DIY Spray On Chrome

So which is the best product to use? Where do I get it? Can you use ROC water instead of distilled water?
Thanks Terry

 

What is ROC water? We all use distilled water!

Cheapest chemicals is in Angelgilding http://angelgilding.com/SpraySilver.html

The Best product is from Alsa, but Nicamarvin will give better answer! Hi try almost all

 

as for chemicals? Angel Gilding cant be beat for what you pay... Alsa corps have about the best chemicals out there. and their coating is world class. but you have to pay way more for that significan quality.. so if you have money to spend go to Alsa. you cant go wrong. if you are on living on beans like me. then Angel Gilding is the ONLY way. there are way too many trics to learn if you dont follow the process right you will only have Heartaches

 

Whew, I just read the first 7 pages of this, slowly and carefully. Excellent job of explaining things Marvin. I'll plod along through the other 30 pages... How about a summary? You mentioned several different products you bought on page 1, have all of those been tested?

I'm not much of a bling guy anymore, used to be but I tend to dent, scrape, scratch or otherwise screw up nice looking things so I focus more on operation than appearance, but I sure like to look at other people's shiny stuff!

Keep up the good work, and documenting.

 

Nicamarvin

How about using PPG's Vibrance clear...It is crystal clear...And what about Reverse Osmosis water? Will that work for the distilled water?

Terry

 

keep reading the pages. and Yes I have test them all. and Only found that for many parts and if you are willing to learn and learn alot then Angel Gilding kit cant be beat. thats the truth about it..

BUT if all you want is a few small trim pieces, they you cant go wrong with the Innate Chrome Paint. wen is done properly it can look 99% as chrome. and its so much easy to do(compared to chemical silver)

As I said early. even if you overcome the "Yellowing" you will still be left with a metal look that is not "Chrome" which has a bluish tone. it will look more like Nickel plating. instead of the chrome plated. so hear me out one last time. for a realistic chrome like look you have two options. Angel Gilding Kit(with the gear I provided here) and Alsa Chrome tinted clear. you cant go wrong with that. And Innate Chrome. which is by far the Best chrome paint on the market. and if done correctly can have a chrome like look.

 

Hi For all!

Yesterday i tryed something new! I use water based clear coat!

1. It will not help with yellowing problem, but yellowing is much less!
2. I tint it with ready to use violet pigment, it for water based paints is much stronger!
3. I tryed just few pieces, but i so that results was much better that usual acrylic or polyurethane clear coats. I will try to get right balance!

 

Hi All,

Thanks for keeping this thread going, I still learn alot from you guys

 

Hi Sudzhis,

What type of water based clear did you use. Is it better then the Urithane clears?
I am also wondering about the durability of that type of clear.

 

Found a larger double pump sprayer, looks like it would be good for medium sized pieces.



http://angelgilding.com/A3564B.html

 

Nicamarvin,

Great DIY keep it up.

I want to refinish my rims.



What is your opinion on how much material I can expect to use on each rim?

I plan on purchasing the Alsa products and use this sprayer.



This should give me the quantity necessary for one rim.

Thoughts?

 

Actually it wasrsnt water based lacquer, but it liquid, car painters use for color shifts for water based paints. It is like lacquer, ir only 1k not 2k and smells like vodka ha ha! Brand was Glasurit. In my country i cant find water based lacquer and i will buy it from UK!

Yesterday I also try some trick- i used polyurethane lacquer and I add pigment (violet) for water based paints! This pigment is really strong! Result was good enought, but i will look for result today!

 

If u dont do this before, it is mission impossible! U must to practice, practice and practice to do it right! Easy it looks only on video, in real life there is hundreds of tips and tricks that u must to learn on real life not web! But u can try!
On one wheel i think 300-500ml ready to use silver liquid!

 

Nicamarvin i so in your videos before, where u silvered some plastic pieces (big pieces with no name, some cowers or something) And u show with tinted clear and without!
It means u first spray non tinted clear coat and later tinted clear coat to hide yellow?

 

Hi for all!

I almost get that result what i trying all the time!
All dishes is clear coated with polyurethane clear + water based pigment! It is 90% good! I will try some experiments tomorrow maybe! check images


















Silver is perfect, but in some places dishes is not so good, but how ever they are the best training objects! Spoons is to small!

Clear coat- yes it looks good, but in some angles is some weak weak yellow shadow (it can see only they who know how to look ha ha)

 

I would recomend using the Innate Chrome paint system instead. a pint kit will only cost 169 is good for 4 tires. here is the link http://www.innate.com/Paint/Chrome/Chrome.htm

as for the Alsa products? you can get their PumpFX system for 290 but you will only do 2 wheels..http://www.alsacorp.com/products/chromefx/

 

Thats correct. I did it to show you guys how to fix this issue.

 

nice job buddy... I´m loving it

 

I agree with the need to practice.

 

Nicamarvin I dont try it yet! But if i need to spray really wet coat of tinted clear coat, there is risk that in some corners and edges will stay clear coat tint- blure/violet edges or corners! If i spray for a start usual clear coat in really wet coat and after it spray tinted clear coat this will rescue situation! What u think about it Nicamarvin?

 

what I do is.. Spray on chrome. then mist coat the Violet tinted clear coat.. then use normal untinted clear coat.

 

Called Alsa to get some info and updated prices.

Instead of purchasing the ChromeFX spray system I can purchase the 10sq ft kit for $99 and have a complete kit with my own bottles and sprayer for around $150.

Chemicals packages are:

Small KIts:
10 SQ Feet - $99
36 SQ feet - $199
64 SQ feet- $299
150 SQ feet- $599

Large Kits:
Package 1 (500 sq. ft.) - $2,000

Package 2 (1,500 sq. ft.) - $5,250

Package 3 (3,000 sq. ft.) - $9,750

Package 4 (6,000 sq. ft.) - $18,000.

Individual Prices:
When you purchase Chemical "A", you get the appropriate amount of "B" included in the cost.

The pricing for the Silvering Chemical "A" is as follows:
20oz is $900.00
60oz is $1,994.00
120oz is $3,898.00
240oz is $7,500.00

The Activator is priced as follows:
20oz is $45.00
60oz is $110.00
120OZ IS $204.00
240OZ IS $400.OO

The standard top coat is priced as follows:
Qt is $60.00
Gallon is $200.00
Hardener is as follows:
½ pint is $35.00
Quart is $75.00

The Base coat is priced as follows:
Qt is $60.00
Gallon is $200.00
Hardener is as follows:
½ pint is $35.00
Qt is $75.00

 

Sorry about the format on my last post, will try to fix from my desktop.

 

Alsa sale. Now may be the time to order some candy tints.

http://www.alsacorp.com/products/candyconcentrates/candy.htm#buy

 

Hi For all!

Whats new with silvering?

 

Love this thread, been looking into this last year. The innate chrome paint is not cheap by any stretch of the word and to get it into Canada will probably double the cost. I am looking to do two fiberglass bumpers for a 69 coronet, any thoughts on what size kit required. A 20oz kit is $329 US.

 

Well I just saw a sample on page 21 so the innate chrome paint is out.

 

This from Alsa:

Mirrachrome (which is the same thing as Killer Chrome) is a VERY technique driven application. It is sold as a kit, as it is very sensitive to clears. You should only use OUR clear coats with this material.
Aerosol cans require the MOST technique for this, as you will have no control over air pressure or material volume.

Application:
We are starting with a black base coat.
Let that flash for 20 minutes or so....or let it cure and then scuff for adhesion.

Then we clear coat that black.

At this point you should have a VERY wet glossy reflective black surface. This is a very important starting place for the application.

If you are not achieving a VERY highly glossy black surface, you will need to re-shoot this until you do.

Then make sure the clear coat on your black base coat cures for a FULL 24 HOURS if using one of our 1K clears or 7-10 days if using our 2K clear coat. That is also critical to the application. If the clear coat is not fully cured, this will also dull the finish.

Then we apply the Chrome Paint over that.

If you are getting a flat metal, or flat aluminum look, then the product is almost certainly over applied.
It is very easy to apply too much of the material.
What you are spraying is a hyper-ground metal, and you MUST NOT let this material stack up in any way.

You are not going for a "Coat of Paint" like with a regular liquid pigment.

It should be applied in a very light dusting fashion, continuing to make passes over the surface from about 10-12 inches away if using aerosol cans, and very brisk passes, until you achieve the effect.

If using HVLP or touch-up gun, then set your material volume nearly closed. Spray 90% air, and about 10% material.

Moving your hand too slowly when making your passes will result in a "Stacking" of the metal particles, and kill the shine when top coated.

Keep your eye on the black as you are making your passes, and when you reach the point that it looks like the last TINY BIT of black has JUST winked out of sight, stop right there.

Let this dry for 30 minutes or so, and then you can also take a nice, LINT FREE polishing cloth, dampen that, and very gently wipe down the piece. This will help remove any metal particles that are "stacked up" on the surface, but not really stuck to anything. The material is so finely ground (near molecular scale) that you can actually wind up with a fair amount of this material (depending on how heavily it was sprayed) on the surface, that is not stuck to the clear coat on the black. It is just sitting there like a "nano-dust"

When top coated these loose particles will float up into the top coat, and hurt the reflectivity very badly.

I am often asked "which clear should we use" for this application of Mirrachrome. the 1K or the 2K?

This question is not as straight forward as you might imagine. Let me try to deliniate the differences, and hopefully this will help YOU decide what is best for you particular application.

Mirrachrome is a layered application, and there is NO ONE LAYER that does all the work. The result is completely dependent on ALL LAYERS working together to create the effect.

Starting with a VERY GLOSSY AND REFLECTIVE black base coat is VERY important, as the more of a "black mirror" you can achieve to start with, the better the final reflectivity will be (assuming you do not over apply the Mirrachrome, and kill the reflectivity there).

This is why we clear coat that black base coat. Adding a lot of reflectivity and gloss. Also, you want this clear coat as smooth as possible. Glass-like is ideal. The more glass-like, the better the reflectivity.

There are 2 clears you can use for this. Speed Clear, or Mirraclear (Lightning Clear), and the differences are in the dry times, and durability of the clear.

Speed Clear:
This is a high solids, 2 component urethane, and is very durable.
When top coating your black base coat with Speed Clear, you MUST let that clear coat COMPLETELY cure, and outgas before applying the Mirrachrome. With Speed Clear this is about 7-10 days.
The upside of this, is that Speed Clear is a super high solids clear, and you can then sand and buff that until it is as smooth as glass. This is important and the more glass-like the surface, the better reflectivity you will get.
Also it should be noted that when you top coat the Mirrachrome with Speed Clear, you should expect to lose about 5-10% of the reflectivity you have achived.

Mirraclear (Lightning Clear)
This is a one component clear coat that is ready to spray. Slightly less durable than a 2 component.
When top coating your black base with Mirraclear (or Lightning Clear) you must also let this cure out completely, however the dry time for that is only 24 hours.
HOWEVER.....many people report difficulty in achieving a very high gloss with 1K clear coats. They do not build up well, and if sprayed to heavy, will lose a LOT of gloss. The best application method we have found for the 1K clear coat, is to simply use ONE LIGHT WET COAT, and thats all. Just to put a gloss on the black, and that's it.
ADDITIONALLY....1K clear coats do not tolerate sanding and buffing as well as a 2K clear, and many people will kill the gloss when trying to sand or buff 1K clear coats.
When top coating the Mirrachrome with Mirraclear, it will retain virtually 100% of the reflectivity you have achived.
1K clears are not as durable as 2K clears, so if durability is an issue (grills, bumpers, hubcaps, etc) we recommend using Speed Clear as a top coat.

The Best of Both Worlds:
Many people apply this product in what I refer to as the "Best of both worlds" application.
They will top coat the Black base with the Speed Clear, so they can sand and buff, and make it like glass, and get the maximum reflectivity, THEN... they will TOP COAT the Mirrachrome with Mirraclear (Lightning Clear) so as to retain all the reflectivity. Then shoot Speed clear over that for the durability on top.

There is a lot of informatin there. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions. I would be glad to assist in any way I can.

 

whats new with Silvering? nothing, its been the same for Centuries...