Anyone used PlastiKote "Chrome Bumper Paint"

I have used it quite a bit. At best, it can be described as a "good" silver paint. It is no where near what you'd expect as chrome.

 

Gilly

 

 

Gilly, thanks for the fast reply.  What did you use it on?  Also, do you have any pictures?  Before and after photos, possibly.

 

A close simulation of the "stainless look" is optimal, but, I want to improve the shine/sheen on the relatively dull PW aluminum cars.

Interesting-I have some but never used it so I am anxious to see what it looks like.  Thanks.

I've never had much luck with rattle can chrome spray paint.  If it's for plastic you have to sure the solvent won't attack the plastic.

Alan

Jim, are you going to give it a try?

Gilly pretty much sums it up.  Using that stuff will make your results look...well..painted.

 

Are the cars clear coated or anodized, Carl?   No experience with them myself.

 

Bruce

Bruce, they are bare aluminum PW.

When I fooled around with cars we would use stuff called Never Dull. It came in a can and was like cotton wadding. You rubbed with it and it brought aluminum to a bright shine. I think it is still available. My Williams Santa Fe streamliners are also a dull aluminum and I've thought about shining them up with Never Dull, but finishing my layout is my highest priority at the moment. Maybe someone else has tried it and can chime in.

You might try Simichrome polish, I used it on a well oxidized set of American Flyer passenger cars. This stuff really brings out the luster of the aluminum and it is not all that labor intensive. It is sold at motorcycle shops, I like it best of the aluminum polishes because it is less work than most. You will go thru a bunch of rags though.

Ray

Good choice of polishes out there.  One specifically made for aluminum or mag wheels ( I prefer Mother's ) will produce a chrome like shine on bare aluminum.  Here's hoping your cars aren't too badly corroded or scratched.  You'll probably want to clear them after the polishing just to retain the shine....bare aluminum likes to oxidize under the best of conditions.

 

Ray brings up a good point about going through rags...and you'll probably want to wear latex gloves to keep your hands clean.

 

Bruce

Thanks very much for the replies; nice to have some choices.

 

Is it feasible to use a Dremel with a polishing attachment? 

Sure.  Easier to just rub them with a rag - hardest part is getting the black residue out of the grooves - I would love to learn an easy way to do that.

 

On the paint - I have an ATSF B-unit for which I failed to specify Nickel Silver (they did it in silicon bronze), so to match the A, I have worked like crazy for a metal-like finish.  I wound up with silver out of a spray can, coated with Future Floor Wax, then sprayed with Scale Coat clear gloss.  The Scale Coat can be rubbed with auto polishing compound, and the result was "close".  Some day both will go to the plater's place For a nickel flash.

I see that Krylon also makes a Stainless Steel paint, perhaps that might be close without the high gloss of the chrome.

Keep us in the loop, I'd love to see how they come out. I just asked David Long the same question about redoing a WBB set of ribbed cars in SS and for the NYC.

Thanks,
-Mario

None of the mass market 'Chrome' paints are worth the time. I've tried many of them....all just glossy silver no matter how nice the can cap looks. There are some paints made for air brush that is a 3 step process that is good....but very fragile.

 

There is a water based system that really works well....but entry fee last time I checked was about $1000 for a starter kit.

I tried the Plasti-Kote paint and was not impressed.  It looks like paint, not a natural metal finish.  You might want to check out a product called Alclad.  Website is here.

If you want a NMF (natural metal finish) this is about the best product out there.

Steep learning curve, sensitive to various factors like undercoat and airbrush pressure, but when mastered it gives the best results I have seen short of plating.

 

I second the vote on Simichrome polish.  Great stuff and works on bakelite also.

 

HTH

Jon

I hope to get some more suggestions in this thread; Dave, I think I saw the $1,000 rig you mentioned when I was googling earlier today.  I'll take the suggestions and use a donor PW car and test several--tape off the car except for the area to be shot w/each.  At least that's the plan.

I would try polishing first, there's nothing to loose but effort and cost of products. Paint would be a last ditch solution. As suggested, try this stuff by hand first...

 

...follow with this stuff...

 

 

 

...Then finish with a clean soft cloth.

Hey, I just got an idea!

When "...short of plating", I remember back in 2005 when I bought my motor cycle I had the rims powder coated.

At the time, the coater also had a contract with Cadillac to powder coat the plastic center caps for their aluminum alloy wheel rims and match the metal.   I also remember seeing demonstration pieces on the wall of powder coating that looked like stainless, chrome and anodized aluminum. 

 

Google it and see what you find. I paid $125 for both rims to be done, coated and cleared. 

 

Thanks!

-Mario

Excellent idea, Mario.  As it happens, I know a powder coater at the local HD store.

Finally found a decent picture of this paint on a train room item....

 

The cap on my Independence Hall model is painted with it. Sure, it's "Silvery" but it sure isn't chrome! 

 

 

Gilly

Look it up on you tube. MOdel car guys use the automotive chrome paint. You need to paint the piece wth gloss black first.

Rob

Great tip, Rod thanks. I'll try that next time.

 

Hope you have a wonderful New Year!

 

Gilly

Rob, is the reference to "automotive chrome paint" a specific product?

 

Thanks.

ALCLAD paint is what he is talking about.  It's an airbrush only paint.....applied over black or dark blue enamel paint.  Looks good after you master it....but does not take handling very well. Good for car bumpers that do not ever get touched.

No, I am NOT refering to alclad. It is automotive chrome paint sold in auto stores. Look at you tube under chrome paint for model cars. A guy painted some plastic spoons and a few model car parts.It is pretty inpressive results.

Rob

Powder coat?  I have some BMW rims that need to be converted to 15" tires, and the guy who does it says that chrome plate is often unsatisfactory and really expensive. Thanks for the hint.  I shall check it out.

 

Personal opinion - model Budd cars always look best when simply polished aluminum.  Second-best is that anodized finish Lionel supplied.

Owning two model car themed hobby shops and currently working in the plastic kit industry......ALCLAD is the most popular system on the market used by 90% of the folks doing 'chrome' at home.

 

The other system, I noted it early on in this thread, is a system Jay Leno uses to 'plate' rare plastic auto parts (models too). The starter set is over $1000 so not a 'hobby at home' system in my book. It is FANTASTIC system.....but $1000 to start and $$$$ for every refil......I'll go with $7 ALCLAD.

Pingman, when I drove big rig, we used to mix our own cleaner/brightener.  It was nasty stuff if mixed wrong, but I see on google that there is lots of premixed brightener now.  Just google aluminum brightener.  Good luck. 

Google "dupli-color chrome spray paint" and page down to the you tube video that shows a pic of an intake manifold painted with it. Many modelers DO use it.

Rob

I have a can of Dupli-color 'chrome' here now. I used it on a 1/25 gasoline tanker model......very poor chrome....just OK silver paint. I'll check the video out though. For the most part Dupli-color and Tamiya is all I use for model cars and trains.....I buy it 3-4 cans at a time....but the chrome is a miss IMHO

 

EDIT:watched the video with spoon test. I get just as good or better results with Tamiya gloss silver. But like AlClad it is fragile. AlClad is #1......but nothing beats sending it to a plater for a finish you can handle AND mirror like finish.