Clear coat on plastic painted chrome

[Iguanaman]

I found a nice chrome finish for a 3D printed part but if I spray clear coat on top the finish turns to grey. I'm using Krylon Silver Foil Metallic. I know it isn't the greatest but it looks good for my purposes. Any suggetions for a clear coat that does not trash the metallic appearance?

 

[renaissance_man]

It might just be a case of doing some tests on scrap pieces of plastic or buying some disposable plastic spoons on which to conduct tests with different clear coats. The general thing is to keep to the same brand, in this case Krylon.
Good luck

 

[ID10T]

Try Krylon Krystal Klear... It is pretty good for general use, and as said above, keeping paints "in the family" may help.

But, it is no guarantee of course...

 

[Iguanaman]

I sent an email to Krylon (maybe they will respond) about which clear coat might work.

 

[Indy Magnoli]

Clear coating will always dull the finish. Instead of using chrome spray paints, try this method: Mando Armorer Helmet refinished using Nail Polish Powder!

I wish I had discovered this years ago... I'm systematically going through my previously spray-painted props and refinishing them using these powders.

 

[Iguanaman]

Clear coating will always dull the finish. Instead of using chrome spray paints, try this method: Mando Armorer Helmet refinished using Nail Polish Powder!

I wish I had discovered this years ago... I'm systematically going through my previously spray-painted props and refinishing them using these powders.

I'll give the powder a shot. Since these will be handled a fair amount I want to be sure the finish stays

 

[Iguanaman]

This is what it currently looks like. (Ignore the shaky hand)

 

[Indy Magnoli]

That looks pretty good, but the nail powder will definitely give you a shinier and probably more long-lasting finish. You got nothing to lose but a couple of bucks to try it out.

 

[Iguanaman]

That looks pretty good, but the nail powder will definitely give you a shinier and probably more long-lasting finish. You got nothing to lose but a couple of bucks to try it out.

Thanks! I am certainly going to try out the powder. This finish doesn't tolerate a lot of handling.

 

[Indy Magnoli]

Yes, that's always the problem with spray paint... sometimes you find one that'll give you a nice finish, but it doesn't last.