Might be old news to some but I have been working on the interior for the last few days and I am painting a few plastic pieces that were originally chrome. (i ain't got that send it off for rechrome cash!) Anyhoo, I have been trying some different off the shelf rattle cans and have discovered magic! Rustoleum "bright coat" Metallic finish chrome paint. WOW! I prepped really well and painted several ultra thin coats and it is as close as I have seen to chrome off the shelf. It also has a really nice nozzle with a wide fan. Just thought I'd throw it out there. Happy Friday! -MICHAEL
that might be pretty good for factory rims while your trying to figure out what kinda wheel you want to run.
Here's a sweet video I found checking into "chrome in a can" great looking results http://www.alsacorp.com/live/view_killerchrome_demo.html
Good NIGHT! That stuff is awesome- don'tcha just love how he turns the body around with his bare hands in the last video?
chrome in a can? is similar to pocket pussy its cheap fast and easy , but it justs doesnt seem quite right!!
Graphics?... howbout custom bumper/grille combinations that would normally take thousands to buff out and chrome plate.... with this,.... weld, fill, sand, paint Plus its almost gives the appearence of "aged" chrome(not a full 100% haha chrome with patina Chrome frames, and suspension parts for that 60's show rod look side trim, HL buckets, grille shells, funky valve covers/air cleaners, also Alsa Corp offers turned metal vinyl for dash/firewall inserts
Looks like it works pretty good. Checked out their site, seems kinda spendy, but I haven't had anything rechromed in years. http://www.alsacorp.com/killercans.htm
My buddies in Oregon call rattlecan silver chrome "Okie chrome". But that Alsacorp stuff looks interesting. CBB
It does look promising - I got more of a feeling of nickel plating seeing that - very cool that you could apply at home. At a minimum it may be a great contrast to a bright real chrome finish. Steve
This is interesting especially for Model Car builders like myself. But $40 per can is crazy for models, I'll stick with silver paint for now.
I live in So. Oregon, not a native!! I wonder how "Okie Chrome" get its name in Oregon, when a blue plastic tarp seems to be the norm for roofing material.
The main problem I see with the alsa stuff (other than the $115 price) is that the clearcoat is a single use can due to the break-the-seal mixing technique. At $50, I'm totally trying that stuff for the grille recess on one of my OT cars. Hope I still got that car when the price gets there.
a.k.a. "Mexi-chrome". Commonly used on 3 out of 4 wheels on a 90 Corolla. The fourth wheel has a spinner hubcap that is missing one of it's spokes so it spins all funky.
The irony in this statement is that most chrome jobs coming out of Mexico are actually better than stuff being done in the states due to epa regulations and such.
I am thinking about using it on the inside trim pieces on my wifes 57 around the speedo, horn ring etc. and may try it on an extra set of interior door and window cranks. Luckily I have a 58 parts car I can experiment with. It won't be for a month or two but I will post up the results after trying it. I would just buy the chrome cane though and get a can of gloss black and plain clearcoat. Worth a try to see if those pieces will come out better. I also don't like the idea of the one use can for clear if that is the case.
Problem with spray on chrome used on anything outdoors is, it doesn't take long and it gets duller the more the surface is exposed to the elements. If you use clear coats over it, all the mirror sheen is gone. Nothing holds up as long as chrome and when it dulls or scratches you can clean or polish it unlike spray on paint or plastic coats.
Yeah, that's been my experience with small lowrider and cruiser bike parts. But the Alsa stuff looks promising. Has a speed clear and doesn't dull the chrome coat out. Hmm. I want to try some on the horn ring in my Olds.
Cool - did somebody finally figure out to make the shine last for a while? Right on - Let's see a bumper, grill or wheels after a year on a driver. Would be nice to have a good low budget alternative to plating.
Most definitely. This makes me think of doing a dash. Remember that thread where Denise said she was quoted over $3000 to chrome plate a dash. This might be a nice alternative. Especially since it wouldn't be exposed to the elements like an exterior part would.
I did a tech article about using Chrome in a can to re-do my gauge bezel... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=183727&showall=1 - Joe
Interior should work better, but I wonder how it reacts to fingerprints, if not wiped away soon. The acidic oils penetrate clear coats pretty quickly and if left alone you can't even wipe it off after a while. Similar to soft plated metals like gold, copper, brass, etc... which require pretty frequent cleaning/polishing.
Well myself and another guy from a different forum both bought a can to road test this stuff from Alsa. We were both disappointed with results and I tried time after time with different base coats and on and on. The other guy called and taked to company to try to get details on getting great results but ended up disappointed to. Now I am not saying don't try it! Just don't expect to much! Sorry to deflate the hype.
I have heard similar stories as to what Wizard was saying. This is all a matter of trial and error on which parts you plan to use it on. I think that smaller pieces will work better than larger (i.e. bumpers, etc) will. I am still going to try it though and see what I can manage to do with it. I will let you know what I come up with.
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