wezzie2598 Posted May 26, 2009 Report Share Posted May 26, 2009 Im new in custom painting crankbaits. Ive been doing it all by brush, using alot of fine glitter paint to achieve a flash. I wanna know what paint do i need to get crome colors kinda like lucky craft has? Im getting a air brush kit, so i just want to do it all the right way! Appriciate any help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted May 27, 2009 Report Share Posted May 27, 2009 Wezzie, chrome on commercial crankbaits is done with some kind of plating process. There are few if any actual chrome paints available that work and the few that do are very very expensive. Custom and hobby builders usually substitute silver or gold foil to get a chrome effect, and you can overlay the foil with various "transparent" airbrush paints to get some nice effects ("Transparent" paint, like Createx Transparent Colors, is actually translucent, of course). You can also get airbrush paints with fine metallic flakes for irridescent or metallic effects. There are lots of options - take a look at the online samples of Createx and other manufacturers to get an idea of the possibilities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamie Posted May 27, 2009 Report Share Posted May 27, 2009 Im with bob go with the foil, its as close as you will get to chrome and easy to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atrophius Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 I you really really want to try. This a vid for chroming with paint. I hear the stuff is really expensive though. I dont think it looks totally great either, sort of blotchy imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
68KingFisher Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 (edited) The reason the chrome effect shown in that video looks blotchy is because it is blotchy.....reason being its sprayed from a rattle can......but even though that Xbox case turned out blotchy a small item like a crankbait would not look that bad, and if you'll notice the reflective quality is still quite good for a blotchy paint job.....done correctly, the results from that paint is impressive.....the quality of the shine comes from the black basecoat....the better that shines the better the final chrome shines....blotchy black results in a blotchy chrome job. The product used in that video is called "Killer chrome" and is made by the Alsa paint company (www.alsacorp.com) the chrome paints they produce are the finest chrome paints manufactured today with a 95-98% reflective quality. But as mentioned before they are quite expensive....even the rattle can version.....for example. the Killer Chrome kit (rattle cans) costs $115 for the 3 spray cans shown in the video...one can of black, one can of chrome, and one can of clear.....Most of the "Killer cans" run about $40 per can. Let me point out that the clear is a 2 part clear.....thats right, two part catalized clear in a rattle can....the catalist is contained within a breakable chamber inside the can....once broken the can is shaken up to mix the two solvents and then can be sprayed......just keep in mind that now its mixed so any unused clear is eventually gonna dry inside the can....so once mixed you have a limited timeframe to work within. The rest of their chrome line is made to shoot from full sized automotive spray guns and will produce amazing results.....just spend a little time at Alsa's website lookin at the videos and you'll see what I mean....its the closest stuff to real chrome ever produced, but again its really expensive. Mirro chrome is $80 for 4oz.....in kit form with the other components needed is $349.for the pint kit....Ghost chrome is the same price, but ghost chrome doesn't look like chrome...its made to resemble real aluminum and does it quite well.....Multi chrome has an intense prizmatic effect like it has a prizm pearl added....$205 for 8oz or $430 for a pint kit. Alsa's main production chroming line is called "Chrome FX"...and its a complete waterbased system and requires an outlay of roughly $8500. for the standard start up system....make sure to watch the videos on how this stuff works.....you'll be amazed, as it looks and feels like real metal plated chrome.....chances are there are lure manufactures using this system. I'm sure i've run my mouth long enough...lol...hopefully someone found this info usefull. PS...the can of Bulldog adhesion promoter that was shown in that video is goooood stuff......makes paint stick to plastics and lots of other surfaces.....not to expensive and available at Walmart in the automotive painting section. Edited May 28, 2009 by 68KingFisher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atrophius Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 wow, good info there kingfisher. It seems like getting something done in real chrome plating might be the same price lol, with the cost of the paints. Just kidding though, I have no idea the cost of it really. I would just stick to foil, its flashy enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatfingers Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 I've tried at least a 1/2 dozen different types. I've found none that will retain their shine well after clearing with any type of epoxy. Instead they will "flatten" out to a silver. Even foil will at times "fog" when cleared, depending on the humidity and other factors at the time of the application of the epoxy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 I found that you have to be careful when you spray rattle can "metal" paints. I tried a gloss aluminum as an undercoat, and my Createx didn't bond to it. Too slippery, I guess. I had a bunch of baits whose topcoats and paint jobs flaked off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
68KingFisher Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 I've tried at least a 1/2 dozen different types. I've found none that will retain their shine well after clearing with any type of epoxy. Instead they will "flatten" out to a silver. The Alsa chrome paints are the best made, but they too will flatten out to a dull aluminum finish if you don't use their brand of "speed clear".....many guys have tried to use their chrome and then clear with other products, such as PPG, Dupont, Hok, etc,etc, and they all have the same issue.....the best results are when using Alsa's clear on top of Alsa's chrome paint. You gotta remember one thing.....these chrome paints...whether they are Alsa brand or Walmart brand all have one thing in common.....they are not really paint....they are a metal deposition process.....the pigments are real metal not paint pigments. I've clear coated over alot of Aluminum spray can stuff as well as so called Chrome spray can stuff and without fail the shine flattens out just as Fatfingers mentioned......all brands except Alsa's when followed by their speed clear will do this that I know of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
