Chrome paint and Krylon clear issues - need advice, please

JonW

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Feb 20, 2021
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I have both a chrome Molotow pen and ACE Hardware spray paint that I use for "chrome" on items made with my 3D printer. Both work fine. However, when I spray them with Krylon Crystal Clear, they turn battleship gray. I've used Krylon Crystal Clear for many years and never had this happen. Is it something to do with whatever makes the chrome paint so shiny? Any thoughts?
 
Some chemical reaction between the paint and the clear coat? Otherwise, no idea.
This probably doesn't help you, but I use Krylon's Chrome paint to replace the kit chrome on some kits. For example, I have the old Monogram Tom Daniel's Red Baron hot rod. I stripped the chromed parts, so I could clean up sprue gates, seams, etc. I used the Krylon Chrome to paint them. It has a more "realistic" tone to it, more like real chromed parts, than the bright chrome used to coat the kit parts.
 
Good question .
I know you generally don't clear coat metallics as it will change the sheen for sure .
Maybe it just totally wiped out the shiny and without any-kinda chemical action .

I emailed Krylon so lets see if they answer .
Rustoleum has a great 1-800 number .very helpful . ; maybe call the number on the can ?
 
I'll try the Krylon chrome paint. Both the pen and the ACE paint have a tendency to rub off on your fingers if you handle them for any length of time, even after they've dried for 48 hours. Which is why I wanted to clear them. Hopefully the Krylon will not do that.
 
Krylon labels that an acrylic lacquer . Rattle-cans gotta go that route .
You could airbrush a water-base acrylic down and see what happens to it .
Just for fun .
 
Krylon thinks it optical :

" Thank you for your question. We do not have a clear coat that can be applied over a metallic paint. The metallic paint works by the metallic pieces reflecting the light. If you apply a clear coat over the top it will dull down the finish. Regards, Krylon Customer Support "
 
Krylon clear coat turns chrome white on the one or two models I used it on. Now I use a brush on clear coat for the chrome, and nobody I've talked to knows why that happens.
 
Are you sure that wasn't Easy-Off oven cleaner and not clear coat ? :p

White ?
I need to go get me a can of this Crystal Clear stuff and molest some chit with it ...
 
If you look at the Petty cars I put together you can see that the chrome is white on the engine, that happened because of the krylon gloss clear that I put on it.

The stuff I brush on is from testors. I just got a small bottle because I only use it on the chrome. Everything else I still use the krylon.
 
I got the high gloss crystal clear. The one I got from Hobby Lobby was in a 75 ml bottle for I believe about 8 or 9 dollars.
 
Wow , Testors website is garbage . It tells me they have no clear-coats regardless of the search path I use. Getting a paycheck is too easy these days .
Which clear-coat , acrylic , lacquer or enamel ?
 
Alclad makes a clear coat that is suitable for applying to chromed surfaces. I bought a bottle of another product I've heard is even better, but I have not yet used it.
 
I've never used Alclad. Where I am at nobody carries it so I basically make due with what I can find with some online shopping mainly through Amazon.
 
Well, so far I've used three different kinds of chrome paint:
ACE hardware chrome
Krylon chome
Molotow chrome pen

The ACE paint looks great, very shiny. Krylon is crap, basically silver. The Molotow pen is great, but it NEVER dries..

I've also tried three different clear coats:
Krylon Crystal Clear
Revlon clear nail polish (enamel)
Alclad clear lacquer

All three of them turned the chrome paint dull at best and into battleship gray at worst. No matter what combination of paint and clear I used, the results were all the same.

Soooooo... how do you clear over chrome paint? Any ideas that work would be welcome. I don't have an airbrush, so it would have to be brush or rattle can.
 
Alclad II Aqua Gloss Clear. ALC 600. It's the only clear I have used over chrome paint that doesn't alter the chrome effect....much
 

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