Cold Metal Spraying - REAL metal coating, anyone?

If you can get aluminum and iron that fine, you can make thermite! Are you in the states?!?

“Two part” automotive clear coat is basically what I described. Many now are more like an epoxy to avoid the solvents but all the two part clears act the same- they turn to rock in the gun if you don’t clean it out because they chemically cure and don’t rely on solvent evaporation.
Woah, interesting! I’m in the UK. I get small amounts but I’ve seen them sold in packs up to 25kg / 55lb.

I’m pretty new to spraying, but one supplier recommended the G-100 spray gun or similar due to its quick cleanup and ability to spray thick gloopy stuff. But what you’re saying about turning to rock in the gun made me think of the G-200, which has a separate nozzle and cup for the catalyst - would that get around this problem?
 
This product is sold by various companies and has been around for years in the UK.
It's mainly used in high end interiors and on furniture. Try looking up liquid metal coatings.

I've been on a course run by Metalier-uk and the product is designed to be sprayed, brushed or trowelled depending on the ratio you mix and there's a flexible range.
It gives really nice effects that would be very difficult / expensive to achieve by other means.

Metalier was developed in New Zealand.
Unfortunately, you can't achieve a chrome finish.
 
I've been on a course run by Metalier-uk and the product is designed to be sprayed, brushed or trowelled depending on the ratio you mix and there's a flexible range.
That's great that you've done the course - I actually linked to Metalier in my first post. Did they ever reveal what their flexible binder actually is?

It gives really nice effects that would be very difficult / expensive to achieve by other means.
Do the effects shown towards the end of this trailer look familiar?
 
Update: first rust experiments

Rusty iron.gif

The iron-coated plastic can be made to rust with vinegar.

Verdigris on bronze.gif

I used "Scopas Cupra" (contains acid solution and copper sulphate) to get a little verdigris going on with the bronze, but you can add more to get a stronger effect.

I suspect both these effects would have looked better if there was more of a textured surface for the rust to settle in. The cold casting experts out there will have some good tips.
 
a similar method was used back on the Sky Stick for Spiderman 3. Except the method used took hours to set in the mould before the spray in metal could be backed with any other material (rigid foam, rubber, plastic...) so it was ultimately abandoned yet some of those parts did end up used on the screen used props. Mainly the rocket motor tips, spikes and some tiny bits. We had used Turtle Wax to buff them out as the idea was to keep them from being too reflective for filming. In the end minus the actual machined metal parts of the hero versions, the stunts and lightweight versions were painted with MirraChrome.

Its a method that has its purpose but there are much easier and more reliable (parts failure rate) ways to cast metal looking items.

The MirraChrome lightweight stunt version on the left and the spray in metal parts on the hero motor to the right.
 

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I made similar process with some pool resin, to make pool waterproof, applied with paint, and then covered with metal powder.
both, inside mold, powdering mold with metal powder and also as layer on a material, using paint, and some resin, I made fake damascus using spray paint and aluminum powder, 2 paint colors, on first random thickness layer, and after, sanded down to get random finish layers.
 
..., the stunts and lightweight versions were painted with MirraChrome...

The MirraChrome lightweight stunt version on the left and the spray in metal parts on the hero motor to the right.

MirraChrome, eh? Can you tell us more about your experiences working with this? How does it handle after spraying? How robust is it? Does it need a top clear over it and does it dull? I'm looking to try chroming things myself but all options I've looked into are pretty involving (and expensive), but the site says I can just put MirraChrome into a spray gun and just paint with it.
 
Based on your rust/corrosion experiments, bn86 , I was thinking that small statues could be printed out and covered in bronze, then weathered for those garden ornaments with a patina that some people like. It would be interesting to try this out on something printed in PLA then coated, and seeing how it would naturally weather over several seasons and see if it will protect the PLA underneath or would the stresses of temperature cause cracking/lifting of the coating.

TazMan2000
 
Based on your rust/corrosion experiments, bn86 , I was thinking that small statues could be printed out and covered in bronze, then weathered for those garden ornaments with a patina that some people like. It would be interesting to try this out on something printed in PLA then coated, and seeing how it would naturally weather over several seasons and see if it will protect the PLA underneath or would the stresses of temperature cause cracking/lifting of the coating.

TazMan2000
Exactly what I was thinking. I have a large full-size PLA Snape bust that I want to bronze and patina.
 
It would be interesting to try this out on something printed in PLA then coated, and seeing how it would naturally weather over several seasons and see if it will protect the PLA underneath or would the stresses of temperature cause cracking/lifting of the coating.

I definitely plan to use this on printed parts. Some of the pros offering this coating as a service do claim it's suitable for exterior use, so hopefully if we manage to figure out their secret formula, we can do it too. I need to try the "latex-based, water resistant bonding agent" I mentioned in my second post, as I suspect it might be what they use.
 
Exactly what I was thinking. I have a large full-size PLA Snape bust that I want to bronze and patina.

Nice. Large or one-off stuff is exactly why I like the idea of spraying this stuff, rather than cold casting. Cold casting works great, but the expense and effort of making a mould doesn't always make sense.
 
Mirra chrome is very simple to use. It's all about the bare surface. The glossier the base surface the better the result. Literally shake the bottle, pour some into an airbrush and dust it on. It's durable enough for film prop use and abuse.
 
the middle is the original metal hero knife from Spiderman 2 that was moulded for Spiderman 3. The top and bottom are rubber castings painted with mirra chrome then some raw umber Mohawk added for color.
 

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BN86 - What "binder" of the several you mentioned did you end up using? Or did you try the process with several brands?
 
I've currently only tried "Bostik Cementone PVA" but I'm pretty happy with it. They call it a "building adhesive, primer, admixture & sealer", whatever that means. Here in the UK it's in the "Cement Additives & Sealants" category.
 

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