Can you powder coat over chrome?

[LuckyWinner]

Just wanting to know if you can powder coat over chrome?

[mrmustang]

Just wanting to know if you can powder coat over chrome?


No, you must remove the chrome if you expect the powder coat to adhere to the material in which you are planning to coat.


Bill S.

[LuckyWinner]

I dont want any chrome on my Roadster and want to get rid of the chrome around the windshield and make it black.....any thoughts?????

[Raceral]

Duct tape the windshield, then put tape some cardboard on the glass part, then use a light sandblast material. Get a good etch on it , then powder coat or paint

[Arrowhead]

I would talk to powder coater. The guys I've worked with say the black chrome only looks good over real chrome - which makes me wonder how it is adhering as other posters mentioned. I think black chrome would be a good look.

[Bob Cowan]

Yes, you can. A good chrome plating is shiny because it is very smooth. But paint and PC will not adhere to something unless it has a little bit of texture to it. I use 1,000 grit sand paper and put a grain into the surface. The PC sticks pretty well, then. You also have to make sure the surface is extremly clean before sanding or blasting it. Otgherwsie you'll force oils down into the surface, and that's a bad thing.

The finish is not nearly as durable as over steel. But if you're carefull with it, it will survive. I put PC over these chrome pieces about 5 years ago, and they're holding up well.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a256/bobcowan/Powdercoat_small.jpg

I left the chrome in place, and applied a translucent PC. I think it looks great.

But, if you want it to be just solid black, I would sand off the chrome down to a base layer. Then apply the PC. I think you would get a more durable finish.

[AZPete]

It's not difficult to remove and reinstall the glass from the windshield frame which would make blasting it easier. Before you put the glass back in, tap and test mounting holes for visors and wind wings.
Pete

[Someday I Suppose]

Whate Pete said, I have seen at least one car with the black out treatment, and I believe the windshield was pulled apart so that the frames could be taken back to bare metal and powder coated.

I will say though maybe see if you can get someone to photoshop some pics for you before going down that road. It is something I considered, and my pipes and rollbars are black satin and the bezels in the body are all done in a carbon fiber look.

That said, I stopped short of doing the windshield and the headlight bezels as I thought at somepoint it would look forced and too dark. I also left the wheels natural instead of blacking them out, again I was afraid it would become too dark.

I am more then happy with how the car turned out, and glad I didn't black everything. Also, my thought was if once I put the car together I changed my mind and wanted to black those out I could do it pretty easily, and certainly with less effort / cost then it would be to make them chrome again had I gone black before seeing how it looked.

-Scott

[KC Wildcat]

Talk to a powder coater. I think you need to remove the frame, not just for sandblasting/scuffing it, but because they need to bake the powder coating - I think at like 400-450 degrees - probably not best think for the window and rubber seals.