paint on it that keeps the painted area from being plated? Kinda like masking tape? For example, I could strip only the parts I want plated, have it chromed, then strip and repaint the rest?
Cheers,
Jim

Yes, a vintage frame would do nicely but I guess I finally just gave up trying to find a one. I've been looking on and off for a long time and just never found exactly what I want. So I recently found this Paramount in need of paint for $300 shipped. Yes, the paint and chrome will end up costing more than that but I felt like I was wasting a lot of time looking for just the right frame. I want Kool Orange and I like chrome. Finding a vintage Paramount in Kool Orange with glossy paint and gleaming chrome could take me the rest of my life. So what the heck, I'll just have it done. I totally acknowledge that this is a totally self indulgent project so I'm willing to spend enough to get it right.
Look for pics sometime this Spring.
Cheers,
Jim

:) Hey, if there's anything most of us (certainly me!) "gets" here on C&V, it's self-indulgence! More power to you, podna! (Oh, and I love Kool Orange too.)

Chrome needs bare metal. Trying to do this would be a mess, and I don't think that anyone would be willing to put a partially painted piece of metal in their plating baths. You'll either need to have the whole frame plated, or undo the brazing and have the lugs plated before brazing them back on.

My chrome guys charges:

Fork $150.
Frame $300. +
So your looking at close to $500.00 to get the frame and fork Chromed. Paint is another $300-500. plus decals and any lug ling. For that much you can find a nice Paramont Frame set.

Hogwash. All frames with chrome lugs have some painted over chrome because it's not possible to chrome only the lugs. The same goes for forks and stays.

I suspect that etching primer is not able to etch chrome, but chrome can be scuffed with carborundum paper.

Can we see pics of the frame/fork before you do anything to it? I'm just curious to see how bad the damage is before you strip it and redo the frame.

I"m assuming that the frame is badly cosmetically damaged warranting a repaint considering repaints really hurt the value of Paramounts.

I did a minor restore to this Peugeot, take a look at the fork. It was a rusted mess. The complete fork, end to end was chromed. The only areas that were taped over were the Fork Crown race area, and the steer tube. I got the fork back fully chromed....

Before
http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5cf9a78a.jpg

http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/...ps785cd4d8.jpg

After
http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/...psjha7gnrl.jpg

http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/...psvhd3o9pv.jpg

Sure Bobotech. Here is one of the pics I have. The frame is in transit to me right now. Yes, it has rust and missing paint. Also, I don't care for white.
For me, the value of having a Kool Orange Paramount far outweighs any concern about resale value. Cheers, Jim
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=363554

Self etching primer wont do it alone. The chrome must be sanded first before the etching primer will adhere well enough. We would start with 80 grit and work our way on up to 360 grit. Always following the direction of the tube to keep from getting cross grain scratches.

Big money to have that chromed and painted, correctly.

I had a fork rechromed by a company in St. louis. $50.00 and it was flawless. They referred to it as "show" chrome. It was simply amazing. The guy I dealt with said he had done complete bikes in the past for around $200.00.

Just wondering whether powdercoat would be an option. They have metallics nowadays that look pretty sharp. Not saying it would look as good as real chrome, but might still give the look desired, and at a much lower price than a full chrome and repaint.

Anyone here have experience with chrome-look powders?

I would gladly pay $500 to have a frame and fork show chrome plated. That's "good paint job" territory.

Around $200 for the frame and fork is what I'm being quoted here by Salt Lake City Chrome. Just $40 for the fork. Local family owned business.

Edit regarding chrome look powder coat: I've been obsessing on this quite a bit. The chrome look powder coat doesn't really impress me and looks like silver paint. The more interesting option is spray on chrome as you can see in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvtRYZ5EasA I've emailed to see if there is a commercial applicator in my area but got no response.

I have seen a frame done this way. It's interesting, a bit like cromovelato - no one would mistake it for a chrome finish though.

The plater I use does triple plate for all my projects, copper/nickle/chrome. He does really nice work, not cheap though. Last time I went he just finished front and rear bumpers for a 1957 Chevy, well over $2000. in that job alone.

St. Louis Plating is the company. http://www.stlplating.com

I have no affiliation. I left the fork, returned two weeks later as they were busy, and unwrapped the gleaming fork and went, "WOW!". Couldn't believe it.

I just noticed this ebay listing for an older Schwinn Paramount http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1973...-/221371428756
In the pictures you will see several paint chips which seem to reveal chrome underneath. Any comments on this? Were Paramounts painted over chrome?
Thanks,
Jim