Painting "chrome"

[Czar]

I have one of Carrera's "aluminum" cheetahs. I would like to paint it with a transparent paint, but I am not sure if the enamel will stick to the plated plastic. I am hoping for a result similar to the green metallic Z4 that Carrera sells. Any suggestions for paint or process will be appreciated.

[RichD]

I have never seen that car, it may already be clear coated. It has been my experience that paint that is applied over plated bodies chips easily. You can put a transparent color over the plated body. Metallic colors are semitransparent, so if you use a metallic green you may get the effect that you are looking for if you don't lay it on too thick. If you have some plated plastic you can do some test shots.

[model murdering]

Looks really sharp! Vacu-plated, I'd bet. Looks way too nice to be factory spritzed in the conventional chrome paint way. Likely cleared as Rich pointed out. See how it looks burnished like pewter and not gumball garish, it's characteristic of something clear over the top of vacu-plate. Note how it reflects the pebbles in the track surface, and shows how not straight the passenger side is where it kicks the light back all scribbled. Exquisite finishes are truth tellers, and always tattle tale!

Take the body off. Take some macro pictures of the underside and post them up. A sprayed edge and a vacu-plated edge will appear very different under the slightest scrutiny. Sight unseen, I'd say you could shoot the enamel transparent of your choosing and clear it with the manufacturers recommended/compatible clear. The prep will be have to be very exacting, because you cant just whack it with 1200, Cometize it, blow it dry and shoot it. We'll get to that later.

If it were me though, I'd first do a spot test on the underside to ensure compatibility of the product just to be safe, thats an awful pretty model to shoot from the hip on.

Keep us posted, you got my attention!

[Czar]

MM, did you take that photo? The reason I ask is mine is just the garish gumball chrome. There is nothing shaded or subtle about the finish in any way. That is why I would like to paint it. I appreciate the answers. I will get back to you.

[model murdering]

Naw, I snatched that pic off the web, so we'd at least have a visual, in stead of talking about some nebulous thing I havent seen. By all means, please snap a few of what you are seeing in direct light, so we can get the comparison. I selected it from the group because it showed both the "on" and "offlight" character of the finish. Notably that there wasnt a whole lotta crud in it to my eye.

Good photographers always adjust their light, to put the best foot forward. Obviously that pic was staged using a bit of shade. A little truth might be in order. :lol:

Bill

[32lbking]

I have that car too, and mine indeed has the sort of pewter or nickel undertone. That is why I bought it. I like it because it's very subtle but different.
Randy

[Czar]

I will look more closely, I wouldn't mind if was a grey tone.

[Jesla]

Maybe try putting on a coat of Future..... you can always use Windex with
Ammonia to take it back off if it fails or you don't like it.

[Changing-Gearz]

That's definitely a challenge.
Tamiya makes 3-4 clear lacquer sprays... I think you would have better luck getting a lacquer to bite the clear and stick..... There's not a great way to scuff the clear and not reach the chrome - that you would need to get an enamel to stay once it's fully cured - plus shrinkage in the enamel would be enough to start a chip even with that light scuff.

probably 3-4 mist coats then try a lite coat on it. You need to be careful of paint pooling or any unevenness in the applications as that will give a darker look - probably around the shut lines (groove around the hood for example) - the paint will build there by some strange law of nuclear psychics - and you end up with 2 dark lines on either side of the groove (I have no idea how this happens - but it's happened to me quit a bit with light colors...always around the grooves...)

You could get there if you striped it back to bare plastic - but it gets a little more expensive and a ton more labor.

Anyone ever try to tint future?

[RichD]

If the car actually has a chromed finish anything with ammonia in it can remove the chrome. As I noted earlier the car may already be clear coated, which would protect the chrome if you used ammonia. You could add a dye to Future, but in my experience Future is not very durable and will eventually rub off.

[dw5555]

[model murdering]

Eventually these things become like the three blind men each holding onto a piece of the elephant and "seeing it a different way. The trunk, the foot and the tail.

Bottom line? Pick your color. Pick your manufacturer, Pick your chemistry.

https://www.google.com/search?q=tamiya+ ... jXUEAwwFmM:

I assume your going to pick a regular candy flavor. Stay away from lacquer! The golden rule is enamel over lacquer, NEVER lacquer over enamel. Sure, people get away with all sorts of things, until they dont. Therefore, sight unseen/unknown, enamel is your first best choice. What ever you choose, be sure to get their compatible clear when you order. There is no reason not to have piece of mind when the time comes. I try to stay in brand for critical jobs, unless I already know the combination is safe. Hence my constant nagging and harping about test shots.

(Note: there is also a modern addendum to the rule, where "Quick Dry" enamels should be test shot as well. Typically you will recognize them by their short recoat interval, and a rather long recoat waiting period should you miss the recoat flash window. Typically they'll have the scary flaming clown in the warning triangle on the label. Just sayen.)

Are you air brushing or shooting straight from the can?

Do a quick test dab, preferably somewhere where any clear may have underlapped, if there is even any clear at all. Im not sure I would care, so long as whatever the factory finish happens to be, proves to remain fast with your chosen product. Assuming there is sufficient underlap of the exterior finish, you could also back mask the model and leave a spot underneath also get an idea of how many coats you want, so you dont have to decide on the fly. Assuming your test shot is golden, use Dawn dish soap and a squirrel hair brush to carefully wash the body. Lather up the edges and seams, and pounce them a bit with the brush. This is where good paint jobs let go! Keep even strokes on the broader surfaces and stay with the line of the car. Dry it with a soft clean cloth so's not to mar the surface that you do have. The whole idea is to keep that perfect reflection. If there is some play wear or scratching, dont be afraid to try an inconspicuous area and use a polish to perfect the finish, prior to the "Dawn-Wash". Inspect closely for any dust hangers or hairs on in good light. Especially the hood the roof and the trunk, and along any taped edges. The turds always land right in the punchbowl! I'm a great grandpa now, so I'm not vain about checking that stuff with my 3X readers.

It's important to remember that you are not painting solid or metallic coats which will obscure the base layer. It's about optics. You are basically laying a color filter over the chrome and or clear factory base. That said, one has to be rather robotic with your passes, in order to keep your coverage as consistent as possible. Your fan overlap should be a uniform 50% on every pass, and you always need to stay focused and work the wet edge. This means that one coat is actually two, and you shouldnt have to recoat unless you want to darken it up for some reason.

Dont be wandering off chasing puppies and butterflys. The first thing they teach you when spraying paint is to learn to focus and stay on track so as to spray an even LIQUID film across the entire surface. Make sure to always go on and off the trigger when the fan is off the work piece. Especially with candy. Never engage or disengage the nozzle when on the fresh liquid film. You're supposed to paint a little bit of the air around the work piece when you start and stop your passes. Your fan should come on clean, and go off clean.

In the link above, you'll see some test blats on plastic spoons. It's a great way to get a feel for how your chosen product will behave. Be sure and check the delivery. Not all bomb can nozzles are created equally, and if it isnt up to snuff, send it back until they get you one that atomizes correctly. Any splots splats or drops in the pattern should be rejected. I actually save good bomb nozzles, weirdo that I am. Same idea for airbrush. Inspection and viscosity adjustments should be done beforehand on a spoon, or and old diecast car so you can see how the material is going to hang, or not. Just on a related vector, there is also no reason you couldnt drop a bit on some foil, or a chrome widget you have laying around in the garage or shop. Every scrap of info is important.

By the time you get all the precursory nonsense done, you should have a good feel for whats to come, and you wont be walking in dead cold on "spray-day". I've never met a good painter that didnt have some quirks. I have many, and I recommend that everyone develop their own, and share them at all times.