There’s nothing fairly just like the sensible gleam of polished chrome trim. Until, in fact, you favor a special look. Whereas the glint of chrome plated bumpers and trim has lengthy been a trademark of American classics, painted accents function a strong counterpoint to this aesthetic. Physique-colored bumpers, for instance, can lend a contemporary, built-in look to an older automobile. Blacked-out window trim typically yields a extra performance-oriented look, with the very actual advantage of eliminating undesirable glare and reflections.
The very high quality that makes chrome so fascinating – a virtually impervious, glass-smooth end – makes it almost inconceivable to color correctly. For paint to stick to any floor requires a level of “toothiness” for the paint materials to lock onto when it cures. Earlier than a bit of metallic trim is chrome plated, it’s often finely polished first. This alone reduces the metallic’s tooth. However the chrome floor, as soon as plated, can also be exceptionally exhausting, making it troublesome so as to add tooth again with abrasives.
That stated, it’s attainable to color over present chrome. Nonetheless, it requires endurance and greater than only a informal hit of spray paint if you would like it to final. To show the method, we grabbed a chrome-plated valve cowl we had laying round and went to work. Importantly, the chrome itself was in nice form with no pits or peeling. We masked every step as we went alongside to point out the development.
The Course of
Preparation
Begin by washing, drying, and degreasing the half. We advocate a prep solvent like Eastwood Pre Portray Prep to make sure all oily residues are eliminated. Keep away from utilizing components with pitted or peeling chrome plating if attainable. These flaws might not permit the paint to stick correctly and can possible present via the paint anyway.
Scuffing
Utilizing a rough grade of sandpaper (between 120- and 220-grit), sand all surfaces the place paint will probably be utilized. If in case you have bigger, flatter surfaces, you should use a DA sander. For smaller trim or extra intricate surfaces, hand-sand in a crosshatch sample. Sand the chrome till the floor is evenly and totally scuffed, paying shut consideration to corners and recessed areas. Wipe your entire half with prep solvent to take away any sanding residue.
Priming
A self-etching primmer will guarantee the most effective adhesion between the scuffed chrome and the paint. We advocate a catalyzed two-component (2K) epoxy primer for greatest outcomes. Apply not less than two coats of primer to make sure full protection and permit to treatment for twenty-four hours earlier than persevering with. In the event you see sanding marks via the primer, apply one other coat or two and permit to treatment once more for twenty-four hours. It’s essential that the primer absolutely treatment earlier than paint is utilized.
Portray
As soon as the primer has cured, portray the half is actually the identical as portray another half. Scuff evenly if the primer has cured for greater than 48 hours. Spray your paint in a number of gentle coats, increase as many layers as attainable with out shedding particulars. Enable every coat to dry utterly earlier than continuing to the following. Relying on the specified end, clearcoat could be utilized on high of the bottom colour, however we advocate a minimal of two colour coats.
Ending
For a lot of purposes (black-out trim particularly) no additional work will probably be required after the paint cures. Nonetheless, in case you’re color-matching or have clearcoat, you could want to minimize, polish, and buff such as you would a physique panel. Use excessive warning to not overwork something painted over chrome, hand sprucing wherever attainable.
