can i paint my new nimbus over the chrome?
~troy
i’d strip the paint first, you might be able just to strip it, then clearcoat it, and get a metal finish, or something
edit: oops, read it wrong, no you probabyl cant, take paint stripper to it.
seeing as the chrome is only a coating you could attack it with a wire brush and sand paper, or even wire wool to take off some of the chrome and give the paint something to stick to. prime the frame first though and then possibly coat the finished paint with something to make sure it doent just chip and scrath every time its knocked against something
im not a professional so i may not be right, its how id do it though
You can powdercoat over it, but if you do a spraypaint job, it will look like crap unless you strip the chrome first.
If you’re lucky and know someone that is set up for sand blasting, you can lightly rough it up that way. It’s a pretty small job and someone may do it for a really low cost. You need to be careful if you rough it up with emery cloth or some other way cause it may take a thicker primer/paint coat to smooth it if you scratch it up while scarfing up the chrome to get a good bite. It’s also harder to hit every single spot doing it by hand. I’ve had that happen doing custom paint jobs on motorcycle tanks when I get a little lazy with the prep work.
Apparently when you are are working with a chrome surface, a two part zinc phosphate primer works really well under another coat of urethane primer. Urethane primers and paints are really toxic so you NEED to have at least a really good respirator when you work with them. They are also pretty expensive.
If you do go ahead an try painting your frame, keep in mind that good preparation is the only way to get a good paint job. If you want to save yourself some trouble working around the lower end, maybe mask off a few inches above the frame brackets making it a two color frame: Chrome on the lower end and paint on the upper end.
One thing that’s pretty common is to get runs or “orange peeling” on a paint job even if you use a spray gun… More common with rattle can paints… Use grit beyond 1000 that ya can get at an auto parts store and wet sand it (with plenty of water) up to 2000 . If you’re really ambitious you could add a good clear coat. Another cool product is a type of turtle wax that also contains a buffing compound, if you’re looking for a really smooth finish. For a satin or a flat though, you can buy spray can clear coats that will give you either of those two finishes.
Whatever you do, keep everything clean including your hands because even a little hand oil can mess things up.
i wanted to do the same thing. i talked to my friend who is a painter and he told me pretty much the same thing 1 wheel did. take som sand paper and scuff up the crom so the paint as somthing to stick to. then prime it paint it and coat it.
Sorry for the double post… I’ve had stuff powder coated over chrome before. It does work, but it does scratch off way too easily.