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Frame repaired but paint damage so wanting to chrome the area up.
Is paint the best budget option? Any vinyl wraps or alternatives?
If paint is best option are there any sprays that actually look chrome as most reviews suggest they all turn shiny silver.
I'll prime bare metal first.
Advice appreciated.
Cheers
Chris
Don't think you can apply chrome by spray - its usually plated (electroplated?)
You can't spray chrome obviously as its a coating. The closest or nicest I have seen was on the mclaren f1 cars.
http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/120254-mclaren-chrome-paint-racing-cars
Some of the more expensive boardman timetrial bikes are chrome painted too and look pretty good.
take a look at your tin foil...what you want is the shiney side, what you get out of a can is the dull side. 🙂
I've seen chrome spray painted and it looked pretty good. Odd method though, you had to paint it gloss black then flat it down so it was like a smooth black surface then spray on the chrome which went on like dust and looked awful. The magic happened when you tack rag wiped the surface and it went chromey. Had to then be clearcoated to protect it. Didn't look 100 percent chrome but 95 id say. It was a right faff though tbh
You can get pretty decent chrome paints. The preparation work is going to be the biggest issue you face - you need to get really really smooth and polished paint underneath the final chrome paint to give a good chrome effect. Get the prep perfect and the chrome effect is pretty damn good. Get it wrong and you'll see it.
The other option is to use a wrap - this will hide imperfections more, but you'll have a seam to lose.
Personally, I'd just get the thing powder coated or painted.
What about raw? Polish it then clearcoat?
Thanks all. This is probably going to be a semi temporary fix until I can get the whole frame re painted or coated.
Quite like the raw and wrap ideas.
Tron - any ideas on a suitable wrap?
Or sticker bomb 😀
I did this on my BMX's down tube (release your inner child). I will get round to stripping and painting it one day!!