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Spectrachrome?

SDCoronet

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If any of you guys haven’t seen it yet, this company Spectrachrome is advertising all over YouTube with their chrome painting system.

The idea of using paint instead of chrome on original chrome surfaces seems ridiculous to me.

But, I think it could be very useful on other surfaces, specifically in my case, the inside of taillight housings For light reflectiveivity. So I called the company up to see if anyone my town used their system and nobody did.

Anybody here have any experience with this stuff?
 
I have done some looking but not super seriously yet. The chrome foil from my dash buttons is coming off and I need a durable finish for those parts. I looked into this as a possible solution because it can be topcoated and is far more durable than other 'chrome' paint solutions I've found. So far a DIY starter kit is equal in cost to buying replacement switches. If I can use the kit to do ALL the dash chrome (bezels, etc.), then I would definitely come out ahead, but it's still several hundred bucks.

Just an FYI to those reading this thread that don't already know, *Spectrachrome is not Chrome Paint*. It is a system that deposits silver from a silver nitrate solution. This is not the same thing as chrome paint that you can get for airbrush kits or this kit from Eastwood: https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-l...aDqRhfmJLGRX05sM0gxdND-OhdQLIrIxoCSFsQAvD_BwE

There are a number of vendors that are selling "DIY" to prosumer kits for this Spectrachrome-type of chrome application, but yes it is pretty expensive still, and the process seems to take anywhere from a bit to a lot of trial and error to get reliable results, so the upfront cost for a DIY kit is going to be high while you figure out the process that gives you the results you want. Prices have come way down from even a couple years ago, but for the home gamer doing only a few small parts it's going to be expensive.

From my limited research:

Pros:
- Realistic chrome finish
- Can be topcoated for durability and UV resistance.
- works on all substrate materials (plastic, wood, metal, etc.)
- Costs are coming down as more companies enter this market.

Cons:
- Very expensive compared to paints, but I still haven't found a suitable chrome paint solution that will maintain its chrome appearance and last worth a crap.
- Pretty complicated to apply, significant learning curve and wasted materials in the beginning.

If you can find someone in your area that does this kind of thing and has the process figured out, then that might be the best way to go. I also haven't been able to find someone in my area to do it yet, so when the time comes I may end up just sending out my small interior parts to have them coated.

In terms of the process being viable and durable, there are lots of people that have been using this process in an automotive application and have gotten durable and long-lasting results. Jay Leno did a segment on his show about this process, it's pretty awesome to watch the chrome come to life.

Here's a video of the chrome application that's a few years old.



Here's an Instructable that teaches you how to build a DIY kit for far less than the Alsa or PChrome kits go for:

https://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Spray-On-Chrome-kit/

One alternative that I haven't tried yet as it's still rather expensive is called Easy Chrome by Alsa. Easy Chrome is a chrome paint that is sprayed over a gloss black. The results are pretty impressive and claim some decent durability even without a topcoat. If I can't find someone to do the spectrachrome-style application for a reasonable cost, I'll order the Easy Chrome kit. I think it's under $150 for more than enough to do all the switches and interior dash chrome.

https://alsacorp.com/easy-chrome/
 
I had that process done to my 64 Dodge dash plastic a few years ago. I was very pleased with it. you can fill imperfections with body plastic, the " chrome" will not hide anything. It is a paint like process and is only as durable as the clear top coat you put on it. Use a non yellowing clear... mine was starting to turn a little yellowish after three years. .....................MO
 
I had that process done to my 64 Dodge dash plastic a few years ago. I was very pleased with it. you can fill imperfections with body plastic, the " chrome" will not hide anything. It is a paint like process and is only as durable as the clear top coat you put on it. Use a non yellowing clear... mine was starting to turn a little yellowish after three years. .....................MO

Nice! Good feedback. Did you find a local place or send your stuff out?
 
When I saw those videos I thought it's a scam. It looks like they are washing a coating off a part that is already chromed. Until someone confirms, I still have doubts.
 
When I saw those videos I thought it's a scam. It looks like they are washing a coating off a part that is already chromed. Until someone confirms, I still have doubts.

West Coast Customs did a car years ago, you can watch the process happen. If they just washed stuff off of a chromed part, it would be tough to do on plastic/composite parts. ;)

Here they explain the components:



Here's where they start spraying the chrome.



It's fairly straightforward chemistry, they are just precipitating silver out of a silver nitrate solution and getting it to stick to the part.
 
Nice! Good feedback. Did you find a local place or send your stuff out?
Yes, I did. At the time, there were several places within 120 miles where it was available. Poor management and "get rich quick " idea's faded them away...
...........MO
 
When I saw those videos I thought it's a scam. It looks like they are washing a coating off a part that is already chromed. Until someone confirms, I still have doubts.
It does work, and actually looks like chrome--not bright silver paint.......
..............MO
 
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