I am interested to find out if anyone has had the hood louvers chromed or can it even be done. Would it be better to have some made or maybe just use chrome paint. I am interested in doing them in black chrome if anyone cared.

 

Black chrome...hmnnnn....I would be interested to see that..

 

If you do have it done, make sure to post pics. It sounds interesting.

 

Now that you mention it I have an old louver that will never be used because of broken studs and I have some chrome paint. I think later today I will paint it just to see. I will post pics tonight.

 

I have been wondering how well chrome spray paint works, if you end up painting it post some pics.

 

lol i didnt even know chrome paint existed

I thought it was a plating process.

 

it is a plating process but good luck trying to plate plastic so they invented the paint for this kinda stuff and i have never tried the paint, but ive seen a place on horsepower tv i think that can chrome anything and make it look damn good! they do shoes and everything, anyone know the place im talking about?

 

Yep, Ive used it. Its a spray chemical so anytihng becomes platable.

If you want the closest look to chrome for something anyone at home can do.
(as long s you have a compressor, and a HVLP paint gun)

I have a Quart of this stuff Ive used before and its awesome.
http://www.alsacorp.com/products/mir...irrachrome.htm

look here for spray kan version of chrome.
http://www.alsacorp.com/products/kil...llerchrome.htm

 

I have seen a guy buy some diamond plate sheets and he traced the design and cut them out and they look damn good. and plus the chrome paint is more lke a silver anyway it looks bad. I wouldnt do that the have some paint that is metalic in every color even black in most auto paint stores. its basicly just a thin coat of black just tinting the chrome. that way you still see the chrome glare at a black look.

 

that just might cause some really bad blinding glare. hmmmm

 

Chrome paints can look OK as long as you can keep them from reacting with whatever is under them, which is much more difficult than you expect after using other paints. When it reacts you tend to get a duller finish, more silvery and if it reacts badly you can get cracking, checking… to the point that the stuff almost looks like grey primer. Also, supposedly you can top coat the stuff with clear to protect it, but every time I’ve gotten a part successfully coated without reacting and looking good, coating it with clear has ruined it, again, reacting with the chrome paint and turning it dull.

Plastic can actually be chromed, you have to give it a conductive coating first, but in most cases to get that look instead of being “chromed” or painted plastic is actually vacuum metalized (essentially spraying the plastic with vaporized aluminum, plating it with aluminum rather then chrome). This is how reflectors and many shiny surfaces are made, and the advantage there is that you can pretty much do it to anything that will withstand (and fit in) the vacuum chamber which the process is done in.

 

My thought initially was to have the louvers fiberglassed and then painted with the black chrome paint. I have seen helmets done with the chrome paint and they look pretty good. How does that sound?

 

Type in plating into google for your local area.

It can be done to plastic. Remember the 2nd gen camaros, or earlier GM cars with the door lock studs? They were plastic, and had nice chrome layer on them. I dont think its chrome per say, but there is a specialized process for plastics. I know my old buick had alot of these parts.

Chrome paint is referring to that stuff you buy in an aerosol can. Its like a really good silver, but not chrome or even close.

In any case, id like to see the outcome of this as well.

Heres a site i found in about 30 seconds.
http://www.specialtychromedplastics.com/

 

hmmmm. no it doesnt my buddy has them. I would do this than spray paint my car. thats just cheap and ugly.

 

Thats awesome. I've never seen that before. Pictures? I'm sure it looks good.

 

You can find tons of pic's here...

 

If plastics for scale models can be chromed, no reason the louvers can't be.

Just do a search for plastic coaters in your area, or find a metal plater in your area, and likely he'll know of a local plastic coater.

 

i have a friend who does custom crotch rockets.....his one show bike has plastic parts cromed on it. it looks good but all platic i have seen done does not look quite as good as metal done. but it is possible to do plastic

 

http://www.alsacorp.com/products/kil...llerchrome.htm and

http://www.specialtychromedplastics.com/ these are some sites for chromed plastic. hope this helps.

 

Chris,

It sounds like the parts he wants to have chromed are plastic by the content of this thread, but isn't there a chrome color powdercoat now? Or a ceramic coat perhaps? How does that come out? It seems to me that this would be cheaper. Chrome plating is notoriously expensive.

Mathius

 

Yes he wants the louvers done. Yu can powder coat plastic Ive done LSx intakes a few times.

Th eproblem is You dont know the quality plastic used on the louves and would need to see if they can take the cure temps.

The Products posted from alsa corp are gonna be your best solution to the question on how to do it.



http://www.alsacorp.com/products/mir.../mshelmet1.jpg

You know the stuff even works on fabrics.
http://www.alsacorp.com/products/mir.../DSC07685L.jpg

Now if you MUST have it REAL chrome plated you need to either find a company that does vacuume chamber plastics like modle cars. Or find someone who used...... conductive paint for real tank plating...

* Make non-conductive items conductive so that you can plate them like normal.

bonds to all plastics, materials like dried flowers, baby shoes, etc.

Tons of companies who make stuff..

http://www.thomasnet.com/products/co...6281603-1.html

 

No no, I wasn't suggesting he get his plastic pieces powdercoated. (I actually didn't think that was very common for plastic to begin with)

I was just wondering if you had any experience with the "chrome" powdercoating/ceramic coating, and how well it came out?

Mathius

 

Yes, I do alot of the chrome powder coating looks decent. Deff. not a CHROME finish but nice. I prefer the polished / clear coated look.

I do alot of ceramic (headers,and exhaust) that comes out nice also.