Protecting, wrapping and painting chrome car parts. Removing chrome. Painting a car in chrome: from A to Z How to paint a chrome surface black

Chrome is a modern, practical material that looks great and is not prone to corrosion. Things coated with this metal look stylish and interesting, but, unfortunately, tastes change and it is quite possible that a chrome chair will need to be repainted in matte black to match the surrounding interior. Also, old things with time-damaged chrome coating often need to be painted - by applying paint on them, you can get very attractive products that will become a real decoration of the interior. How to paint a chrome item at home using improvised means and the most common acrylic or latex paint?

Materials and tools

The list of items and materials needed for painting chrome is quite extensive, but there is nothing expensive or difficult to acquire in it. Everything that you may need in work can be easily bought at any household goods store:

  • Rubber gloves;
  • Respirator;
  • plastic container;
  • Toothbrush;
  • Liquid soap with degreasing effect;
  • Sandpaper 120, 240 and 320;
  • brushes;
  • Spray;
  • Primer for metal;
  • Putty for metal;
  • latex or acrylic paint for metal;
  • Protective film.

Optionally, some items shown here may change. For example, if we are talking about painting chrome faucets, it is better to use car paint primer and car enamel.

Getting Started

First of all, it is necessary to thoroughly wash and degrease the object being processed. To do this, mix liquid soap with warm water in a plastic container and wash the product well. It is important to get rid of dirt even in hard-to-reach places, so you can use a toothbrush for cleaning. After the product has been washed, it must be dried well. Now you can start preparing the surface for painting and directly applying the coating.

How to paint a chrome part

Chrome parts are a rather controversial element of car decor, which is caused by its obvious catchiness. Many motorists consider themselves ardent opponents of chrome parts and try in every possible way to camouflage such decorations of car manufacturers by sticking them with a film or painting. Those who are comfortable with chrome are also often forced to mask the decor due to scratches or cracks on it. Yes, chrome plating is not a particularly resistant coating and is often overwritten or even swollen on radiator grilles, which looks very unpleasant.

To combat such imperfections, you can use color film, but the film will also lose its appearance over time and begin to peel off. It is best to paint the chrome black, which always looks acceptable and even stylish.

What do you need to paint over chrome elements?

To carry out such a procedure, stock up on the following tools and materials:

For a primer, it is best to take a two-component solution, which is considered more "professional". It dries longer, but the adhesion of paint layers to the surface of the part will be more reliable and durable. The primer in a spray can will be more budgetary, but you should not save on it, it is better to buy a more expensive one. Also, when choosing a primer, do not buy into additional special effects such as anticorrosive, usually they are also not of very high quality.

See also: do-it-yourself car painting with liquid rubber

Parts painting process

The process of working with chromium is quite lengthy, while you need to be careful and perform priming according to the following scheme:

  • Remove the chrome part from the car with a flat tool, depending on the case, it can be a flat screwdriver or a clip-on tool.
  • Rub the chrome surface with sandpaper until a matte effect appears. Sometimes, if the chrome is already fairly cracked, then you can remove the chrome coating with a knife or the same screwdriver. It will come off in small pieces resembling foil.
Repainting chrome badges

You can use scotchbrite to matt all glossy surfaces. This should be done very carefully and “wet”, since any glossy area, even the smallest one, can cause the paint to crack and peel off.

A sufficiently matted chrome surface will resemble aluminum, in some places copper glimpses may be visible. Further, this surface can be painted by performing preliminary priming.

  • Then the part must be washed very well and dried perfectly, then a degreaser should be applied.
  • If your part is not completely, but only fragments covered with chrome, then the next step is to apply a primer to plastic parts, plated with chrome. Read the instructions carefully and do everything according to the manufacturer's instructions - shake the can for a minute, then spray an even layer, wait 5 minutes until it dries and repeat the application. It is very important not to get on matted chrome. Leave to dry for 15-20 minutes.

Please note that it is impossible to completely remove the chrome film from the part by hand, all you can achieve at home is grouting the chrome to a matte state. This is necessary to increase adhesion, which will prevent peeling of the paint.

In addition, it is advisable to use a phosphating or acid primer, as it can penetrate quite deeply into the micro-scratches of the chrome.

See also: car paint

Painting chrome parts

The next step is to apply a layer of paint, during which it is very important to paint all the gaps. The paint should dry between coats for 5-10 minutes. There should be 3-4 layers of paint in total.

Half an hour after applying the last coat of paint, spray varnish on the surface. You need to apply it with very light movements from a long distance, since it is more liquid than paint and can cause streaks that are almost impossible to remove. Apply it in two layers, taking a break of 15 minutes. Leave all this to dry for at least a day, after which the part can be returned to the car body.

Features of working with chrome-plated parts

During preparatory work and during the painting process, it may be difficult to remove chrome, which is best rubbed with a special machine. Manual work will require diligence and a large supply of free time.

If you decide to transform yourself appearance of your car and change the boring chrome parts to beautiful jet black, then you should be patient and have quality materials. This process is very lengthy, especially if you have to remove the chrome from the plastic yourself, but by following our recommendations, you will be able to do this work efficiently, and the effect will last for a long time.

Moscow Automobile and Road State University. Moscow. Level of education: Higher. Faculty: AT. Specialty: Engineer Cars and automotive industry. Experience in the automotive industry (master consultant…

http://okuzove.ru

An alternative to vacuum and galvanic chromium plating are paints with a mirror effect. Chrome plating paint can imitate different metals - silver, gold, bronze, brass.

The color of the coating is edited with the help of varnish or pigment.

What is the material

Metallized mirror paints can be sold both in regular containers and in spray cans..

Such aerosol formulations can be sprayed directly.

  1. It should be noted that paints usually do not contain chromium. Aluminum powder mixed with a solvent (binder) gives them a high ability to reflect.
  2. To protect the base coat from chemical and mechanical damage, the instruction recommends applying a layer of varnish to the base coat.

Note!
Even with such protection, metallized paints are not completely free from atmospheric and mechanical influences.
Based on this, they are more decorative load.
Therefore, they cannot be a full-fledged replacement for the galvanic or vacuum method of applying metals.

  1. Painting of chrome parts requires a thin layer of black primer beforehand. It can also be based on a primer with a gloss effect (category HS). (See also the article.)
  2. The specularity of the coating can be enhanced by additives in the varnish. Such pigments make it possible to increase the reflection up to 90/95%.

Metallic compounds can be sprayed with any equipment, from an airbrush to a full-size spray gun (HVLP).

The effect of a mirror is created due to the close arrangement of reflective metal particles. The coating at the same time outwardly practically does not differ from the analogue, chrome-plated by the galvanic method.

Coloring process

Paints with a mirror effect can be applied to surfaces made of any material: plastic, metal, wood. With their help, you can carry out with your own hands the repair of both small elements and objects, as well as large surfaces.

How to prepare the surface

Before painting chrome parts, such as cars, a base coat must be applied.

It will require a black automotive nitro primer and a hard two-pack acrylic based (HS) varnish.

  1. Clean the surface to be repaired first.
  2. Apply primer evenly with a spray gun.
  3. Dry it for half an hour.
  1. Mix the composition with the hardener in the proportion indicated on the package.
  2. Apply it in two coats, wet on wet.

Note!
Before you paint the chrome surface, you need to use the base coat to achieve absolute smoothness and gloss of the base.
It must be free from defects.
Otherwise, you will not be able to create a mirror effect.

  1. Dry the coating at room temperature for one hour. This way you will avoid shrinking of the base (pebble effect).
  2. Then the surface must be heated for 1 hour at a temperature of +60 °.
  3. Then leave the part for at least two days at +20°. This break is needed for the complete polymerization of the base. Please note that if the surface is not dried enough, this will lead to a fogging of the mirror effect.

Then the base needs to be polished.

  1. During this stage, no marks should remain on the surface. They can reduce the quality of the color.
  2. Next, remove the remaining polish from the coating with an alcohol cleaner.
  3. Warm up the product for one hour at +60°. Or dry it for 8 hours at +20°.

Paint application

Shake the packaging before using the composition. To get the best quality chrome effect, it is better to use an HVLP spray gun. Its nozzle diameter should be 0.8 / 1.2 mm, working pressure - 2.5 / 3.5 atmospheres.

Its price is significant, so it is better to rent the device.

  1. Before painting the chrome part, set the spray gun to high air output and a small amount of compound. For this purpose, set the regulator almost to the "closed" position.
  2. Start spraying paint on the surface. Do this carefully, lightly touching the part with a jet. Achieve the desired degree of specularity.

Note!
Keep in mind that a thick layer of dye should not settle on the treated surface.
This will negatively affect the quality of the coating, because. will reduce the specular effect.

  1. When the paint is pre-dry (3/4 minutes), wipe the coating with a soft cloth. Do this without pressure, the movements should be light.
  2. Next, heat the surface for one hour at a temperature of + 60 °. Then the part must be dried for at least two days, at + 20 °.

Protective covering

The top coat is a two-component acrylic based varnish (HS).

  1. Before spreading, clean the surface with a soft, dry microfiber cloth.
  2. Mix the varnish with the hardener in the right proportion. (See also the article.)

  1. Apply the composition in two layers. Wait about half an hour before spraying the varnish a second time. The protective layer should not be too thick.
  2. If you want to achieve a color effect, add the desired pigment to the varnish. Its volume should be equal to 10/30% of the same indicator of the protective composition. Let it sit for 5/10 minutes before applying this polish.
  3. Further, the coating must be dried for one hour at + 60 ° or at room temperature for about a day.

  1. Lastly, the surface is polished. (See also the article.)

Conclusion

We looked at how to paint chrome plastic, metal or wood. Modern mirror paints and varnishes allow you to do this efficiently and without the use of sophisticated equipment. When you get acquainted with the video in this article, you will find a lot more useful.

Chrome-plated parts are often found on various products - in furniture, appliances, cars, bicycles and other items. Sometimes it becomes necessary to paint these details, but this will not work in the usual way. Paint on chrome elements does not adhere very well and peel off quickly.

Since chrome is a very hard metal, paint applied to it in the usual way does not adhere well, and, for example, such parts on a car lose a layer of coating under jets of water at a car wash. Poor adhesion and violations of the paint application technology lead to a deterioration in the quality of the coating. Major mistakes are made in the early stages. In order for the paint to hold well, chrome parts must be matted, and this is done using different methods.

Painting with preliminary acid priming

Can be used for chrome parts acid primer, which creates on the surface of the part protective film and eats into the metal by 0.5 microns. This will help the paint adhere better to the chrome part. Then a standard primer is applied for painting and then the paint itself.

A two-component phosphating primer consisting of a base and an acidic diluent can be used for this purpose. A suspension of pigments and fillers in a solution of polyvinyl butyral in a mixture of volatile organic solvents is used as a base, and a solution of phosphoric acid acts as an acidic diluent. Such primers are used for the treatment of metal surfaces in interoperative wounds, and instead of oxidation and phosphating.

Then use the usual primer to protect the metal from corrosion, filling small scratches and depressions to improve the quality of painting.

Then the painting is carried out with the selected paint in the usual way. As a result, you should get a durable coating that will last a long time.

Primer painting

Painting of chrome parts is also possible without the use of acid products. It is necessary to choose a suitable primer on which the paint will adhere well. Often choose primers in the form of aerosols. If you choose a primer in spray cans, then it is better to use a putty primer, on which paint fits well.

  • First, the chrome surface must be degreased, since its surface is very smooth and shiny. First, the part is wiped with a solvent, and before the priming process, the surfaces are degreased with anti-silicone. In order to avoid fingerprints on the part, you need to use napkins or cloth gloves.
  • Then the gloss must be removed from the surface, since the paint will not adhere to such a flat surface. To do this, use fine-grained sanding paper with a grit of 2000. If you skip this step, the paint will peel off.
  • Then the parts are primed. It is best to apply the primer in two thin coats, waiting for the first coat to dry.
  • If it's necessary high quality painting, then the primer layer is also sanded with sandpaper 500, 800 or 1000. If dust or other contaminants have adhered to the surface during the process, they are also removed with sandpaper.
  • For painting it is better to use a small spray gun. The paint should be applied in a thin even layer. If desired, you can apply several layers, achieving a uniform dense painting.

“Antichrome” is the application of a black glossy film to chrome body elements or their coloring in order to protect against corrosion, which leads to clouding and the disappearance of gloss. This service is also essential to ensure that the chrome is protected from scratches that further aggravate the rusting process.

Applying film to chrome parts

Today, the service of pasting chrome with black film or vinyl of any other shade is very popular. This is due to the fact that these works take much less time than painting chrome parts. In addition, vinyl is a very plastic material. It easily takes the required shape and easily glues to any body elements, including complex and embossed ones. So, for example, pasting moldings with a film allows you to change the design of the car. It provides protection to the paintwork, and also helps to renew the look of worn parts and keep new ones. Pasting parts with vinyl includes a thorough washing of chrome elements, their degreasing, special cleaning and film application.

Painting chrome elements

Painting a chrome grille and other elements is a longer process than gluing moldings, etc. This service is suitable if the coating has already been corroded, it is damaged and it needs to be restored to its attractive appearance. Painting chrome black, as well as any other shade, will get rid of all these shortcomings. The main advantage of "Antichrome" is that it will protect the surface of parts for a long time. This service includes the dismantling of elements, their cleaning and degreasing, removing chrome from plastic with a chemical composition, priming, painting in the selected shade, varnishing, and then installing it back on the car.

Our offer

Do you want to paint chrome or paste over handles, grille and other car elements? Studio "Autoreform" offers to order the service "Antichrome" on a car, the prices for which will pleasantly surprise you. We have vinyl films on chrome that differ in texture, shade and reflectivity. And the paint that we use imitates different metals - silver, gold, bronze, brass. We also provide the Shadow Line service - painting the car's chrome parts black. Thanks to this, you can create the design of the machine that will meet all your preferences.

Do you want to know the price of painting moldings, removing chrome from the grille or the cost of any other service? Call our specialists by phone numbers from the "Contacts" section.