Mirror effect paints are an alternative to vacuum and galvanic chrome plating. Chrome paint can imitate different metals - silver, gold, bronze, brass.
In this case, the color of the coating is edited with 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 immediately.
- It should be noted that paint usually does not contain chromium. Aluminum powder mixed with a solvent (binder) gives them a high ability to reflect.
- 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.
Therefore, they cannot be a full-fledged substitute for the galvanic or vacuum method of metal deposition.
- Painting chrome-plated parts requires a thin layer of black backing to be applied beforehand. It can also be based on a primer with a glossy effect (HS category). (See also the article.)
- The specularity of the coating can be enhanced with varnish additives. Such pigments make it possible to increase the reflection up to 90/95%.
Metallized compounds can be sprayed with any equipment, from an airbrush to a full-size spray gun (HVLP).
The mirror effect is created by the close arrangement of reflective metal particles. At the same time, the coating practically does not differ externally from the analog chrome-plated by the galvanic method.
Dyeing process
Mirror effect paints can be applied to surfaces made of any material: plastic, metal, wood. With their help, you can do it yourself with your own hands to repair both small elements and objects, and 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 nitro car primer and a hard two-component acrylic-based varnish (HS).
- First clean the surface to be repaired.
- Apply the primer evenly with a spray gun.
- Dry it for half an hour.
- Mix the composition with the hardener in the proportion indicated on the package.
- Apply it in two coats, wet-on-wet.
Note!
Before painting the chrome-plated surface, it is necessary to achieve absolute smoothness and gloss of the base with the help of the base coat.
It must be free from defects.
Otherwise, you will not be able to create a mirror effect.
- Dry the coating at room temperature for one hour. This will prevent the base from shrinking (shagreen effect).
- Then the surface needs to be warmed up for 1 hour at a temperature of + 60 °.
- Then leave the part for at least two days at + 20 °. This break is needed for the complete polymerization of the base. Note that if the surface is not dry enough, the mirror effect will be clouded.
Then the base needs to be polished.
- During this stage, there should be no scratches on the surface. They can reduce the quality of the paint.
- Next, remove the polish residues from the coating with an alcohol cleaner.
- Warm up the product for one hour at + 60 °. Or dry it for 8 hours at + 20 °.
Paint application
Before using the composition, shake the packaging. To get the best quality chrome effect, it is best to use an HVLP spray gun. The diameter of its nozzle should be 0.8 / 1.2 mm, the working pressure should be 2.5 / 3.5 atmospheres.
Its price is significant, so it is better to rent the device.
- Before painting the chrome part, adjust the spray gun for increased air delivery and a small volume of the composition. Set the knob to almost closed for this purpose.
- Start spraying paint over the surface. Do this carefully, lightly touching the part with the jet. Achieve the desired specularity.
Note!
Keep in mind that a thick layer of dye should not settle on the surface to be treated.
This will negatively affect the quality of the coating, because will reduce the specular effect.
- 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.
- Then warm up the surface for one hour at a temperature mode of + 60 °. Then the part must be dried for at least two days, at + 20 °.
Protective covering
The topcoat is a two-pack acrylic based varnish (HS).
- Before spreading it, clean the surface with a soft dry micro-fiber cloth.
- Mix varnish with hardener in the correct proportion. (See also the article.)
- 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.
- 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 stand for 5/10 minutes before applying this varnish.
- Further, the coating must be dried for one hour at + 60 ° or at room temperature for about a day.
- The surface is polished last. (See also the article.)
Conclusion
We looked at how to paint chrome plated plastic, metal or wood. Modern mirror paints and varnishes allow you to do this efficiently and without the use of sophisticated equipment. When you look at the video in this article, you will find a lot more useful.
High-quality chrome paint is a unique opportunity to decorate a car, decorative elements in the interior, etc. It's no secret that real chrome plating is a high-tech and expensive process that is unlikely to be implemented at home.
On the other hand, it is possible to obtain a mirror finish with a characteristic metallic color without the use of real chrome plating. In this article we will talk about how and with what, do-it-yourself chrome painting is done.
What to paint
All paint and varnish with a chrome-plated or nickel-plated surface effect on the market can be divided into two general categories:
- in spray cans;
- paint in cans.
It would seem that in both packaging there are paints and varnishes, only the method of application is different. But it turns out that there is a difference and it is significant. First of all, the price of a can is higher than the cost of the contents of a can in terms of the same amount of grams.
In addition, the coatings realized in the spray cans resemble the chrome surface only slightly, while the materials sold in the cans are intended for professional use and guarantee a greater aesthetic similarity.
Important: When deciding to purchase chrome paint in spray cans, you need to remember that the application of such paintwork materials is impractical on large bases. In addition, the technology for working with shiny balloon paint is complex. And only if you comply with all technological requirements, you can expect a satisfactory quality of the finished result.
On the market, paint with a shiny metallic surface effect is represented by one-component and two-component compositions. One-component formulations are, as a rule, what is injected into cans and some types of inexpensive nitro-paint in cans.
Two-component compositions are paintwork materials on an acrylic or epoxy basis. In this case, the procedure for preparing the coating for use will take some time, but the result will be an order of magnitude better than when working with one-component analogs. The essence of paint preparation is that the base is mixed with the hardener until a homogeneous consistency is obtained.
You should not save on the purchase of high-quality paints and varnishes, since cheap material will not provide the expected effect. You will find more interesting and useful information by watching the video in this article.
Chrome parts are often found on various products - furniture, appliances, cars, bicycles and other items. Sometimes it becomes necessary to paint these parts, but this cannot be done in the usual way. The paint on chrome-plated elements is very poor and will 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 their coating under the water jets at the car wash. Poor adhesion and violations of the paint application technology lead to a deterioration in the quality of the coating. The main mistakes are made at the initial stages. In order for the paint to hold well, chrome parts must be matted, and this is done using different methods.
Painting with acid pre-primer
You can use acidic primer for chrome-plated parts, which creates a protective film on the surface of the part and eats into the metal by 0.5 microns. This will promote better paint adhesion on 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 to treat metal surfaces in case of interoperative wounds, and instead of oxidation and phosphating.
Then, a common primer is used to protect the metal from corrosion, fill in small scratches and depressions in order to improve the quality of the painting.
Then paint with the selected paint in the usual way. As a result of this, a durable coating should be obtained that will last a long time.
Priming paint
Painting chrome-plated parts is possible without the use of acidic agents. It is necessary to select a suitable primer on which the paint will adhere well. Aerosol primers are often chosen. If you choose a primer in spray cans, then it is better to use a primer-filler, on which the paint lays well.
- First, the chrome-plated surface must be degreased as its surface is very smooth and shiny. First, wipe the part with a solvent, and before the priming process, degrease the surfaces with anti-silicone. In order to avoid fingerprints on the parts, it is necessary to use napkins or cloth gloves.
- Then the gloss must be removed from the surface, since the paint will not stick on 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 flake off.
- Then the details are primed. It is best to apply the primer in two thin coats, while waiting for the first coat to dry.
- If high quality painting is required, then the layer of primer is also sanded with 500, 800 or 1000 sandpaper. If dust or other contaminants adhere to the surface during the process, they are also removed with sandpaper.
- It is better to use a small spray gun for painting. The paint should be applied in a thin, even layer. If desired, you can apply several layers, achieving a uniform dense paint.
"Antichrome" is the application of a black glossy film on chrome-plated body elements or painting them in order to protect them from corrosion, which leads to cloudiness and the disappearance of gloss. This service is also necessary in order to ensure the protection of chrome from scratches, which further aggravate the process of rusting.
Film application on 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 flexible material. It easily takes the required shape and is easily glued to any body elements, including complex and embossed ones. So, for example, pasting the moldings with foil allows you to change the design of the machine. It protects the paintwork and helps to rejuvenate worn parts and preserve new ones. Vinyl wrapping of parts includes thorough rinsing of chrome-plated elements, their degreasing, special cleaning and film application.
Painting chrome elements
Painting the chrome grille and other elements is a longer process than gluing moldings, etc. This service is suitable if the coating has already been corroded, damaged and needs to be restored to its attractive appearance. Painting chrome black, as well as any other shade, will get rid of all these imperfections. The main advantage of "Antichrome" is that it will protect the surface of parts for a long time. This service includes dismantling the elements, cleaning and degreasing them, removing chrome from plastic with a chemical composition, priming, painting in the selected shade, varnishing, and then installing back on the car. 
Our offer
Do you want to paint chrome or paste over handles, a radiator grille and other elements of your car? The Avtoreform studio offers to order the Antichrome service for 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 we use imitates different metals - silver, gold, bronze, brass. We also provide the Shadow Line service - painting chrome car parts in black. Thanks to this, you can create the design of the car that will meet all your preferences.
Do you want to clarify the price of painting moldings, removing chrome from the radiator grille or the cost of any other service? Call our specialists by phone from the "Contacts" section.
Chrome plating is the coating of auto parts with chrome. Chrome parts are an integral part of tuning, and modern car manufacturers do not miss the opportunity to emphasize their creations with such elements.
If you decide that you need to update chrome parts, then find out all the stages of applying paint to chrome.
Preparatory work before painting chrome parts
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Chromium painting is carried out by various methods, the main of which are galvanic and diffusion. At the same time, the latter method is most accessible for doing chrome plating with your own hands, since, in fact, this is staining with special paint.
Part of the preparatory work necessarily includes a selection of materials and tools. The required materials will be:
- paint with a chrome effect or other paint (if you just want to replace the color);
- acidic soil or two-component phosphating soil;
- automobile soil;
- sandpaper of various adhesion;
- degreaser (anti-silicone);
First you need to carefully carefully dismantle the part. After this comes the cleaning stages: everything should be thoroughly cleaned of dirt, rinsed and dried dry. Then the surface is degreased with anti-silicone. 
Priming chrome parts
The most common mistake the next step is to apply directly to the surface of an automobile primer or paint, which will peel off immediately after washing with high pressure. Therefore, the following rules must be observed:
Firstly, it is impossible to completely remove chrome; it is better to wipe the surface with P2000 sandpaper for subsequent good adhesion to the metal. Matting the surface increases adhesion, which prevents the paint from peeling off under any external stress.
Secondly, it is imperative to use an acidic or two-component phosphating soil. Its use improves adhesion, since such a primer penetrates into the metal by about 0.5 microns.
Next comes the standard priming. Do not forget to allow the surface to dry between the layers of soil, with obligatory degreasing between the various components. 
Automotive primer is applied in 1-2 layers, thereby leveling out small cracks. After complete drying, the last layer is sanded, cleaned of dust and degreased. We proceed to the direct painting of chrome parts.
Painting chrome car parts
After thoroughly degreasing the primed surface, the paint of your choice is applied. It can be applied both with a spray gun and with a magazine spray. The paint is applied gently in a thin layer. Allow to dry for 10-15 minutes, and then apply a second layer, gradually achieving a uniform surface color. After complete drying, a thick layer of varnish is applied to the surface of the part, after which it is polished.
This concludes the process of staining chrome parts. Now try to be more careful with chrome-painted parts: wash the parts with a sponge, not a brush, wipe off dirt and corrosive salts in winter. When washing the machine, use gentle substances that will not damage the surface. If necessary, polish the parts with a polishing machine.