Painting over chrome

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x01660
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Painting over chrome

#1

Post by x01660 »

Hey, y'all.

Got a 78 GL1000, pretty much stock.

I REALLY hate chrome, and I wanna black out my whole bike.

Any recomendations on how to go about blacking out all the chrome? Do I have to clean and sand before applying paint? Or is there a paint that will stick to chrome without it being roughed with sandpaper?

Thanks! :mrgreen:
-x01660

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5speed
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Re: Painting over chrome

#2

Post by 5speed »

if you want it to adhere good..you need to rough up the surface.
I'm going to media blast the chrome I am going to paint.
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Re: Painting over chrome

#3

Post by desertrefugee »

Hate chrome? Ah, man, there's nothing wrong with a little shine . . . except that between say, 10:30AM and 2:00PM it can get a little bright on the eyes while riding.

My '97 Valk:
IMG_5188.JPG
IMG_5188.JPG (112.36 KiB) Viewed 588 times
<Sigh> if you really want the paint to stick, pay attention to what 5Speed said about surface prep.
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x01660
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Re: Painting over chrome

#4

Post by x01660 »

desertrefugee wrote:Hate chrome? Ah, man, there's nothing wrong with a little shine . . . except that between say, 10:30AM and 2:00PM it can get a little bright on the eyes while riding.

My '97 Valk:
IMG_5188.JPG

<Sigh> if you really want the paint to stick, pay attention to what 5Speed said about surface prep.

BEAUTIFUL bike!!!

I want a Valk SO BAD.... but the newer one. Or even an F6B. That's actually the perfect bike for me. In black. Yummy...

That said, I have stock pipes, and I've heard that they're getting rare to find. I'm assuming it would be better to get aftermarket ones and keep my stockers stock?
-x01660

"The best motorcycle is the one well ridden" anim-cheers1

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Re: Painting over chrome

#5

Post by Easter »

I have turned several chrome fenders into painted fenders. So far no problems but I have had them professionally sand blasted first, then sprayed with an etching primer followed with several coats of a heavy sanding primer to make sure the surface was smooth. The first time I tried this I used a vibrating sander with 80 grit paper and worked on the surface till it was thoroughly scratched up. Apparently that worked also but the bike was sold after completion so I don't have a long term report.
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Re: Painting over chrome

#6

Post by HOTT »

you can use PLASTI DIP spray on chrome that you don't want to damage.
Will it last? ..for a while, but you can peel and redo or touch up.
It's a good way to see if you really like the color before you invade the chrome.

Me? I use 220 on a palm orbital sander. Epoxy prime and 2 or Single stage paint/clear.

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Re: Painting over chrome

#7

Post by tomk1960 »

I powder coat over old chrome all the time. I always media blast with aluminum oxide, wash, and outgas. Blast what you've got and clean it well before shooting and you should get good adhesion. The priming suggestion is a good one.
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Re: Painting over chrome

#8

Post by nvr2old »

I, too wanted to eliminate every once of chrome on my Goldwing. I agree with all who have recommended sand blasting your chrome parts (including both sides of the fenders). Every tiny piece of shiny has to go or it won't stick. I did this '77 about 7 yrs. ago and it's held up really well. The wheels were especially tedious, but the time spent in a sand blaster cabinet has paid off in the long run.

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Re: Painting over chrome

#9

Post by NunzioGL »

I can attest to nvr2old's methods. I've seen this bike in person it's awesome. I followed his advice.

I did the same thing sandblast, use a self etching primer for the first few coats, wet sand then, followed buy a good high build epoxy primer. Paint using your paint system of choice. 6 Years on this and a lot of miles.

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Re: Painting over chrome

#10

Post by codyjames707 »

Yeah, the main thing with chrome is that it is a super smooth surface and it doesn't allow the paint to grip properly, which could make the paint chip in LARGE portions. If a sandblaster is willing to strip the chrome off, that is definitely a cheaper option. Around me, sandblasters weren't willing to do it because the chrome comes off like "small razor-blades" (California standards =/).
I was able to take it to a chrome shop and chemically get it de-chromed and stripped to bare metal.

Just keep in mind for a sturdy, quality paint job the paint will need GRIP.
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Re: Painting over chrome

#11

Post by desertrefugee »

And oh boy have I lusted for quite some time after that faring - on the Nunzio GLX bike. Love that dang thing.
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Re: Painting over chrome

#12

Post by Crash7 »

I'm painting over some chrome. Sanding it down and epoxy painting it.
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