Alternatives to Chrome? 

"ptak appreciates old racecars" (racecarptak) 07/29/2015 at 18:36 • Filed to: None

0

27

So I’m building a bicycle of sorts, and I don’t have the cabbage to take the whole damn thing to the chrome guys. Are there any alternatives? Something I could use to make a piece of metal look like it’s chrome?

Thanks and sorry if this sounds too “stick-on porthole kit from AutoZone”-ish but I don’t feel like spending big bucks to get something chromed.

ly2v8-Brian > ptak appreciates old racecars 07/29/2015 at 18:38

0

Try some chrome paint from a rattle can.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > ly2v8-Brian 07/29/2015 at 18:38

0

This

I Will Always Be The Honey Badger > ptak appreciates old racecars 07/29/2015 at 18:39

0

What metal are we talking about?

Roadster Man > ptak appreciates old racecars 07/29/2015 at 18:42

2

Raw, baby, raw. Sandpaper and a polishing kit.

BReLp7dzHM3ytYsE > ptak appreciates old racecars 07/29/2015 at 18:42

1

Aluminum foil

HammerheadFistpunch > ptak appreciates old racecars 07/29/2015 at 18:42

0

its it chromoloy steel? or Aluminum?

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > ptak appreciates old racecars 07/29/2015 at 18:43

3

Puffin or Firefox

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > ptak appreciates old racecars 07/29/2015 at 18:45

2

I don’t know if it’s available in your area, but there is a “bright” version of Rustoleum cold galvanizing compound. It’s a zinc paint with aluminum powder added to it to make it high gloss, and it would protect the steel in future even if somewhat scratched, etc. It would look about like “normal” silver paint, which is to say, not as bright as real chrome. However, you’d be able to top-coat it with normal extra high gloss metallic paint if you didn’t like the look.

ptak appreciates old racecars > I Will Always Be The Honey Badger 07/29/2015 at 18:45

0

Simple steel.

ptak appreciates old racecars > BReLp7dzHM3ytYsE 07/29/2015 at 18:45

0

har

ptak appreciates old racecars > ptak appreciates old racecars 07/29/2015 at 18:45

0

Although I suppose it could hypothetically be melted over the bare metal... hmm...

ptak appreciates old racecars > HammerheadFistpunch 07/29/2015 at 18:45

0

Nope. Steel.

ptak appreciates old racecars > Roadster Man 07/29/2015 at 18:46

0

Hmm. I guess I’d have to coat it with something afterwards to keep it from rusting, but that’s an idea.

ptak appreciates old racecars > ly2v8-Brian 07/29/2015 at 18:47

0

I’ve tried using that before, mostly you just get flat silver :P maybe the better brands aren’t so cheap.

ptak appreciates old racecars > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 07/29/2015 at 18:48

0

That’s interesting. I’ll have to look into that. Thanks!

Frank Grimes > ptak appreciates old racecars 07/29/2015 at 18:50

0

wrap it and paint the areas that cant be wrapped.

HammerheadFistpunch > ptak appreciates old racecars 07/29/2015 at 18:54

0

Just mild steel? Not high nickle?

Roadster Man > ptak appreciates old racecars 07/29/2015 at 18:58

0

Yeah, just some rattle-can clear coat afterwards and you’re done.

davedave1111 > ptak appreciates old racecars 07/29/2015 at 19:10

0

http://chromepaint.com/

(Not a joke.)

Brian, The Life of > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman 07/29/2015 at 19:12

1

ohyou.jpg

Andrew P. Collins > ptak appreciates old racecars 07/29/2015 at 19:16

1

Take the paint off with something like aircraft stripper, then sand the hell out of it with medium-fine to extremely fine sandpaper. The finer the shiner!

To keep it from rusting you can clearcoat it with an aerosol, or I’ve heard just apply wood floor wax once in a while (seriously) works too.

I actually did this to a bike myself, went with the clearcoat option and haven’t had any rust. Of course the bike’s an art piece that just sits in the living room haha.

DogonCrook > ptak appreciates old racecars 07/29/2015 at 19:27

0

If it’s just a couple of parts and there’s an industrial shop in the area you can get a lot of mileage out of a case of beer.

MuchWagon > ptak appreciates old racecars 07/29/2015 at 20:09

0

You had me at “of sorts”. Is it waggony?

ptak appreciates old racecars > MuchWagon 07/30/2015 at 10:05

0

Ah, you sniffed out my project! Very well. Here’s the WIP.

Conduit frame, 6.5 HP engine, mostly bicycle parts. Most of the hard work was done by people who know what they’re doing. I try not to blame myself for that though, it’s my first project. (yes really)

ptak appreciates old racecars > Andrew P. Collins 07/30/2015 at 10:07

0

I’ll look into that, thanks!

Do you have a pic of the living room bike? I’d love to see that.

MuchWagon > ptak appreciates old racecars 07/30/2015 at 17:48

1

Not waggony at all really, but still kind of awesome!

ptak appreciates old racecars > MuchWagon 07/30/2015 at 18:26

0

Thanks! I hope to ride it within the next couple weeks