First timer: Black on chrome?

[Tall Fred]

Hi everyone.
Being a complete rookie on tank flame painting (but with some airbrush experience) I am concidering a paint job on my old BSA. I was thinking about chroming the tank and doing the paint in black, so that the flames will be chrome. Can that be done?

° Tall Fred

 

[rex]

Well,yeah but I don't think you'll like it.Your first aggrevation will be getting the chrome sanded right up to the edge of the flame tapeout-without undersanding (causing a chip or peel) and oversanding (leaving a scatch in the chrome)- to leave a clean line.The next problem is going to be the paint edge.It's going to be thick and it will probably leave a very fine edge the color of your sealer.Then you'd have to figure out a way to seal the edge with a stripe,and tape is all I can think of to stick to unsanded chrome.It would look cool though.

 

[shaunboy]

THIS WILL BE DIFFUCULT BECAUSE YOU WILL NEED TO SAND THE HELL OUT THE CHROME BEFORE YOU SPRAY ANYTHING ON IT,AND LIKE "REX" SAYS IT WILL BE HARD TO GET RIGHT UP TO THE EDGE.
ON THE CHROME I WOULD USE AN ACID ETCH,WHICH IS VERY THIN AND UNSANDABLE THEN EPOXY PRIME OVER THE TOP.
PPG DP40 IS A GOOD EPOXY
BUT AS REX SAID YOU WIIL HAVE A MAJOR PAINT EDGE NEXT TO THE CHROME AND WHATEVER YOU DO DONT TRY AND CLEAR THE ENTIRE CHROME/PAINT WORK BECAUSE IT WILL NOT STICK TO THE CHROME AT ALL!!!

 

[Jim]

If Chrome flames are what you want,look into silver leafing,It's very,very thin sheets of silver or aluminum that are applied and look like chrome,It's used mostly for lettering vehicles.Coast air brush sells it but,I haven't found a step by step how to apply it....yet!

 

[rex]

Good call Jim.I totally forgot this stuff.Man,I've only seen this stuff a very few times since the '70s.

 

[Tall Fred]

Back from holiday...
Thanks for the replies.
But, seriously - is it impossible to paint on chrome? I'm thinking about the old English gas tanks, typically chrome and some colour. I mean, they did it back then, didn't they? (Only not flames, I know...)

MAYBE THIS IS A CHALLENGE FOR THE WEBMASTER HIMSELF?

Tall Fred

 

[TAZ]

I've sprayed over over chrome before, but never leaving some of the chrome showing.
Looks like the problems I can think of are already mentioned (the edge, sanding, adhesion...).

Sounds like a great idea though.

If I see anything or come up with any ideas, I'll be sure to post them.

 

[rex]

Hope you had a great holiday Fred.If you really want to do it you can,but you'll have to live with the paint edge-there's no way around it.The best way to prep the chrome is sandblast it.Use either blasting tape which is really thick 2" tape or about 4 layers of masking tape.Lay it down and cut the edge to where you want it.Then slide a blaster over the area to etch it up good so there's no shiny spots.Go light though,if you get serious you could break through thin chrome and the edge will get feathered and not a distinct line.Unmask when done and retape it right back on the edge with fineline and mask for paint.It's kind of an attention payer.I've toyed with it but the paint edge always upset me.This is taking into account the chrome is sound.Usually someone wants a chrome piece painted so you just blast all the chrome off and go from steel.