Can you paint chrome wheels?
01-03-2009, 10:56 PM
#11
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Delaware
Posts: 236
Will a chrome rim be able to be powdercoated and have a polished or chrome lip? Reason I ask is I've been looking around for rims and the ones i really want are discontinued in black with chrome lip. They still sell the chrome rims in the same style though. I was thinking of getting them in chrome then having them powdered gloss black with a chrome lip. How well would the finish hold up on a DD?
01-04-2009, 10:01 AM
#13
S197 Section Modder-ator
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Orlando FL
Posts: 13,373
Will a chrome rim be able to be powdercoated and have a polished or chrome lip? Reason I ask is I've been looking around for rims and the ones i really want are discontinued in black with chrome lip. They still sell the chrome rims in the same style though. I was thinking of getting them in chrome then having them powdered gloss black with a chrome lip. How well would the finish hold up on a DD?
If you somehow, manage to strip the inside only with sulfuric acid using a special brush, it could be done with good result.
I wish my bullits had a chrome lip instead of polished... easier maintenance.
01-04-2009, 11:07 AM
#14
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Near Wash. DC Posts: 13,541
Posts: 2,497
You can paint straight onto chrome, there is a special paint that is used for it. Unfortunately no other paint you can buy anywhere will paint chrome. It costs $400 just to get enough paint to paint and clear coat all 4 wheels.
The only other process that works is powder coating, which uses static electricity to attach little pellets of plastic to the wheel and then encases it in a plastic shell when you put the whole thing in an oven and melt the pellets together while they are stuck to the metal wheel.
Other than the above any paint will come off right after you put it on.
I used this chrome painting process for my wheels because I wanted to only paint half of the chrome instead of all of it and mask it off in a pattern. Powder coating is difficult to get a clean line with (as the coating is twenty times thicker than paint). so that's what worked.
The only other process that works is powder coating, which uses static electricity to attach little pellets of plastic to the wheel and then encases it in a plastic shell when you put the whole thing in an oven and melt the pellets together while they are stuck to the metal wheel.
Other than the above any paint will come off right after you put it on.
I used this chrome painting process for my wheels because I wanted to only paint half of the chrome instead of all of it and mask it off in a pattern. Powder coating is difficult to get a clean line with (as the coating is twenty times thicker than paint). so that's what worked.
Last edited by Legion5; 01-04-2009 at 11:11 AM.
01-04-2009, 12:20 PM
#15
S197 Section Modder-ator
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Orlando FL
Posts: 13,373
I used this chrome painting process for my wheels because I wanted to only paint half of the chrome instead of all of it and mask it off in a pattern. Powder coating is difficult to get a clean line with (as the coating is twenty times thicker than paint). so that's what worked.
01-04-2009, 12:45 PM
#17
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Near Wash. DC Posts: 13,541
Posts: 2,497
It's almost been exactly 11 months. The paint holds up as well as any other paint on the car. It's not indestructible as one of the wheels got a rock chip or maybe a hit from a wheel wrench which damaged the special clear coat. This didn't go through to the color though but the result therefore is not perfect, but probably a little better than the average powder coating considering . (yes you heard right).
01-04-2009, 12:47 PM
#18
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Near Wash. DC Posts: 13,541
Posts: 2,497
01-04-2009, 03:01 PM
#19
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: TX
Posts: 4,897
