Chrome powder coat comparisons

[Rando76]

I had a piece of tubing powder coated with chrome powder. Here is a comparison I did. It might help those thinking of using chrome powder. I like the finish, it's not chrome but is much cheaper.

Left to right: silver paint, chrome powder, stainless steel, chrome

Top to bottom: silver paint, chrome powder, stainless steel, chrome

 

[mlanzoni]

Rando, Thank you for posting this. Very informative. Silver paint looks real close to the chrome powder.

 

[Rando76]

The chrome powder looks better than the silver because it has a clear on it. It looks a little more like chrome from a distance.

 

[Rando76]

I took a batch into the shop to have them powder coated. Here are the results. He couldn't get powder to stick to the brake handle bases, so I will paint them. These are all Heald SuperTryke parts.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

 

[Txpowdercoater]

Chrome powder looks like polished aluminum when the clear coat is applied, like he said, its not anywhere near as bright as real chrome but ok If you like thatlook.
I use it only as a base coat under candies, makes them look anodized.
I wish it would stay as bright as it looks before the clear but w/o clear it isnt weather durable and water spots and turns grey.
and yes, powder will stick to the brake handle braces, if he uses heat instead of electricity.
send em to me, Ill do em for free for ya if you want.

Timothy
Conroe Custom PowderCoating

 

[tippycanoenm]

i had my powells wheels done with chrome powder and like the way they turned out......not chrome ......but nice........pics in my gallery.........:thumbsup:

 

[jdogg]

Wheels, frame and fenders chrome powdercoat. I like the finish, but more like silver than chrome as others have stated.

 

[Havasu Dave]

Chrome powder looks like polished aluminum when the clear coat is applied, like he said, its not anywhere near as bright as real chrome but ok If you like thatlook.
I use it only as a base coat under candies, makes them look anodized.
I wish it would stay as bright as it looks before the clear but w/o clear it isnt weather durable and water spots and turns grey.
and yes, powder will stick to the brake handle braces, if he uses heat instead of electricity.
send em to me, Ill do em for free for ya if you want.

Timothy
Conroe Custom PowderCoating

Again, another good post from you. :thumbsup: To do an accurate "looks" comparison, one needs to show a photo of new chrome next to new anything else. Chrome kicks ass, period, and isn't even comparable to paint/PC. It also has excellent wear and scratch resistant characteristics that surpass the other options.

Having said that, I have a Cat wheel that the chrome is peeling from. Could have had it fixed for free, but didn't bother. I just did a bunch of chrome for about $800. I get a discount. A fender was $50, a set of bars $175. You get what you pay for.

I regret not doing the wheels in chrome PC, because they look better there, and wouldn't be peeling. :hammer:

Great offer to do that brake lever. :thumbsup: I like how you put your money where your mouth is.

I got one of those chromed as well, for $20. But it was with all the other parts.

 

[Rando76]

and yes, powder will stick to the brake handle braces, if he uses heat instead of electricity.
send em to me, Ill do em for free for ya if you want.

Thanks for the offer! I've already painted them though. I will most likely buy new handles at some point, so I'm not too worried. They are chrome and not very expensive. He coated the handles for no extra cost.

Wheels, frame and fenders chrome powdercoat. I like the finish, but more like silver than chrome as others have stated.

Thanks for posting this. I wanted to see what fenders looked like coated. I've got one set that may not clean up well and will look better coated.

To do an accurate "looks" comparison, one needs to show a photo of new chrome next to new anything else. Chrome kicks ass, period, and isn't even comparable to paint/PC. It also has excellent wear and scratch resistant characteristics that surpass the other options.

Agreed, but I have no new chrome to compare to. It is so expensive around here. Unreasonably expensive, which is why I have used PC. I would really like to have chrome instead of PC, but I don't think this looks too bad, especially compared to rust!

 

[Txpowdercoater]

Wheels, frame and fenders chrome powdercoat. I like the finish, but more like silver than chrome as others have stated.

I love the bike w/ silver blue combo:thumbsup:

 

[Havasu Dave]

Agreed, but I have no new chrome to compare to. It is so expensive around here. Unreasonably expensive, which is why I have used PC. I would really like to have chrome instead of PC, but I don't think this looks too bad, especially compared to rust!

:thumbsup: I agree, the cost of chrome is getting out of control. My prices have risen too over the past year. I now dread getting the shipment in, because the payment is due.

Thanks for posting the photos of the PC.

 

[Txpowdercoater]

Thanks for the offer! I've already painted them though. I will most likely buy new handles at some point, so I'm not too worried. They are chrome and not very expensive. He coated the handles for no extra cost.



Thanks for posting this. I wanted to see what fenders looked like coated. I've got one set that may not clean up well and will look better coated.



Agreed, but I have no new chrome to compare to. It is so expensive around here. Unreasonably expensive, which is why I have used PC. I would really like to have chrome instead of PC, but I don't think this looks too bad, especially compared to rust!

be aware that bright , light colors will show every rust pit, chrome is the worst for showing off flaws, soooooo, that being said, have the pc guy do a couple layers of cheaper priced not cheaper quality base powder to fill in, then wet sand smooth and then coat with the chrome powder. or you can prep it, float it with jb weld, sand smooth and then send to the coater, jb will handle the bake cycle, but again, the body work better be perfect if your doing the chrome.
When a customer brings pitted goodies, I try and steer them to colors that will help hide, like flaked base candies, or single stage metallics etc etc

 

[toomanytoys]

:thumbsup: I agree, the cost of chrome is getting out of control. My prices have risen too over the past year. I now dread getting the shipment in, because the payment is due.

Thanks for posting the photos of the PC.

I read some where that chroming is expensive because of EPA regulations on the chemical disposal.

A friend of mine has a hydraulic shop and he has offered to chrome some stuff for me using the chrome that he uses on the rods

 

[Havasu Dave]

chrome is the worst for showing off flaws,

That's why it's so expensive. The bulk of the time (expense) is buffing out successive layers of copper plating to fix pits. If I have small repairs needed (cracks in thin metal especially) I have the chromer do the repair. It's cheaper in the long run.

My chromer will not even do a job with pitting. He'll reject it unless the customer either preps smooth, or he is allowed to.

 

[Rando76]

be aware that bright , light colors will show every rust pit, chrome is the worst for showing off flaws, soooooo, that being said, have the pc guy do a couple layers of cheaper priced not cheaper quality base powder to fill in, then wet sand smooth and then coat with the chrome powder. or you can prep it, float it with jb weld, sand smooth and then send to the coater, jb will handle the bake cycle, but again, the body work better be perfect if your doing the chrome.
When a customer brings pitted goodies, I try and steer them to colors that will help hide, like flaked base candies, or single stage metallics etc etc

Yes, that is obvious on the brake handles I have. They were rusted badly. They look better now, but you can see all the pits. It's also obvious on some of the tubing in the picture, but anything pitted on the tubing slides inside the frame. :thumbsup: Luckily, the fenders I am thinking of using PC on don't have any deep pits, atleast that I've seen yet.

 

[Txpowdercoater]

That's why it's so expensive. The bulk of the time (expense) is buffing out successive layers of copper plating to fix pits. If I have small repairs needed (cracks in thin metal especially) I have the chromer do the repair. It's cheaper in the long run.

My chromer will not even do a job with pitting. He'll reject it unless the customer either preps smooth, or he is allowed to.

well, I was talking about powder chrome, the real chrome guys , like you said build up with copper and polish and buff and make smooth again, very time consuming and costly, not only the EPA driving up costs via chemical regulations, its the older chromed stuff we want repaired is older and pitted now and they have more work invested making an old car bumper or hood ornament or handle bars set pretty again

 

[Havasu Dave]

well, I was talking about powder chrome, the real chrome guys , like you said build up with copper and polish and buff and make smooth again, very time consuming and costly, not only the EPA driving up costs via chemical regulations, its the older chromed stuff we want repaired is older and pitted now and they have more work invested making an old car bumper or hood ornament or handle bars set pretty again

From what I gather, those chrome guys on the big buffers are some beefy sons of guns. My friend takes some big stuff- bumpers off of 50's era cars, etc. One of those bumpers was returned because the guy didn't want to pay for any work outside of the chrome process.

Chromer said "not with my name on it, fix it, or pay me to." Another issue with the older car parts is the pot metal they used to use. It's almost impossible to smooth and chrome economically. That's why re-pops sell so well. Of course as you said before, we can use high temp epoxy like JB Weld to smooth parts for PC, so that is a real benefit to using it.

Might as well ask- what (estimate) would you charge for a candy red PC mini bike frame? (Ball park) And would you deal with shipping? (Using the same stuff it was shipped in)

 

[jdogg]

Thanks for posting this. I wanted to see what fenders looked like coated. I've got one set that may not clean up well and will look better coated.

Heres one other of the rear fender and frame

I love the bike w/ silver blue combo:thumbsup:

Thanks!!

 

[Txpowdercoater]

Not here to spam the board, but ya asked.
If you send it with a return paid label and in a box that can be used to return it to you w/o damage to the item, I will do an average mini frame in a silver micro flake base or chrome base and then candy red or blue or whatever you want that we have in stock for ballpark 100 . I do bicycle frames for Bike Barn for average 125 single color, so I think 100 for a multi layered job is groovy price for board members.
If you do UPS they come to the door and pick up, USPS might take me a few days to get away and go to the post office, so UPS is mo' better
I recommend the silver microflake basecoat, it has wicked action in the sunlight and the candy red looks wet and mile deep with the flake, very powerful effect and color.

Timothy

From what I gather, those chrome guys on the big buffers are some beefy sons of guns. My friend takes some big stuff- bumpers off of 50's era cars, etc. One of those bumpers was returned because the guy didn't want to pay for any work outside of the chrome process.

Chromer said "not with my name on it, fix it, or pay me to." Another issue with the older car parts is the pot metal they used to use. It's almost impossible to smooth and chrome economically. That's why re-pops sell so well. Of course as you said before, we can use high temp epoxy like JB Weld to smooth parts for PC, so that is a real benefit to using it.

Might as well ask- what (estimate) would you charge for a candy red PC mini bike frame? (Ball park) And would you deal with shipping? (Using the same stuff it was shipped in)

 

[Havasu Dave]

Not here to spam the board, but ya asked.
Timothy

Thank you for that. Seriously, I can't even buy the paint for a kandy job for what you would PC it at. I'm considering it for the last frame I'll do. :thumbsup: