Is Chrome Spray Paint Worth the Hype?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 พ.ค. 2024
- In this video, we're exploring the potential of using chrome spray paint. Specifically, we're looking at whether or not chrome spray paint is worth the hype.
Chrome spray paint is a popular tool among DIYers. But is it really as good as people say? In this video, we'll explore the pros and cons of using chrome spray paint and determine whether it's worth the investment.
Does chrome spray paint work? Is it a thing? Can a rattle can really reproduce the chrome look? Is chrome paint worth the investment?
Today we’ll try out the internet’s “best” chrome spray paint to see if it’s worth the effort. Request a free sticker at www.keeponwrenching.com - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
After the primer, it's best to pop the part in the oven on 200 degrees for a couple of hours. Then after the black, do the same. There were too many coats done too soon, so nothing was able to cure.
I agree. I'm not thinking it'll save the project, but oven baking paint really changes it's finish alot.
I would have sanded it with v fine grit paper between layers
@@user-sq9td8nu9i yep. That too.
100% agree , I wet sanded up to 3000 between each black base , and it was so shiny and reflective , I gave it many days between coats , this chrome is enamel , which makes a big difference as it won't react to lacquer bases , and their clear coat barely tints the finish .
Try “glazing putty” on the pits after the 1st 2 primer coats than wet sand, works great.
Great tip! Thanks so much. Getting better every day!
seems the part is holed, unless its just the light playing tricks - i would have made sure its air-tight @@KeepOnWrenching
I know they aren't paint but I purchased a couple of chrome marker pens with a variety of tip sizes and I'm impressed with the results. The finish has a 90% chrome like luster, and it's actually great for repairing chrome pieces with rust marks or other minor damage. I repaired my cars chrome steering wheel emblem and it's hard to pick where the original chrome had flaked off the plastic, and it's holding up well. I also filled a few pits in a fender after treating with rust converter using a q tip, and so far after using the marker pen the results are well blended, still visible as a slight blemish but overall the repairs are not noticeable.
I did a video on those chrome pens to see if they can restore headlamp reflectors and I also painted up a bolt head and plastic dash piece.
They are paint, I do believe they're oil based,and you can clear coat them
Best part of the video was the expansion of my vocabulary to include, "From a galloping horse..." LOL
I love that saying. Lol
Go have those carb tops and have them chromed.Any fuel gets on it will break it down.
in Scotland for added effect...we speak of a blind man on a galloping horse.
@@billbilly That would also be my line of thought. Something like, "From a galloping horse, my Bondo job looks pretty good!" LOL
In a past life I worked on propulsion controls for the USN. When we did an overhaul/rebuild on the system components, we would use a coat of silver then clear to give them a cadmium grey look.
by the time you buy all that paint you could order a brand new chrome covered part for pennys on the dollar
Just an FYI, never wear gloves with a bench grinder, if the glove wraps around the wheel you probably won't be giving anyone the finger anymore.
Tear-away gloves are a thing for that exact purpose. I work with angle, bench and die grinders daily. I hate to say that I know they work, but on the bright side... at least they worked.
Noted! Great point. Thank you.
I have to disagree with you on that one. There are a lot of tools where it is essential to NOT wear gloves. Drill presses and lathes are two perfect examples. Very dangerous to wear gloves with these tools. Basically, any powerful machine that spins something that can catch the glove and pull you in. However, abrasive tools like grinding wheels and SOFT wire wheels are extremely unlikely to grab a tight-fitting glove and pull your hand in. However, these tools will remove the skin from your knuckles in a heartbeat if they bump the wheel or if the thing you're holding catches and pulls your hand in for a knuckle bump on the wheel. If you use grinders for any time at all, you'll know what I'm talking about. It WILL happen - MANY times.
@@KeepOnWrenching Ignore that advise. Wear your gloves.
Absolutely wrong. Where do you guys come from?? Gloves like he wore are fine. It's oversized, clunky gloves that can cause a problem. Keep your unfounded advise to yourself.
About a year ago I chrome painted the reflector area on the inside of the driving lights on my slk320. Fantastic
I could see it working good enough for that.
Hola, por favor me podrías dar el nombre del producto? Necesito pintar el interior de mis faros. Gracias
I used chrome spray on my stainless steel outdoor table that was starting to rust. I sanded it well and cleaned it well and sprayed it twice. After it dried I sanded it very lightly with very fine sandpaper and gave it two coats of clear gloss. It looks good but not chrome. More of a light grey. I am satisfied with how my table looks since it was really looking shabby but thinking it was going to be chrome was a fantasy.
I'm glad you mentioned the SprayMax clear coat, too many people just get any old clear coat, but they aren't UV protectant.
Side note, you should wear a mask when using the SprayMax, since it's a two-part spray, it's essentially like actual car paint/clear coats that you mix to use with a spray gun and it'll really mess up your lungs (though, technically, we should wear a mask when painting regardless).
Learned my lesson on my first restoration. Had a small gas leak and ruined a beautiful tank.
@@KeepOnWrenching Yeah, the SprayMax just dumps the contents too, I've had runs that I had to sand and respray, it's unforgiving if you're not used to it.
I have used a couple of them. They are close but not true mirror and soft. Rubs off really easily even after recommended clear. I use automotive mirror chrome wrap. Cheap tough and looks great
That’s a good idea! I need to look into that. Thanks.
I used to refurbish pushbikes over 50 years ago.
I used to use chrome spray back then. It wasn't perfect but it was passable. It had a semi-gloss finish, but it was definitely chrome.
I have been a spray-men for 47 years i have pounded products on everything from auto repair to water towers and bridges from car plant to diamond mines in the NWT 🇨🇦. I now have 42 % of one lung capacity. My left lung is totally destroyed. I never smoked and have COPD and asthma. I shot every type of chemical out of every type of gun available. Thank God you youngsters will never have to ingest MEK xylene vinyls … best wishes
50 years painting here.@@tookalook1
Awesome video man
The black basecoat should be properly dry before applying chrome, otherwise it can do what it did. Also, no clear over the chrome, as it will dull the effect.
I’ll try again and dry longer
@@KeepOnWrenchingdid that work?
I'm not sure of the brand I used, but I had reasonable results with chrome spray. Problem was it was useless. Touching or polishing it turned it black. It was a while back, but I seem to remember the clear doing the same thing.
Clearcoat powder over. chrome powdercoat will dull slightly.
I have had no good luck in the past with clears , but I used the clear they make just for the chrome , I was very surprised, but it actually works , you get maybe 2% reduction in lustre.
I used that chrome paint to turn a piece of glass into a mirror, it worked perfectly. Water based clearcoat is the best to top the chrome paint as an intercoat, then spraymax can be applied days later. Your gloss black basecoat works best when you use a 2K product and allow it to fully cure. Also, several extremely light coats of the chrome yield a better result than fewer thick coats. Createx offers a great water based clearcoat line that requires their reducer, but there is a learning curve for using it. Barbetos Rex has a lot of content for spraying chrome paint, great stuff. 😊👍
Interesting. I’ve been told it works well on clear plastics
Don't believe you..
@@user-zx8qq1so7j and why not? I'm BASF certified in substrates and topcoats, have been since the early 90s, I have nothing to gain from lying.
thin/light sprays - always
i used chrome spay to refurbish motorcycle wheels. Prepped and slowly added coats. Started as dull aluminum, then leave between coats.. gradually with more light coating it turned to bright chrome. Brilliant! Now the kicker.. started clear coat and instantly turned back to aluminium - and yes i'd left plenty of time between coats. Days of prep and spraying wasted. Should have left off clear coat. But hey, you learn.
Do you remember what product you used?
K1 not K2 is what's needed for spray chrome finishes..K1 keeps the chrome look
Thanks for the heads up.
yeah I used the krylon "chrome" on some stuff. it had a nice metalic effect but it looked a lot closer to bare metal than chrome.
I felt like it was like a clean aluminum color…no polish.
Wow, what a awesome work. Can I ask what is the minimum temperature did you spray inside?
I have read on Google it say the ideal temperature is between 50f to 60f as I wasn't sure so that's why I ask.
I have tried a number of chrome sprays and the only one that seems to work is Revell. It's made for plastic models. I am using it on steel chrome wheels with no black or primer. For prep I clean the chrome with alcohol and then just spray it. No need to sand chrome down.
It looks pretty good. Like real chrome. I did my first one about a week ago and havn't touched it yet to see how durable it is. At $50 a can I barely get 2 wheels out of it. I'll get back to you on the final results.
The Revell tends to get mentioned a lot. Will need to try it.
I've used Spaz Stix for years. The dull finish when it dried was the residual overspray of the product. It's supposed to be dusted off when cured. You pretty much sealed the residue over the glossy metal finish that was underneath.
I need to try it again. Surely I can get better results.
What do you mean "residual overspray"? Do you also mean your supposed to wipe it off and spray again?
Needs to be super smooth putty sanding ect more you prep the better the results. Though most spray can chromes never usually look chrome they also don't use clear that just turns it grey
i bought the spaz stix once and i tested it on a piece or cardboard before trying it on the part i was planning on painting. i got the same results as you without the clear and following the directions to the T. tried it again on another piece but instead of just laying a heavy coat on i would do light coats and kinda got a mirror finish. its possible with a better prep i could have gotten what we were looking for.
Noted. I’ll try again.
Filler primer and black epoxy paint makes a good look for those carb tops..
Spaz stix has two blends. One for inside lexan and has to be backed, and they make a outside formula, to put on like normal over a base. But if you want craziness, a company called alsa makes amazing chrome like you see on lambos and stuff like that.
Did you only spray one coat of the chrome? Would multiple coats do better?
Right On MD6945 , just then my wife landed, I'm giving 5 Golden stars for the fun we had here. BTW. This would have been an excellent candidate for the VHT that's Vapor Honing Technology just a few doors down the street. God Bless yall and keep em happy.
Your results match with my own. I was trying various spray-paints that said they were "Chrome" finish. I tried several on some electronic transformer end bells and was never pleased with the results. I had one that approached what I wanted, but when the paint dried, if you ever touched it with your fingers it ruined the finish. I tried spraying it with various clear coats or clear lacquer to protect the finish and every thing I tried ruined the finish I already had. I think you are correct - chrome spray paint is not a thing!
Yeah…it’s a myth as far as I can tell. Can’t believe it’s not something that’s able to be formulated.
Great production showing details, impressive for garage projects...good camera work
Thank you! Do the best I can.
Spaz Stix is meant for painting the inside of polycarbonate r/c car bodies.
You need a perfectly smooth surface no matter what.
I’ll try again. Fun experiment
I bought a pot of Humbrol metallic chrome paint many years ago to do some detailing on an Avro Vulcan models undercarriage. The thing was that you had to allow it to dry, then you polished it to get the chrome finish. Looked extremely effective at the scale.
Which has made me think! The X part of my Subaru XT badge is looking very sad, I might just see if it looks OK on a slightly larger scale. I'll let you know how I get on, might be the answer you're looking for?
Make a video and post on you tube.
What year is this? Dude, I have used spray chrome paint back in the past century. Worked for me & looked good 😊
Spaz Stix is normally meant for the RC bodies. Since we paint those on the inside to avoid scratches, the inside part of the body always looked gray, like what you have achieved. While the inside though looks very close to real.
When it talks about using a black backer, though, the black is suppose to back up that color once it's already been sprayed.
Just a heads up! Love the bike!
I'm using their chrome for external parts for an RC truck , and with loads of care and a very smooth part , it goes down perfect , their clear for it doesn't murder the finish either .
Thanks for sharing a great video
You’re welcome!
Not sure about that type chrome. Been there done that yrs ago. Knew turned gray... it has to be extremely smooth and hot weather better. Can't clear spray chrome. It will work until you touch it. I have done it, but not last.
It was worth a shot. One of the recommendations was to clear it to see if it brought a better result. Nope. Lol
Dip your car showed Liquid Mirror that looked ok but what if yo baked it on heat up the part spray it the heated again??
Facts don't lie. I think you laid it out in full view. I just wanted to let you know that you'll get no rebuttal from me. Great job!
Let the primer dry totally, wet sand between coats, with 600. I like the glazing putty to fill the pits in the metal, let putty dry and sand smooth, prime again and lightly wet sand . I think the gloss black would look better than the fake chrome.
Yeah the only paint that I have seen ever closely resembling chrome is by Revell. the scale model manufacturer from Germany.
Need to give that a try
Many thanks for your video ,you really tried.
I really did! Thank you.
We are all still searching for the Holy Grail, thank you for doing this, saved me a lot of dollars!
Yeah. It’s a myth. Save your money!
Eastwood makes a product called Liquid Chrome, and they also sell cans of the 2k clear.. There is another product called Killer Chrome, but I haven't ever tried it.
clear coat works have used it in the past thats any color have to do gas tank on 1973 honda scrambler 450
I really like that demistion . Thank you
When i raced RC cars i used the spaz stix on a car i painted for my cousin. It worked just fine. However you paint those car bodys from the inside so maybe it changes how its viewed but like i said it worked just fine.
Chrome has to flash off very fast, room temp hot, etc. Done it, looked beautiful. Clear coat turned it gray. It can be done, difficult. Spay can???
It’s tricky for sure. Will keep experimenting.
Also baking the painted surfaces tends to produce more chrome look
I didn’t see a recommendation to bake it. I’ll keep an eye out for that.
5 minutes between coats? I have been painting things from spray can for years and 5 minutes does not seem enough to me but I could be wrong.
Yeah 5 minutes won't even finish gassing out an acrylic , you need to wait at least a day .
Being in the auto body business you're supposed to send the primer between coats the smooth and fill in clean off and so the black paint has something to stick to like the sanded surface of the primer you must send it primer is like a liquid filler
Gotta use auto-body chrome spray. Not a myth ... you can do it with the correct materials.
I've used dupli color chrome and it has stayed light gray ,i've put 2 clear cots and it has stayed light gray again.
Never use clear coat on metallic silver. The results are all the same. I use Rustolium metallic. Works great even without the black base coat. Take that part and hit it again with the Rustolium. You'll be surprised.
Hey mate before you give up on spray on chrome all together can you try a product called Alsa Easy Chrome please. Yes it's expensive but compared to that rubbish you just tried it's chalk and cheese. I think you will change your mind about spray on chrome being a myth 🤔, not as good as real chrome obviously but give it a go and let us know what you think. Actually, a spray off between the Alsa Easy Chrome and another good one, which is Revell Spray Chrome, would be a great video. Cheers Andy
Will do. Thanks for the recommendations!
Have you tried Revell Chrom Spray?
It's the only mirror finish spray Ive seen
Was gonna say the same. Not sure how it holds up outside of models but Revell chrome is great
Reflection in any surface is a function of smoothness. If it's not a perfectly smooth surface it will not reflect. So, there was not hope for your project regardless what it was painted with. In the painting segment, there was a lot of blushing going on throughout...for several reasons...primarily not enough cure time between coats...way too close when spraying and
paints that dry too quickly. The "chrome" color blushed instantly when it hit the surface of your part. Consider using slow drying paints. Colors that takes hours to dry allows the paint time to smooth out and become more reflective before it becomes hard.
Alsa Easy Chrome is the only paint that I know of that actually looks like real chrome, but it ain’t cheap!
Thank you. Will check some out.
When this didn't work. Possibly light sanding with 1000 grit wet with water. Reprime, wet sand again, light cots of the black. Wet sanding between coats. A lot of vehicles are going with the black look. Make it look good since the spray chrome didn't work. Warm cans of paint in between coats. I set them in the dashboard of an open car. Don't let them go Too long if it's over 80 degrees and sunny outside. Wear gloves and eye protection and mask when painting. Stay safe.
Totally off subject. @ 6:18 that Honda CB350cc. Notice the ignition key is right next to left exhaust pipe. Around 1972, I was 13 in Albuquerque NM, I dumped my Dad's flat tracker in sand on right side, throttle stuck wide open. In my excitement I reached for key but I grabbed the red hot exhaust pipe. True Story.
Yikes!!! I can see how that could happen. They can be relocated. Oof.
I eventually got into Chrome and Polished Aluminum when I got a 79' Shovelhead and a 69' Chevelle. @@KeepOnWrenching
Bro your painting a piece of shit part!
To this day your skin is still on that exhaust pipe.
Sure would like to know how spray paint cans have a bright chrome cap, how does the paint company do this?
Very misleading! Agreed.
Iv always wondered myself , drives me insane , Tamiya make an "anodised blue" looks great on the lid , but is utterly pathetic sprayed .
He didn't cure in between coats I've used it iget crome finish shine I aso buff lightly after curing before clear coating
Clear does grey it out. Looks OK on a rear truck bumper. I found that Rustoleum chrome is the best one. I've tried them all. However, it tain't chrome! Regular primer underneath, no gloss black.
I did Rust-Oleum Chrome on the front bumper of my truck That was a painted bumper And from 10 feet away you can't tell it's not Chrome Rust-Oleum makes a good product in this case
I’ve used cheap spray chrome on little projects that turned out tons better than your cover did
Quote " looks like aluminum spray paint " 😂😂😂😂 because thats what it is. good comedy material.
Very disappointing
pin holes? fill them in first with two part filler, sand it down, no need for expensive spray filler; leave it painted black?. you can also buy adhesive chrome tape
Spaz Stix is meant to go down in many very light coats, not heavy coats. The idea is to layer the metallic slowly and flat to achieve a "like" chrome appearance. It also should be clearcoated in many light dusting coats as to not tarnish silver flake with the solvents in the clearcoat. It's finicky and a long process that gives you great results but you will never mimic real chrome. You applied it wrong is all.
Lots of fails in the application. And the 2K clear's life can be greatly extended by putting it in the fridge. I used a can for at least a week while working on different parts and got to use it all.
Thanks for the tip on the fridge!! That’s huge. I’ll try it for sure.
I want to send you a $ thanks for sharing! Cant wait for the nickel show!👏👏👏👍🇨🇦
Here in the UK, a product called Go Chrome produces an excellent chrome like finish. Lacquering is a pain. I'll be trying water based lacquer. I tried Rustoleum chrome effect paint, and it is basically just silver! Stays soft, and cannot take a lacquer coat, useless.
I've seen some fair results with chrome powder coating. I don't know how durable it was and the whole process
Interesting. Will need to look into it.
Spaz Stix is for clear Radio Control car bodies an it is a true mirror chrome. You can put a dollar bill next to it and it is a mirror image. Try spraying some on the inside of a shiny 2 liter plastic bottle it truly works. It just isn't for your application.
Thanks Brian for letting us know. I’d agree with your assessment. No chrome there unfortunately
It was worth a shot.
Chrome powder coated my bedroom light fixture.
You have to let the paint dry between coats. Two many coats and not enough dry time. I have had good luck with chrome paints but you have to be patient when using it. And then it looks good, but never like real chrome. 😎👍
A gentleman from Germany mak s some really great paint which appears chrome 99 %
I’ve seen it. It’s spendy!!
@@KeepOnWrenching yep 👍🏻 not for the beginner!!!
very useful info thanks man
You’re welcome!!
You sand out the primer after it's dry and then if it hasn't filled the imperfections then recoat and sand again until ithas filled the imperfections.
This paint is for an rc car polycarbonate body
Good to know!
Maybe that the black was not cured yet. In this case, you don't want any of the chrome paint "reacting" with the base, so you want the base well and truly cured first.
Try Ace Hardware's Metalic Finish, it has a mirrored chrome lid. ITs the closest I've found. I build a lot of Plastic Model Airplanes... And do a lot of WW2 natural metal finishes using paints... and Chrome and polished Aluminum are REALLY hard to do, And NEVER EVER clear coat it... because the clear coat turns it into a grayish tint or brings down the Metalic sheen. In Short, its just really really hard to reproduce chrome and /or polished aluminum. But Ace's is not too bad.
Thanks for the tip!
Nice job❤
Thanks 😄
One really needs more time and or heating to get the black coats cured. Thanks.
Noted
you need to do a nickel electrolysis. then do a high gloss polish. but first you need to do a way better job on removing the pits. get in to it with some fine gtit sand paper make it really smooth. then watch what you get. you will be happier in the end
Definitely need to give that a try sometime!
@@KeepOnWrenching I have seen it work. look at some of the toy restorations. they use it a lot. especially on some of the older tonka truck. and other trucks of the 50 through the 70s. it is amazing at how high shine it gets. it is really amazing. I do hope this helps in your search of chrome looking work. Plus it seems to hold for a very long time.
there are so many variables that prevent the chrome effect - humidity, temperature, the layers underneath, etc . There are some great suggestions in the comments that could help but the real mirror like paints aren't that resilient. Even when successful I never seen it done on a part that is in an environment like an engine bay.
Spaz Stix Mirror Chrome look about as close to chrome as you can get from a spray with the right preparation but that wasn't the right preparation. you do know that the reason it's called filler primer is because you are supposed to sand it to level out the surface so you end up with the voids filled. Spaz Stix Mirror Chrome done right: th-cam.com/video/KK_b5KiWxUQ/w-d-xo.html
I got some. Need to keep testing processes.
It only works on RC car plastic bodies
I've had pretty good luck with it.
After air dry , place in toaster oven and bake at 250 for half hour . Really makes the paint tough .
How do the get the chrome finish on the paint caps they are plastic
That’s a great question
The caps are not painted, the plastic comes that color.
Might have skipped the grinder wheel, just the wire wheel. PoR 15, filler primer, and top coat.
Alsacorp mirror chrome still around?
Fyi, the carb cap on your bike you used as a chrome comparison, isnt chrome.. thats nickel 👍
Yep, I salvage nickel, zinc, copper, silver and gold (I'm yet to collect platinum) from various sources and use it to re-electroplate things just like this!
I think the spray can caps are powder coated some how
Hey Peter, Brian's messing about with spray paint again. Stuwie an Meg are upstairs hiding.
Lmao
....this is like trying to chrome a muffin 😂 Surely those carb tops probably cost half the price than the paint!
Totally. This was just for fun. The tops are like $20 bucks.
Powder paint comes a lot closer but it still isn't chrome. A good chrome powder is double to triple the cost of a good powder and yes, a base does help.
The primer will shrink in time and crack off the part along with the topcoats you’ve applied
Yeah. It was a fun experiment tho.
Unfortunately, the main mistake was applying way too much Spaz. You must apply as light as possible, just a miss/dry coat. The more you spray on, the less it will work. And yes, the other secret is to have a perfectly glossy black base coat. Also totally cured before applying the chrome. As for the clear coat, it will actually reduce the chrome effect. On the downside, Spaz chrome by itself is not durable and will wear off easily when rubbed, cleaned etc.
Thanks man. Exactly how I thought it would turn out. Anyone who says they can do it .... I would really like to see that video. Nobody has posted any photos yet..... I am waiting.
Ha! Me too. I keep hoping. Apparently it does ok with plastic model kits o. The inside of clear parts. Again, haven’t really seen any actual results.
I build a lot of Plastic Model Airplanes... And do a lot of WW2 natural metal finishes using paints... and Chrome and polished Aluminum are REALLY hard to do, And NEVER EVER clear coat it... because the clear coat turns it into a grayish tint. Or it brings down the Metalic sheen. In Short, its just really really hard to reproduce chrome and /or polished aluminum. the closest I got to it is ACE Hardware's Metalic Finish. It has a mirrored chrome lid. Its the closest to a mirrored finish but again very hard to work with.
Revell chrom spray is very close to chrome. The best i have seen. If you can find it
Will have to try some
I had my best luck with aluminum foil rubbed on the part and at best, still not chrome. Just took your eye off of the rusty look
First things first after the grinding wash it and vinegar then move on with your primary