# Painting Over Chrome



## wrongway (Oct 7, 2015)

I am thinking of starting up a project and it would require black rims and spokes. I have a couple wheels that aren't valuable and much to look at so they'll do for painting. How hard is it to paint over chrome? Any special steps?


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## Duck (Oct 7, 2015)

Sandblast then put the rims in etching primer and paint with single stage automotive paint- I bought stainless spokes in black recently, but I can't recall from where, offhand .


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## bairdco (Oct 7, 2015)

I agree. I've sandblasted chrome till it was rough (without removing it completely) and used rustoleum 2x cover and rustoleum auto clear coat (spray cans from home depot) and it works great.

Just sanding alone won't do it, unless you spend a day or two till your fingers bleed, and then it'd still probably peel.

Nothing says "stolen bike!" Like paint peeling off of chrome.

And as far as painting spokes goes, good luck. You're better off buying them already powdercoated. I've had some luck with sandblasting, painting and clear coating, as long as they weren't chrome plated or stainless, but over the years, it won't last. Unless you never ride. And you'll still scratch them lacing them up.

A cheap alternative is buy a junker walmart bike that already has the color spokes you want. Nowadays, they come in almost every color, and you can buy a used bike for super cheap and throw the rest away.


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## wrongway (Oct 7, 2015)

I need to find 284mm x 2.0mm, but they are hard to find. I don't want to have to paint the ones I have, but.....


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## rustjunkie (Oct 7, 2015)

black spokes:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Halo-Aura-spoke-black-14g-box-100-284mm-/381426731445?hash=item58cece09b5

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DT-Swiss-Ch...s-Box-of-72-/171243570369?hash=item27dee984c1

http://www.amazon.com/Sapim-Force-Black-2-0-284mm/dp/B00643XUK4


http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odk...+spokes.TRS0&_nkw=black+284mm+spokes&_sacat=0


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## tikicruiser (Oct 7, 2015)

You can either rough up the chrome with some emory cloth to dull them up,or just wipe them down with acetone and paint. If you want to primer the rim's 1st it's your choice. Put an unused fork in a vise, bolt the rim in place,and spin and shoot. Light coat's work better than heavy coat's. If i can upload a pic of my Monark, all I did was the rough,no primer,and paint.O.K. something is FFFF'd up with this site. I haven't been able to upload pic's for the last 3 day's.where before I could...Bill


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## izee2 (Oct 7, 2015)

I have sandblasted a couple of chromed hubs then sprayed with self etching primer then sprayed with what ever paint I was using at the time even rattle cans. The ones I still have haven't peeled or flaked....

 Tom


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## bairdco (Oct 8, 2015)

If you want to get really fancy, there's dupli-coat metalcast fake annodized paint you spray directly over shiny chrome. 

Follow that with a good clear coat and you get a very scratch resistant annodized look.

Did the wheels, hubs, cranks, bars, etc on this bike.


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## spoker (Oct 8, 2015)

metal cast paint is way kool and komes in different colors


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