Dash Bezel Restoration

Has anybody tried this stuff? www.motostorm.com Its a chrome paint thats suppose to be close to the real deal, AL.

 

Here is more info on the product; Hello. Here are some instructions to help you understand my chrome paint better. They may seem complicated but most of it is elementary. You won't want to thin this material, it is ready to spray. I usually use a black urethane as my primer. Just let me know if you'd like to purchase some. thanks
Brett Sandstrom
Motostorm Inc.
www.motostorm.com



MOTOCHROME PAINT(2nd gengeration)

Updated instructions!

Flammable liquid, Ready to spray, Keep away from children, sparks and flames.

Please read these instructions very carefully before attempting to use your Motochrome paint! This paint has many characteristics unlike ordinary paint.

SURFACE PREP: A clean black shiny surface is ideal for this paint to look like chrome. Do not scuff the substrate like ordinary paint jobs. A dull rough surface will result in a dull titanium looking surface. Great results have been achieved with Black (the best), Dark Blue, Dark red and dark gray. If you are going to paint a rough black plastic or metal part then Id suggest sanding the porous plastic surface with 220 grit sand paper and working your way up to 600-1000 grit. After you have a smooth surface apply an adhesion promoter or primer and sand it lightly with 400-600 grit sand paper. Then apply a very thick (glass smooth) layer of clear coat over the dark piece you are going to coat. This is the most important step when using this paint. A good flowing dark single stage paint can be used instead of clear but I would highly recommend a good flowing clear. The surface it goes onto has to be dark and very shiny (like glass!). After applying clear coat or a dark colored paint of choice, Id suggest letting the glass smooth paint surface dry for at least 24-48 hours. (just because the paint feels dry to the touch doesnt mean it isnt still curing underneath)
APPLYING THE MOTOCHROME PAINT: This is the easiest part of the whole application. You can always practice on some dark glass/burnt out light bulb or glass ceramic dark mug to get a good feel for this paint. Once you have a fully dried(cured), dark, clean, glass smooth surface you can now begin applying the chrome paint. The best results have been achieved with 8-15psi and a very low 15-25% volume exiting the gun. This is not like typical automobile paint. If you try to lay a bunch of thick layers on the part at very high pressure then you will waste numerous amounts of material and achieve a very embarrassing finish. This paint needs to be misted on the part you are coating. Id suggest very thin layers every 2-5 minutes. Similar results have been achieved with both thin and thick layers. You should barely be able to see any material exiting the gun. Also try spraying from different distances ranging from 6 inches to two feet. Once the chrome paint is fully dried after about 15 minutes you can lightly buff the surface with a soft cloth to remove any loose particles and to polish the layer of chrome that you applied. The final important step here is to heat the chrome surface with a heat gun/ hair dryer or oven to 180 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Then just let the part cool and sit for at least 24 hours before moving on to the final step.
APPLYING A PROTECTIVE CLEAR COATING: If your part isnt going to be exposed to the elements and is not going to be touched then you can skip this section. A layer of clear coat will diminish the shine by 5-10% but it will help to lock the chrome particles onto the surface and protect them from all environments. If you want to clear coat the chrome surface then just pick your favorite clear coat and apply a thin-medium layer of clear. Water based and very slow drying clear coats seem to work the best. Color dyes and candy colors can be added at this point to create a different color of chrome.
Please direct any problems, questions or new techniques to Phsinvent@aol.com AL :Comp:

 

This is on my to-do list...

 

Looks Intresting, I have two bezels I can try.

 

With the price on the chrome restoration alway going up (saw a NOS bezel on Ebay brought almost $1000.00!!! and reserve not met!!!) this looks like something that may work. If anyone buys any and tries this before I do please post good or bad, Thanks AL. o No:

 

My concern would be having an old, very old plastic piece exposed to 180 degrees for 20-30 mins. This sounds like a bad idea. I think at that temp the plastic will become flexible/soft and that will cause warpage. Just an idea!

 

George, I agree the oven would be a mistake, but the hair drier should not be a problem, AL.