Question about Chroming props

[Mountaindew554]

Hello, i thought i would ask you guys a question about chroming at home. I was wondering can you make/buy chrome paint for props that actually looks good because i am making a daft punk helmets (both of them) and need them to be chromed. i dont want to get it done by a company because i'm on a tight budget. Thanks!

 

[defstartrooper]

........

 

[ralphee]

Id also like to ask, anybody here used this stuff out of the rattle can? Is it better than Aclad through a brush?

lee

 

[dropshipbob]

The only way to get a good chrome finish to ANYTHING at home is to use Alclad through an airbrush.

People have tried left and right to get a good chrome finish out of rattle cans and some say they succeded, but when others try to duplicate their methods the finish falls...flat.

 

[Iji]

there's some talk at Great Silver Spray Paint - Tips, Tricks, and Tutorials - Model Cars Magazine Forum about diffrent spray paint's to get this effect but a general consencensus seems to be if you get it out of the can and airbrush it on you get a better finish

 

[jasonw2112]

The only way to get a good chrome finish to ANYTHING at home is to use Alclad through an airbrush.

People have tried left and right to get a good chrome finish out of rattle cans and some say they succeded, but when others try to duplicate their methods the finish falls...flat.

Yep! That's about it! I've been testing the rattle cans, with mixed results. The Alclad 2, seems to be the best bet! But you have to apply it with an airbrush. There are some "chrome" paints out there, the trick is finding the best one for your use. Not to mention application! Enamel based paints, take longer to cure, let alone dry. In colder climates, it takes even longer. So that's where lacquer spray can paint comes in. Dries faster.

Just remeber, you wouldn't want to put lacquer over enamel. But you can apply enamel over lacquer!

 

[madmikeee]

You CAN use spray cans but you need to do it right.

you have to prime and sand and prime and sand and get a nice smooth surface, then paint with high gloss black and again, make it super smooth. You then put the final chrome coat on and clear coat it. although it is not true chrome in appearance it looks pretty damned close. That is the "cheap" way to do it.

Otherwise you need to send it out to a chromer that can paint on a metal based paint then actually chrome the part.

The other "true chrome" paints are expensive as hell and difficult to apply from what I have seen.

Check this link out.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1721621

 

[Formori]

I've been looking around here and searching the forums about the "chrome" painting process, but other than arguing over which paint is best I haven't seen much in actual results or techniques.

So far I've noticed that there are many, many people that have had success with one product or another but don't describe what they did to get the effect or a good mirror shine and then another person hasn't be able to replicate the success and says the product is crap...

Personally, I'm looking for an aerosol chroming solution for a Thomas helmet I've just started, and the best ones available are either Alcad II or Spaz Stix as far as I can tell, one being much more expensive than the other. I also noticed that I need a perfectly clean and smooth surface, almost glasslike, if I want to get a decent mirror chrome effect, so here's my question:

Is/are there any good tutorials here or elsewhere outlining how to get a really good and clean finish on a helmet in steps? And what kinds of products they use or tips/tricks on how to get a really good paint job on a resin helmet?

I think that if I bondo and smooth the surface and manage to get a really good primer layer down before the black backer goes on then the aerosol chrome spray could actually look really good on a daft punk helmet, and with the spax stix I can use the clear on top to protect, giving me a tougher chrome finish than a normal paint or open-chrome spray like the alcad.

Tips, suggestions, comments?

 

[madmikeee]

The link I showed had some good visuals.

Basically it's just like painting anything else, I would equate it to more of an attempt to get a high gloss auto finish.

The steps are as follows.

Get your surface as smooth as possible, this means a good primer coat and a wetsanding with 1000-2000 grit sandpaper. Before applying any other coats be SURE the surface is dry and cleaned with oil and dirt remover. Then paint high gloss black, again making sure it is VERY smooth, if you can see yourself clearly in the reflection it is good. Then go over it with light coats of the chrome paint, again making it as smooth as possible. Once you get the shine you want clear coat it a few times and you can then wetsand it again to get rid of any blemishes or orange peel.

practice on scrap plastic or fiberglass, or metal, or your mother or whatever you can find and then see what gives you good results.

 

[SludgeMunkey]

In my experience, "chrome" paints never work worth a darn, no matter how much prep work and technique one applies.

Back when I worked for Raytheon, and built a few scale models for certain expos and conferences, I was directed to use actual chrome foil. I do not remember what brand it was I used, or even where I bought it out in San Diego, but after a bit of digging online, I found this stuff:

Bare-Metal® is Used for Detailing Model Cars, and Aircraft - Bare-Metal Foil Co.

This sort of thing is applied the same way as gold leaf. If you have a perfect, smooth surfaces prepared (as in wet sand/ fill/ wash/ rinse/ repeat) You can get a seamless mirror chrome finish by carefully lining up the edges of the sheets and a little balasa wood burnishing.


It takes practice, but is CHEAP!

(Note, that ain't me, nor is this my vid...I have a face made for radio...)

Here is a video of the stuff in action:
Bare metal Chrome foil - YouTube