Chroming Glass / Carbon

[dhbarr]

I want chrome fins and/or tubes.

Seems like some combination​ of CF, glass (aluminized or not), and/or silver/copper/nickel paint should make an adequate surface.

Has this been done? I know car parts are sometimes chromed fiber, so I would happily take pointers to a how-to.

 

[markkoelsch]

Actually I think the composite parts are nickel not chrome. I would talk to a shop that does chrome work and see.

 

[tfish]

There are DIY spray (Bottles) on chrome kits.
[video=youtube;AgszS-BmGNU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgszS-BmGNU[/video]

Tony

 

[GregGleason]

There are DIY spray (Bottles) on chrome kits.
[video=youtube;AgszS-BmGNU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgszS-BmGNU[/video]

Tony

Wow!

Greg

 

[Exactimator]

I use the monocote trim. It's availabe in shiny silver mylar that looks like chrome.

The rub is, as careful as I am, there's always at least a few wrinkles. If you're wrapping anything bigger than a 4" diameter, 5 foot tall rocket it can start getting spendy. If you're doing a small rocket with lots of details I would think it would be very difficult to wrap it well.

That spray process looks amazing.

 

[GregGleason]

This product looks related to the tfish post.

[YOUTUBE]c9-wFTUhpT4[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]iNpGZpA1B54[/YOUTUBE]

Greg

 

[Woody's Workshop]

Actually, I watched plastic parts being chromed on TV, History Channel probably.
They actually use aluminum powder.

 

[dhbarr]

Actually, I watched plastic parts being chromed on TV, History Channel probably.
They actually use aluminum powder.

That's something I'll look for, I'm imagining carbon -> texalium -> aluminum-process -> chrome. Conceptually it should be fairly straightforward maybe?

 

[TangoJuliet]

If you have an airbrush, get Alclad II Chrome. I'm using it now on a Trajector.

 

[dhbarr]

If you have an airbrush, get Alclad II Chrome. I'm using it now on a Trajector. View attachment 317075

I had heard that alclad doesn't hold up well to hangar rash?

Curious if you've ever done a conductivity / resistance test on it?

 

[Woody's Workshop]

That's something I'll look for, I'm imagining carbon -> texalium -> aluminum-process -> chrome. Conceptually it should be fairly straightforward maybe?

Plastic parts (they were doing head light bezels on the show) were hung on racks.
Ionized and electro static in a sealed vacuum chamber. Quite complex.

Just looked it up, it's a 3 step process.
Primer, Electro Ionized aluminum vapor discharge, electro static contact in a vacuum chamber ($1/2 mil to set up chamber)
Electro static clear coat, also done in vacuum chamber.

 

[TangoJuliet]

I had heard that alclad doesn't hold up well to hangar rash?

Curious if you've ever done a conductivity / resistance test on it?

Well, it's all an experiment really. I've only sprayed Alclad twice before (the last being my ACME Spitfire). Maybe it'll hold up, maybe not. I'm thinking the clear coat will help tremendously though. Conductivity? No. Why?

 

[dhbarr]

Well, it's all an experiment really. I've only sprayed Alclad twice before (the last being my ACME Spitfire). Maybe it'll hold up, maybe not. I'm thinking the clear coat will help tremendously though. Conductivity? No. Why?

Several of the chrome systems go conductive-paint, copper, nickel, chrome

 

[Tonimus]

I would polish the substrate and then use a home chrome spray, like Duplicolor. Having it done isn't cheap.

 

[TangoJuliet]

Several of the chrome systems go conductive-paint, copper, nickel, chrome

But why would I care if it's conductive or not?

 

[dhbarr]

But why would I care if it's conductive or not?

_I_ care, specifically in the scenario where I could potentially​ build a real chrome coat directly on top of an alclad coat.

 

[GregGleason]

I would polish the substrate and then use a home chrome spray, like Duplicolor. Having it done isn't cheap.

That's what I would do. Polished gloss black (Duplicolor) then dusting several coats of the chrome spray.

Greg

 

[TangoJuliet]

_I_ care, specifically in the scenario where I could potentially​ build a real chrome coat directly on top of an alclad coat.

Ahh, OK. But I would think that would add a lot of weight to do a real Chrome finish.

 

[dhbarr]

Ahh, OK. But I would think that would add a lot of weight to do a real Chrome finish.

Think of the possibility of heat dissipation on a nose cone or fin leading edge

 

[TangoJuliet]

Think of the possibility of heat dissipation on a nose cone or fin leading edge

That must be a HPR thing. :wink: