Chrome

[ONLYTONY]

I've been trying to paint chrome for 3-4 years, with about $500 invested, and I'm glad to say i'm as close as can be. just have to clear coat keeping it shiney. This test piece has about 8 different paints, clears etc, and none worked. I did no prep to it just sprayed it. In the pics, it's still wet. Will cure better by tomorrow. love it when a plan comes together. before and after pic

 

[ONLYTONY]

Update on the chrome paint. It set up real good, and I have started the clear coat. Going to be many misting coats with water base clear

 

[tixer]

Interesting! Please keep us posted.

We'll see how it deals with heat, too.

 

[ONLYTONY]

Well after the 3rd misting coat of water base clear, it turned gray, but it's still shiney. Oh well I tried, back to the drawing board.

 

[tixer]

Thanks for your work on this Tony.

 

[ONLYTONY]

I'm not done yet

 

[steve]

Check this out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIUErhuFXT8

 

[ONLYTONY]

ALSA sells systems like that, about $7K. I got one of their $300 systems, and it didn't work twice, but that was a few years ago.

 

[ONLYTONY]

2 nd spray. still looks good. Have to get some shellac, the stuff they clear coat paintings with.

 

[tonybrooklyn]

I've been trying to paint chrome for 3-4 years, with about $500 invested, and I'm glad to say i'm as close as can be. just have to clear coat keeping it shiney. This test piece has about 8 different paints, clears etc, and none worked. I did no prep to it just sprayed it. In the pics, it's still wet. Will cure better by tomorrow. love it when a plan comes together. before and after picView attachment 14657View attachment 14658View attachment 14659View attachment 14660

View attachment 14803Update on the chrome paint. It set up real good, and I have started the clear coat. Going to be many misting coats with water base clear

That's a hell of a job excellent!

 

[ONLYTONY]

UPDATE No luck on the clear. I did some tests for heat. This stuff wont take the heat. Put a lense, and bulbs in it sitting on the bench. After a couple of hours the chrome started bubbling above the low, and high beam bulbs. At the back of low, and high bulbs, on the outside of the housing, the temp gets to 250 degrees, and at the parking light 149. A little fan 4' away brings the temp down in a few min to 185, and 105 for parking light. Not a good idea to let your car sit with the lights on.

 

[Jamesvinar]

What were the coats or clear and dry time on them?

Im wondering if the LED bulbs like mine might be better for it since theyre supposedly cooler,

 

[ONLYTONY]

I did 3 misting coats. At least 2 hours between. Water base takes a little longer to dry. I'll keep playing. Even if I do get a good clear coat, will the chrome hold up with the heat. The housing was 250 on the outside, wonder what the temp was inside. Oh boy, another fun test. I'm not sold on LED's for headlights. I'll hook one up and I'll know if they burn cooler. I wonder why led's have either a fan, or heat sinks hanging out of them.

 

[Jamesvinar]

I believe that the LED's produce alot of heat but it's a matter of where the heat is generated and how it dissipates, the LED is supposedly 20% cooler overall with the heat being taken care of via the fan or bands. I can't see the fan ones working inside these housings because of how bulky they are but I got the bands to work in mine with a little cramming and so far I've had no melting or temp issues with about average use. If you have any trouble mounting them into the housings my brothers 95 GMQ has little circle plates on the back of the headlight housings that take 9006XS bulbs that screw exactly into place of where the stock HID bulbs go to make the 9006 fit just fine.

When I was first running Halogen bulbs on these new housings they burnt some of my chrome off :/

 

[ONLYTONY]

How do you seal them to the housing? Housings should be air and water tight.

 

[chris2523]

housings aren't air tight.
they usually have vents.
i know gen 1 has a little nub on the bottom. and i think gen 2 has a little tube on the side.

 

[ONLYTONY]

Gen 1's have 1 vent, Gen 2's have 2.

 

[ONLYTONY]

They work like the vents on a bag of coffee. Air can come out, but not in. The gen 2's have some stuff inside the 2 rubber tubes, (vents), that looks like scotchbrite, but it's not