Newbie chrome paint question

[RowBoatCop]

Hi, long time lurker on the boards here, I tried to find the answer myself but there doesn't seem to be anything directly related to my problem, hope some of the great minds on here can help! Basically I've got a Thomas daft punk WIP that I had intended to paint at my leisure over the weekend in time for a party next weekend, however due to being a ******* I got the date mixed up (it's this weekend) and now I'm short on both time and expertise. So, is it possible to get a decent finish by going black gloss then chrome, or will I need to go with a primer first? And also what's the minimum realistic curing time for black enamel?(or whichever one is right, I don't know much about paints). Thanks and sorry for the word vomit!

 

[Lodril]

That's going to be tough to do in the time allotted; especially for something that's supposed to be chrome. I'd guess it'll look a bit half-ass no matter how you do it in that sort of time frame, but maybe someone else has better ideas. It'd be useful to know what sort of material you're painting.

Maybe check an automotive store for chrome car-wrap material? I've not worked with it, but it seems like it might be able to do the trick, since it would basically just be the one step of applying the wrapper and wouldn't need much time to set as multiple layers of paint.

 

[Paji]

Enamel takes ages to fully cure. I used an enamel spray last weekend and ended up putting prints in the finish after nearly 40hrs. I personally think you'll be fine without the primer, others may disagree. Best of luck, hope it works out for you.

 

[RowBoatCop]

Enamel takes ages to fully cure. I used an enamel spray last weekend and ended up putting prints in the finish after nearly 40hrs. I personally think you'll be fine without the primer, others may disagree. Best of luck, hope it works out for you.

I'd seen the long curing times mentioned around here and other places, that has me a bit worried. Does room temperature have any great effect on the process that you know of?

 

[GeneralFROSTY]

As others have stated, enamel is your enemy. Unfortunately, Chrome paint is typically only enamel based and is notorious for picking up finger prints even days after painting - the surface may feel dry to the touch, but under that very thin surface layer is paint still slowly curing.

The best paints in a can to use for props in my opinion are the Dupli-Color brand Acrylic Lacquer paints found at Pep Boys, Autozone and stores of the like. Lacquer paint dries pretty fast and can be ready to touch within hours.
If you have the money, the best bet is to have your helmet dipped in chrome by a specialty shop - NO chrome paint, regardless of the time you have, will EVER look as good as real chrome.

Dupli-Color does make a chrome paint, but it is enamel based. If you're going to base your helmet, get Dupli-Color primer and Dupli-color gloss black. The chrome paint will need a first light "tack" coat, then several wet coats - the more wet the more shine you will get. There is a drawback to this as the more wet you go the more likely you will have runs, if you're not accustomed to working with paint you will have trouble with this. Second, the more coats means more time it needs to cure.

Honestly, with your time frame, I would suggest scrapping getting it done and wait until you have more time to invest in getting it right, otherwise you're going to get a rushed botched job that could look horrible.

- - - Updated - - -

I'd seen the long curing times mentioned around here and other places, that has me a bit worried. Does room temperature have any great effect on the process that you know of?

And YES, temp does matter. I've painted things in the shop when the AC went out one summer and the humidity had paint staying tacky for WEEKS, but room temp is a good temp to paint in.

 

[RowBoatCop]

Very helpful reply frosty, thank you! I think I'll look into non-enamel based paints to try to approximate the finish I'm after, luckily enough this build is very much a "costume-level" helmet, so I have some leeway with myself about how perfect I get it, as I'm only getting to grips with prop making it's pretty far from that already!

 

[Crank729]

Okay, what frosty suggested was great, but I have something that may be quicker. It won't be true chrome ( what spray paint is? ) but it will be a very fine, shiny silver.

First off, you NEED primer. It isn't even an option, really. My preferred primer is Krylon "Ruddy Brown " Primer...mostly because it dries to the touch in about 15 minutes, and you can find it at Walmart. I would say leave it for about 2-3 hours to cure somewhat, and then go over it with a very fine sanding sponge just to get rid of any paint dusting that may have occurred. ( The fine sanding is optional, but I highly suggest it )

Next, spray on the gloss black! I use Krylon Gloss black....the key here is to spray on 1 or 2 heavier coats, but be wary of drips. The shinier your base coat, the shinier your top chrome coat. Leave this for an hour untouched.

And lastly, The silver. I use Rustoleum Premium metallic Titanium Silver. It is my favourite paint for my Thomas helmets. It looks like this.

http://www.amazon.ca/Rust-Oleum-245220-Universal-Titanium-Metallic/dp/B0016H2KLS

I understand that it is not particularly shiny...it's more of a matte silver....but it is super durable. Most chrome paints fingerprint or rub off, but not this paint. I suggest three light coats over the course of am hour....about every 20 minutes or so.

If done right, your helmet could come out looking like this. Not chrome, obviously, but still pretty sexy to me!

Hope this helps.

 

[RowBoatCop]

Cheers mate, I'd be more than happy with a finish like that! Seems like what you say can be achieved in a short timeframe, which is my main concern right now

 

[TigerStoneFX]

Honestly, for short time frames here is what I would do.

Primer the piece, then either spray black and add a good quality 2 part lacquer over it or a good spray can lacquer (over a gloss black paint). Then get yourself some Alclad 2 chrome lacquer, its very cheap, have a google, maybe a local shop has it, then spray that over (you'll need an air gun though) or a good quality chrome spray. That should give you a nice finish. The Alclad dries instantly so its very fast. But as I said, you'll need a gun. Good luck!

 

[Tstark]

Okay, what frosty suggested was great, but I have something that may be quicker. It won't be true chrome ( what spray paint is? ) but it will be a very fine, shiny silver.

First off, you NEED primer. It isn't even an option, really. My preferred primer is Krylon "Ruddy Brown " Primer...mostly because it dries to the touch in about 15 minutes, and you can find it at Walmart. I would say leave it for about 2-3 hours to cure somewhat, and then go over it with a very fine sanding sponge just to get rid of any paint dusting that may have occurred. ( The fine sanding is optional, but I highly suggest it )

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3794/9395038651_f2de3f18f2_c.jpg

Next, spray on the gloss black! I use Krylon Gloss black....the key here is to spray on 1 or 2 heavier coats, but be wary of drips. The shinier your base coat, the shinier your top chrome coat. Leave this for an hour untouched.

And lastly, The silver. I use Rustoleum Premium metallic Titanium Silver. It is my favourite paint for my Thomas helmets. It looks like this.

http://www.amazon.ca/Rust-Oleum-245220-Universal-Titanium-Metallic/dp/B0016H2KLS

I understand that it is not particularly shiny...it's more of a matte silver....but it is super durable. Most chrome paints fingerprint or rub off, but not this paint. I suggest three light coats over the course of am hour....about every 20 minutes or so.

If done right, your helmet could come out looking like this. Not chrome, obviously, but still pretty sexy to me!

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7453/9534115906_c259d361ef_c.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5546/9533692368_fa4fb3eeab_c.jpg

Hope this helps.

Awesome paint job!