[Rob J]

Does anyone have an effective way of reproducing chrome appearance with paint? Silvers look, well, silver. Tamiya has a "chrome silver" paint but on the colour chart it looks more like pale grey. Have any of you used it? In real life, chromium-plated exhausts often have a burnished, dark look.
Rob J

 

[conti_rowland]

I've just been spraying with that Tamiya colour and it is quite nice but indeed isn't really chrome. In fact i'm using pieces from the static matchbox model kit which really are 'chrome' so the difference is noticeable.

I've seen things in art shops that purport to be 'chrome' but their absence from any serious model paint supplier seems to suggest they wont be any good.

If you are real serious there was a thread last year aboput a guy in the US who can chrome plastic or even brass parts for you but if you oly want a part of a part in chrome that wont work. Plus there is a huge time delay.....

I'll tryt o post some pic's tomorrow if you like of the Tamiya colour?

Andi

 

[rmcclure]

Scale modelling sites are great for info like that - www.britmodeller.com has a wealth of info. For the burnt exhaust look then try http://www.tamiyausa.com/articles/feature.php?article-id=133 - go about 2/3 of the way down and there are videos of the effects being created.

I think the best chrome or bare metal finishes then Alclad has a great range but be ready for lots of prep and it's not cheap either. They also have a range of things to help with the burnt look - http://www.alclad2.com/index.html

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Roger

 

[dangermouse]

Does it have to be paint?
I had good success with Bare Metal Foil
I have used it around the windows, the stripe down the side and the sill under the door. The bumpers are the plastic chrome stock.

 

[Wraith]

I have just ordered some of the Alclad chrome paint so I will let you know what it turns out like.

 

[Rob J]

Thanks for the suggestions, folks. Alclad would be too expensive for a few little jobs like this, and a couple of people on britmodeller threads said it was fragile / not durable. (Thanks for that site, Roger.) It'd be interesting to hear how Wraith finds it - the Alclad.
I see Humbrol has or had a "chrome" too.
Dangermouse's use of foil looks great, but I don't think I could use it on this job. I just want to do something with the tailpipes on a Matra MS11, the "pan pipes". Sometimes the car is shown with all-white exhausts, but most of the race meeting shots I've seen show bare metal headers and chromed tailpipes (see below). The rather faded plating on my exhausts suits the headers well, so I just want something contrasting and more chrome-looking for the tailpipes.
I don't want to get into actual metalwork. Have too many other old cars to tidy up.
Rob J

 

[Ecurie Martini]

I have had good luck with Alclad -it must be airbrushed and the chrome needs a gloss black undercoat - then I misted on a bit of blue and bronze to do the "heated chrome" effect:

It is a bit fragile but can be clear coated.

EM

 

[Wraith]

I always use between 5 and 10 coats of clear coat. For typical racing this is usually strong enough. I will give you feedback when I've used the paint (as I intend doing a large section of a car in it, if not the whole car)

 

[scaleslotcars]

QUOTE it must be airbrushed

Not true actually, you can brush it on, just one heavy coat with a brush does the trick.

Don't skip the gloss black (enamel) undercoat, either use Humbrol or the Alclad Black gloss.

I find clear coating tends to diminish the chrome effect but the problem without a clear coat is that it does rub off with handling.

If your doing a large section of the car it may be better to use Bare Metal Foil, here are a couple of Indy Novi I did a while ago

Once you clear coat this it is very durable.

 

[John Cahill]

I have to agree...I love Alclad...and have found it to be extremely durable, even without clearcoating. Here are two cars that are at least 8 years old...no clear on the bumpers/grills/wheel inserts. (sorry the pic quality could be better). Meanwhile, with the 300SL you can compare Tamiya silver on the body (with clearcoat) to Alclad on the bumpers/grill/wheel inserts. I think it gives a rich, heavy chrome look...and you can vary that with the amount of black you use under it.

John

PS I usually airbrush it, but have brushed it on occasion and it worked just fine as previously mentioned.

 

[driver#8]

PlastiKote chrome enamel paint is fantastic. Mirror finish, available in rattlecans and for hairy stick merchants alike

 

[superhornets]

Hi Guys
Just got some alclad
did the business with the black paint and as per phils recommendation painted the alclad on (it was suspension parts)
and guess what ,bright chrome finish but the black undercoat went bubbly so now my so now my suspension arms have a crinkle finish ,what did I do wrong ?

Cheers tony

 

[scaleslotcars]

What black paint did you use Tony?

 

[Screwneck]

Silver is a colour and like all colours it varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. Humbrol acrylic silver is the brightest silver I've ever used from a rattlecan and you can polish it a little with cotton wool once it's bone dry to increase the effect of more realistic metal chromework. One coat of laquer is enough if you have applied it well to a very fine wirewool prepared 'keyed' surface and (if necessary) you have used a plastic primer coat.

I agree that more that 1 or 2 coats of laquer dulls the brightness and turns all silver paints to grey.

 

[superhornets]

hi phil
humbrol gloss !

cheers tony

 

[scaleslotcars]

Well, really not sure what went wrong then Tony, did you let it dry thoroughly i.e. at least 24 hours, Humbrol enamel takes a while.

 

[Rob J]

On Tony's bubbly black: Perhaps the undercoat has to cure for a few days. Today I bought a spraycan of "chrome silver enamel" and in the fine print it says "Avoid painting over fresh enamel, as the solvents may damage the coating." It doesn't explain "fresh".
I've no idea whether the solvents in mine are anything like those in Alclad but, looking through my "how to" notes from old SF posts, I see Nuvolare said he left Humbrol enamel gloss black for 48 hours before applying Alclad. (He said he'd read on the net that a gloss acrylic base could also be used.)
To my original question, driver#8 recommended PlastiKote (page 1), so I went to a hardware shop today and found this ColorPak can, possibly similar. The cap looks as realistically chrome as any manufactured slot-car trim parts.
Haven't tried it yet. Weather too cold and damp here for any proper test.
Rob J

 

[Robb]

QUOTE (driver#8 @ 21 Jul 2011, 08:43) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>PlastiKote chrome enamel paint is fantastic. Mirror finish, available in rattlecans and for hairy stick merchants alike

Have you got any photos of anything you've used it on?

 

[superhornets]

Hi Phil
You may have hit the nail on the head there ,I suspect that the humbrol paint may have been a bit "green " when I hit it with the Alclad
Must be more patient

Cheers tony

 

[Datto]

Bes to let the black undercoat cure for a few days as Rob says, I've never used it over enamel, I've used it over acrylic, and it seems to work well. And that little bottle lasts forever!