The nail polish people HAVE been holding out on us. I bought the polish, the UV resin gel, and the curing unit. Came out to $50 for everything. Grabbed a printed scrap of black PLA I don't think the PLA's color means anything. Painted a small section. WOW. The resin is a little on the thick side, but not enough to leave brush marks. It self-levels. One minute under the light, and put your color on. Damn... good stuff. The finish is like a shiny, anodized look... Like colored chrome, but more of a nickel finish. Doesn't smear. Better than any paint I've EVER used. Thanks, Pete!
Hello! So I gave it a try myself but didn’t use the black backer as I’d forgotten about it. And apparently that has A lot to do with how it turns out. And you’re exactly right about the thickness of the base clear UV gel. It was seriously thick and it seemed like the UV exposure didn’t do anything. But, it’s all on a chemical level so it’s probably not visible to the naked eye.
@@PeteRondeau Hi Pete. You're absolutely right. And that's exactly what it did. And as you've pointed out... for some reason, the surface must be black. I don't know why... but black is what the metal flake needs in order to get the best finish. I 3D printed with black PLA, and that is sufficient. But, if you paint it black, you'll get the best results. The black paint also fills in small imperfections, leading to a nicer, smoother finish. This stuff is really amazing.
@@jackdurden466 Hello Jack. While I can only speak about my experience with this... the resin should turn hard after a minute under the light. It won't resin gel is a little on the thick side, so that it self-levels, but won't run. You really don't have to lay it on heavily. As long as the surface is covered... you're good to go. But, if your gel is "seriously", and it didn't work the way you had hoped... it's quite possible that you just got a bad batch, or it was old, or anything that may have caused it to lose it's hardening quality. My gel has the consistency of of nail polish; just thick enough not to run like water. Hope this helped.
45 years ago I was working on a beautiful Art Deco home with highly chromium looking handrails on the staircase. I learned that the secret was a Pepto Bismol pink paint as a base colour before the silver was applied. In the old days, orange was used after the silvering was applied to a mirror to enhance its clarity. Thanks for the nail polish trick.
@@Milkmans_Son He says they used pink, then orange on top of the silvering. How does orange paint enhance clarity? The way it's described implies orange paint over a mirror.
I used to work for a company that did vacuum metalizing. The process was to spray the plastic item with laquer and clamp them on a rack that goes into a vacuum chamber. the rack would spin the plastic items slowly. the rack had tungston wires that aluminum tabs would be placed on. After a high vacuum was achieved, a low voltage, high current charge was applied to the aluminum tabs instantly vaporizing them. The aluminum vapor would stick to the lastic parts leaving a beautiful mirror finish. So if you can find an outfit that does vacuum metalizing, they could hook you up.
@@SigurdBraathenIt would wreck the sprayed finishes, but not the gel. In fact, he should have top coated it and cured it again. It would look even better and has incredible durability.
part of the reason the nail polish performed so well is because of the glossy surface it created before applying the metallic pigment. if you want good chrome finish, you need a good high gloss surface or else the chrome will be more of a semi gloss which in turn makes it less reflective. also with metallic paints it helps to do a wetter coat to allow for a smoother surface finish and to let the metallic flakes have a chance to settle in the paint.
Yes most people don't know the necessary primer, gloss coat then chrome coat steps necessary for mirror finish. That's why some people test on plastic spoons as they're already smooth and provide a good baseline.
@@DarkKent Usually more coats doesn't equate to smoother finish. Each coat adds a little bit of inconsistency to the surface. If you go the route of more coats, you probably need to end up polishing to get a smooth surface back.
@@lanzer22 exactly, you gotta visualize the surface magnified by 1000x and understand that mirror finishes have everything to do with surface smoothness. Any disturbance or roughness in the surface will result in a non-mirror result.
Great video! I've been trying to get a straight metallic finish (brushed aluminum) for months... With poor results. Then I found a few videos about air brushing and at least on video, it looks really good. I just bought an air brush and waiting for the paint to come in... Did you try using an air brush at all? Thanks!
I’ve been looking on and off for a reliable review on products claiming to achieve a chrome finish. Just took over two weeks to get this video across my feed. You did a great job and provided great information. Thank you so much!
Alclad has been my go-to chrome finish. 2 part process, it has a black first coat then silver top coat (silver top coat lays down really fast so go gentle). Air brush application but looks like a chrome mirror when done.
Would you recommend wet sanding the plastic like you would on a headlight restoration first? I'm interested in learning this process. @@schrodingerscat1863
I'm a professional mode builder, chrome is the "holy grail for plastic models". I am currently building a 1941 Ryan P-22 trainer (first mono wing aircraft with shocks on landing gear). Your video was extremely helpful thank you. I have not tired it yet, but the nail polish sounds interesting. Thank you, Mr. Rondeau.
That’s the same reason I am here, and I was already looking at nail polishes before watching any videos about the variety of chrome products. He definitely sold me on the polish. I now just have to clear the wheels of their flaking coat. And bang! Beautiful once again! I only hope that there’s some decent durability to it, as they may take some hits. Guess I’ll find out.
Really glad I saw your fascinating video! Thanks for all the effort and cost for research, purchase and testing. I#d like to have a chrome like finish on the heater - air on control knobs of a eighties Jaguar sedan.
For electroplating (which IMO is the ultimate solution as you create a real metal surface) it sounds like what you need is a primer. One suited to the spesific plastic you use. Plastics can be hard to get good adhesion to just in general, but there are good primer made specifically for most types. Thorough degreasing (some plastics are oily) and super-fine sanding helps a lot as prep in the most extreme cases. You would definitely want a spray though. It's almost impossible to avoid creating imperfections with a brush on complex shapes - and the second you put a mirror finish on top you will see every microscopic imperfection. EDIT: That nailpolish thing was pretty impressive though I have to admit - for a simple two-step process. I have my doubts about durability though. In my use-cases (tools ect.) that is a pretty big priority, but even on decorative piece you need to at least be able to touch it and clean some dust with a moist microfiber cloth - otherwise it's not gonna stay pretty long. A lot of cheap "metallic" paints fail miserably at that, and rub off at a slight touch no matter how long they get to cure.
It has to hold up on nails so it needs at least some touchability and durability. But i agree that long term durability may be an issue. My big concern is UV. Anything left in the sun around here degrades fast unless its specifically made to handle it
That same company, MIA Secret, makes a nail filler to fill in cracks on nails. That might be a decent first coat? I’m not going to try it the first time. But if things go south I might.
Plastic’s in general have plasticizer’s compounds added that eventually migrate to the surface and cause adhesion problem’s over time.. The warmer the plastic the higher rate of migration. Side Note, Saran Wrap when used to cover a bowel of food then heated in a microwave forms a water condensate on the food side. This water has concentrated levels of the compounds. In general don’t eat hot food from plastic containers, especially if the container has been heated too.
Excellent comparisons, thank you. I resorted to glueing alfoil (shiny side up) on some parts which worked very well but was susceptible to marks and touching. I will be trying the nail polish for sure!!
Would be interesting to see the nail polish finished with a 2 component high gloss clear llacquer from a spray can. BTW great 4K video quality on this video 👍👍👍
I'm thinking a 2 part automotive clear coat. I would not surprised however if it ended up delaminating, with half the silver staying on the part and half on the clear coat film. But maybe....
I would also be interested in how the nail finish does under a 2k clear coat. I would like to “chrome” parts of a bike frame prior to a 2K topcoat, but I know most spray paint chromes do not fare well under clear.
Thank you for this video! Very interesting to see different kinds of techniques - and to see that what i've been using, nail chrome powder, is the winner haha. I've used it on sword props and cosplay armor pieces. It also comes in loads of colors too. A good no-wipe UV top coats can be hard to come by, because not all of them work with powders, it's very brand-dependent. A non-dry UV top coat that you have to wipe also works - but only if you wipe off the inihibition with a DRY cloth/nail-wipe and really try to rub it clean (Not using any alcohol, because that just removes the tackiness) before buffing in the nail powder. Also, if your dry no-wipe top coat is too "dry" and no powder will stick to it - try applying a teeny tiny amount of uncured coat and rub it in vigorously to just create a tacky surface, apply the powder and then cure. I've found that using some water-based lacquers also works. I've used Liquitex. Great if you already have a smooth finish that could be ruined with applying the UV resin coat. Airbrush it or paint it with a brush and let it dry for a while until it's not tacky anymore, between 30min-4h or more depending on the brand, and then buff in the powder. I tried coating it with the same gloss afterwards and went OK, i think. And a quick note with something that needs to be said; normal nail polish top coats will not work, sadly. It has to be the UV kind.
Fantastic video. I would have never thought of using nail polish as a chrome finish. I am going to have to try that out. Thanks for the great information. 👍
If you take the last sample, the metallic nail powder, and spray a clear lacquer over it, my bet is it would look exactly as you are looking for. I've done a lot of woodworking working with veneers and dyes and by lacquering over your final color, and buffing with grits up to 8000-12000, you can get dimensionality that is stunning.
I'm glad I stumbled across your video. I was looking for a way to do purple chrome for a few small parts on a prop. I think the nail powder kit might do the trick.
I have done fiberglass for may years . I am impressed with the result you got, and expect it could be improved upon with a resin clear coat over the top. In the case of over coating , the first thing is to identify the type of resin . Generally only two types, epoxy or polyester. I expect the nail polish to be polyester. Similar to paint once fully dry / cured it requires scufffing before re coating, this scuffing can show in the finished coat , advise the finest of scuffing mediums. However re coating whilst its still wet avoids this step. What I would advise is getting the painted surface ultra smooth before you begin, avoiding any rub through, as the resin might get under it and cause a reaction. I am very keen to try this myself. I restore cars as a hobby. Genuine chrome is very expensive. Whilst I wouldnt attempt it on something large like a bumper, small parts could work. Especially those that are self made and require filling , being not made perfect to begin with. Cast alloy is also a problem for re chroming, so much so that many chroming places wont even touch it, because the new chrome tends to not stick very well. This could be the solution . Could I also suggest , getting yourself an airbrush, for a quicker and much smoother finish.
Best coverage on this topic yet. Doing the dash on my 68 Charger and have played with Alclad, nail Lacquer, Chrome pens, chrome/ aluminum tape and most of the crappy sprays. Going to go with the powder. Well done!
As I understand it (and memory may be failing me) the 'chrome' on interior automobile plastics is actually 'vacuum anodizing'. There could be some kind of top coat involved too, been over 30 years since I looked into this.
Brother.... I've been looking for this lower-cost at-home solution for painting a chrome finish on plastic for over 30 years, now. I appreciate you demonstrating multiple examples. Thank you, sir!
Haha, I've been "restoring" auto parts since 1990 and learned about chrome nail polish back then from manicurists. You see, the ladies are very particular about the smoothness and gloss of their nail polish. I've always used that one-bottle chrome nail polish, no two-step process, and it's as good as what I saw you do, at least from the video anyway. 😉
@@marksmith6091 My wife buys it for me at a beauty supply store. Pretty much any brand will do because they carry major brands. More expensive ones are the better ones. I just used it last week on a 2004 Jeep hood plastic chrome name-badge that was peeling. It's one of those glued on letterings that you'd wreck to get off. So chrome nail polish saved the day.
Thanks so much for sharing these techniques... that nail polish powder is amazing! We'll be using this on a LOT of props from now on. Just wish I knew about this years ago. Thanks again!
Thank you, Pete! I know how expensive this test may have cost you! And you've saved me even more in money, time and frustration! 🤣I've been making parts in plastic using Smooth-On products for years. Tooling, materials and labor really add up during the 'learning' stages of figuring out things like this, not counting your electro-plating adventures! 🥰🥰🤝
since watching this video 4 or 5 times and then getting some powders, i keep getting funny looks off people like i was either a mark rober porch pirate box victim or i've been out partying at a men only club. but i wear the glitter with pride! my 3d prints look amazing.. electroforming works but lots of prep and stuff to store! The culture hustle is great but for ease but the powders are a bit more forgiving / drying time awesome video!!!! thank you for changing my workflow forever!
Thanks for this. Great video to watch, and very well tested. That nail polish is amazing, but I think I'm going to have to try Rub N Buff silver leaf for Aoshima's upcoming DeLorean release...
Two things that might help you in your quest. First, use TSP to clean the parts. You can get it pre-mixed or as a powder. Second, for a primer use Zinsser 1-2-3 Bullseye. It is a shellac based primer that is good for metal, wood and everything in between. You know what they say about shellac? Shellac sticks to everything and everything sticks to shellac.
I was hoping to propose you a method with uv nail polish when i saw a topic (which i know from my researches), but luckily you have covered it in here. In silver flake method you could polish surface with flakes on it with glossy polished agat stone for high reflective effect (in uv nail method you do simillarly with a spatula). After that you have to apply layer of top coat, otherwise silver will be oxydazing and surfuraizing.
I bought your exact powder kit. Got a supposedly equivalent nail finish from our local Sally Beauty supply, borrowed a light from a nail salon owner my wife knows. I’ve experimented with various drying times but my finish comes out more like brushed chrome or highly polished aluminum rather than mirror chrome. Your finish is immediately shinier than mine. Work in progress here. I’m still searching for mirror chrome . Mine is going on fishing lures so I have to add a super tough clear top coat which will be another challenge to not kill the shine if and when I find it As for the electroplate, I stumbled on a UA-cam from a guy from Eastern Europe that electro silver plated plastic. He used graphite spray paint to coat the plastic surface so that it was conductive. It was all a home process in his kitchen Appreciate all your time and work. It’s a frustrating process. Thx
I had no luck with any of the coatings I tried for electroplating. Graphite, nickel, graphite powder in the mold. The issue I had was the coating wouldn’t stick to the urethane casting. Once you put it in the slightly warm electroplating solution, the coating would peel off the casting. This is a problem specific to urethane castings I believe. Not with attempting to coat plastics in general
I bought the polish, the UV resin gel, and the curing unit. Came out to $50 for everything. After few test for Model Building ( 1/24 - 1/ 16 scale ) ' WOW ' , Game changer. Smaller Hi-light Parts in chrome or ( metallic colors ) Works Very well and can be worked with or ( painted over ). Now I need ( other colors metallic black- green )
Wow, I’ve already been looking at nail polishes to do a set of wheels for my RC truck, as it needs to be redone. And after seeing this?! No question as from all the others that I’ve seen and their prices, clear winner for someone on a budget! I have to find that stuff! Thanks for the video!! Ok, well after finishing the video I went to the link that you had posted and added all the nail polish parts and curing light to my cart. I was already on the right track! Thanks again for a great video!
Great video Pete!! The nail polish is the best fake chrome finish I've ever seen!! Second to that would be Molotow Liquid Chrome sprayed outta an air brush!!☻
Would be interesting to burnish/polish the finishes. Especially the metal coats and see how they respond. I know with the silver leaf quite a shiny finish can result. Also with the silver leaf method you could gold or copper or brass finish with basically the same process.
I know for fact spaz stix is and works awesome, goes over high gloss black that they sell and you have to buff with microfiber after it's dried , it's beautiful
The trick to getting a good chrome paint over plastic/primer is to get your base coat as smooth as possible. If you have a deep gloss black the chrome will lay over it like a wet mirror. If you have any texture at all in the base coat, it will be clearly visible in the metal layer.
There are also a few chrome finishes from the plastic model making hobby, the most common being Alclad 2 Chrome, and Uschi Chrome buffing powder which is very similar to the nail buffing powder but much finer.
I’m glad you were able to use the Culture Hustle product. I’ve been a fan of theirs for some time, going back to their first “2nd blackest black”. Unfortunately I have not used any of their products in my own art. They seem like a cool group who “get me” or “I get them”.
Definitely need to try the Uschi van der Rosten metallic powder metallizers. Tons of different finishes. Their chrome looks great but the old iron patinas look amazing too
hahaha- I've been crazy for nail polish technology for painting other stuff for a while now. You're right- those guys have been holding out on us artists!
Thanks for the research. I was looking for something to paint or apply to plastic fishing lures to give them a reflective chrome finish. I'll certainly try the nail polish/powder kit.
Thank you for your video and testing all of these. The nail powder and gel turned out so beautiful. I don't know how my husband found your video, but I'm so thankful he did. He needs to rechrome the trim for a rare instrument cluster. I am ordering this stuff now. He said, I just need the chrome. You can have the other colors. 🤣 Can't wait to do a test sample and see how it turns out. Thanks again.
What a great video. I have been doing a search for chrome paints for scale modeling. I have tried several and can't quite get a mirror finish. If you are looking for a paint, SMS Hyperchrome Cold Tone is about as close as I have come to a real chrome finish. I have also found a buff on powder similar to the nail powder you found. But it is hard to get. The powder is made by Uschi van der Rosten. Where it differs from your nail powder is you can buff it into any gloss finish. It doesn't have to be a special resin. So it works with regular paints.
I don't know if this particular application method would help you but this is a trick I learned from a guy who use to work in industrial plastics and he said the only way to get any decent spray paint to effectively adhere to any plastic is by annealing. The process apparently requires the plastic surface to be heated with either a heat gun or possibly a propane torch until the surface is almost glossy looking, then quickly following with a coat of your chosen paint. I have tried this process on several of my painted plastics projects and the results have been incredible! The paint adhered to the surface much better and the life span/durability of the paint was extended dramatically. Just something to consider if the plastic you are working with can in fact be heated.
Hey there! Thanks for pioneering part of this process. I am very curious in trying the nail polish finish. I am painting a front grill piece on my car, and am curious on a few things. How does the nail polish finish hold up? This video is a few years old, so I am curious as to how those pieces have held up overtime. Do you recommend a clear coat? And/or, will it ruin the shine? Finally, have you discovered anything to make this process easier, or done more testing with these methods? And/or, have you found a way to coat larger objects reliably? The piece I’m painting is fairly big, and I am worried about using a tiny brush on the whole piece. Maybe I can upscale the brush? I am fairly new to the DIY scene in terms of painting, and I am very very thankful for this video. Your work is incredible, and I plan on doing a lot of testing with the nail polish method. I’d love to stay in touch and share my findings with you, maybe soon there will be a much easier streamline method for mirror chrome. Thank you so much!
Having some experience of this problem I found these solutions extremely interesting. In my case I had the option of simply removing the parts in question from the vehicle but perhaps I might have acted differently if I had seen this video first.
Back in a past life when I was a plastics guy, I found a company that chromes the fittings for coffins. I used to take my plastic samples to them and get a perfect chrome coating.
Ali express do some great permanent silver markers. It comes out as a chrome liquid and coats really well (not like a sharpie, more like industrial paint pens). I'm not sure it will be child safe paint but it certainly would give you a chromed look on plastic. It's was that good I used it to chrome an aluminium part I turned out for a computer build rather than polishing it.
For indoor stuff like chrome trim on an old radio or other restoration Vallejo Metal Color Chrome and Vallejo Metal Varnish works well and has the added bonus you can get them in most countries in hobby/model stores. It can be brushed on but works best with an airbrush.
cool demo, got to see some 'chrome' solutions i never explored ; ) - i had tried the Culture Hustle but was not.. awed .. that nail polish finish was amazing!
Ive seen some others mention it as well, but the absolute best results ive ever gotten has been via airbrushing. specifically I do it in 3 parts. 1 ill start with a primer or surfacer paint to better adhere to the plastic. 2, you want an enamel gloss black coat. its important that the paint is slow curing so it can level itself out. 3, chrome model paint. alclad II is the easiest to get in the US and has great results. you go in with a VERY light touch, just barely dusting over the black. after several passes it will look more and more like a mirror. 4, top coat for protection. ive used this with great results on models for a mirror candy coat finish. if you look up "gunpla chrome" youll find many videos of this in practice and the results are incredible
Fantastic video thanks pete. I have just discovered your channel and have subscribed. I look forward to browsing and veiwing your video uploads. Thanks
7:30 - When I have trouble removing a cover like this, I use a knife blade to lightly puncture it and then rotate the blade horizontally. I've never used this product, but this method is always worth a try. It works for me 99 44/100% of the time.
I just experimented with a technique using resin mixed in with the last mirror chrome paint you tested. I poured the resin over the model and used a hair dryer to remove any bubbles. The results look amazing.
Hi Pete. This was a fun and informative video to watch. Thank you for putting this together. Since you made this video, how has the quality of the chrome nail polish held up over time? I'm thinking of trying this on some interior trim pieces in a late 60's Mercury.
Sometimes I just sense good energy from people in videos, you just give off good hearted vibe. Thanks for the video Pete
I really appreciate hearing that. Thanks for stopping by!
The nail polish people HAVE been holding out on us.
I bought the polish, the UV resin gel, and the curing unit. Came out to $50 for everything.
Grabbed a printed scrap of black PLA I don't think the PLA's color means anything. Painted a small section. WOW.
The resin is a little on the thick side, but not enough to leave brush marks. It self-levels. One minute under the light, and put your color on. Damn... good stuff.
The finish is like a shiny, anodized look... Like colored chrome, but more of a nickel finish. Doesn't smear. Better than any paint I've EVER used.
Thanks, Pete!
Hello! So I gave it a try myself but didn’t use the black backer as I’d forgotten about it. And apparently that has A lot to do with how it turns out. And you’re exactly right about the thickness of the base clear UV gel. It was seriously thick and it seemed like the UV exposure didn’t do anything. But, it’s all on a chemical level so it’s probably not visible to the naked eye.
The uv exposure definitely should have done something. It should have changed the gel from a gel to a solid
@@PeteRondeau Hi Pete. You're absolutely right. And that's exactly what it did. And as you've pointed out... for some reason, the surface must be black. I don't know why... but black is what the metal flake needs in order to get the best finish. I 3D printed with black PLA, and that is sufficient. But, if you paint it black, you'll get the best results. The black paint also fills in small imperfections, leading to a nicer, smoother finish.
This stuff is really amazing.
@@jackdurden466 Hello Jack. While I can only speak about my experience with this... the resin should turn hard after a minute under the light. It won't resin gel is a little on the thick side, so that it self-levels, but won't run. You really don't have to lay it on heavily. As long as the surface is covered... you're good to go.
But, if your gel is "seriously", and it didn't work the way you had hoped... it's quite possible that you just got a bad batch, or it was old, or anything that may have caused it to lose it's hardening quality. My gel has the consistency of of nail polish; just thick enough not to run like water.
Hope this helped.
Why are you guys doing resin? Where did that even come from? All you need to do is apply the polish powder while the glossy base coat is still tacky.
45 years ago I was working on a beautiful Art Deco home with highly chromium looking handrails on the staircase.
I learned that the secret was a Pepto Bismol pink paint as a base colour before the silver was applied. In the old days, orange was used after the silvering was applied to a mirror to enhance its clarity. Thanks for the nail polish trick.
I hope you reveal the secret before you pass away. 😂
@@sharzanco He hopes you learn to read before you pass away.
Orange? Orange what?
@@unknownfilmmaker777 orange paint duh
@@Milkmans_Son He says they used pink, then orange on top of the silvering. How does orange paint enhance clarity? The way it's described implies orange paint over a mirror.
I used to work for a company that did vacuum metalizing. The process was to spray the plastic item with laquer and clamp them on a rack that goes into a vacuum chamber. the rack would spin the plastic items slowly. the rack had tungston wires that aluminum tabs would be placed on. After a high vacuum was achieved, a low voltage, high current charge was applied to the aluminum tabs instantly vaporizing them. The aluminum vapor would stick to the lastic parts leaving a beautiful mirror finish. So if you can find an outfit that does vacuum metalizing, they could hook you up.
@@visverkoper1 I get my stuff vacuum metalized just east of Toronto Canada. I've done a few life-size Terminator endoskeletons.
@@craigcraigster5605do you have a company name or website for this company?
Did you do any tests to see how robust these finishes are? would be interesting to see what lasts and what doesn't.
Doesn't really matter; I'm sure they're all going to be coated with three coats of clear-coat...?
@@Tasarran : Which could ruin the shine for some of these chrome paints, I believe.
@@SigurdBraathenIt would wreck the sprayed finishes, but not the gel. In fact, he should have top coated it and cured it again. It would look even better and has incredible durability.
part of the reason the nail polish performed so well is because of the glossy surface it created before applying the metallic pigment. if you want good chrome finish, you need a good high gloss surface or else the chrome will be more of a semi gloss which in turn makes it less reflective. also with metallic paints it helps to do a wetter coat to allow for a smoother surface finish and to let the metallic flakes have a chance to settle in the paint.
Yes most people don't know the necessary primer, gloss coat then chrome coat steps necessary for mirror finish. That's why some people test on plastic spoons as they're already smooth and provide a good baseline.
Did you try a double coat of the nail polish
@@DarkKent Usually more coats doesn't equate to smoother finish. Each coat adds a little bit of inconsistency to the surface. If you go the route of more coats, you probably need to end up polishing to get a smooth surface back.
@@lanzer22 exactly, you gotta visualize the surface magnified by 1000x and understand that mirror finishes have everything to do with surface smoothness. Any disturbance or roughness in the surface will result in a non-mirror result.
Great video! I've been trying to get a straight metallic finish (brushed aluminum) for months... With poor results. Then I found a few videos about air brushing and at least on video, it looks really good. I just bought an air brush and waiting for the paint to come in...
Did you try using an air brush at all? Thanks!
I’d be interested to see some thoughts on durability of the various finishes too. I’m thinking the nail polish might have an advantage there too.
I suspect you are correct. Thanks for watching!
Yes, I'd like to know the durability of the nail polish costing especially, especially how many years can it last
I’ve been looking on and off for a reliable review on products claiming to achieve a chrome finish.
Just took over two weeks to get this video across my feed.
You did a great job and provided great information.
Thank you so much!
Well Thank you, and I’m glad it found you!
Alclad has been my go-to chrome finish. 2 part process, it has a black first coat then silver top coat (silver top coat lays down really fast so go gentle). Air brush application but looks like a chrome mirror when done.
Alcad or gaianotes gp-08. Both are fantastic
Yeh, getting a super smooth high gloss base coat is the key with chrome paint.
Would you recommend wet sanding the plastic like you would on a headlight restoration first? I'm interested in learning this process. @@schrodingerscat1863
I second that! Its a bit tricky but when you get it right the finish is superb.
I'm a professional mode builder, chrome is the "holy grail for plastic models". I am currently building a 1941 Ryan P-22 trainer (first mono wing aircraft with shocks on landing gear). Your video was extremely helpful thank you. I have not tired it yet, but the nail polish sounds interesting. Thank you, Mr. Rondeau.
I build scale models and chrome is always a difficult thing to replicate. Some look really nice but that nail polish one was crazy realistic!
but wondering how a paint would do over it, or decals?🤔
@@youtmeme he may correct me but generally chrome aircraft is bare aluminium so you do decals, its better.
@@bladerj ok, ty.
That’s the same reason I am here, and I was already looking at nail polishes before watching any videos about the variety of chrome products. He definitely sold me on the polish. I now just have to clear the wheels of their flaking coat. And bang! Beautiful once again! I only hope that there’s some decent durability to it, as they may take some hits. Guess I’ll find out.
Really glad I saw your fascinating video! Thanks for all the effort and cost for research, purchase and testing. I#d like to have a chrome like finish on the heater - air on control knobs of a eighties Jaguar sedan.
I'm feeling enamored at the look of that nail powder! Thanks for making this!
You're so welcome! Thanks for watching!
Really appreciate this video I have been looking for a chrome finish for plastic since I was a teenager. Very informative, Many Thanks 😊
For electroplating (which IMO is the ultimate solution as you create a real metal surface) it sounds like what you need is a primer. One suited to the spesific plastic you use. Plastics can be hard to get good adhesion to just in general, but there are good primer made specifically for most types. Thorough degreasing (some plastics are oily) and super-fine sanding helps a lot as prep in the most extreme cases. You would definitely want a spray though. It's almost impossible to avoid creating imperfections with a brush on complex shapes - and the second you put a mirror finish on top you will see every microscopic imperfection.
EDIT: That nailpolish thing was pretty impressive though I have to admit - for a simple two-step process. I have my doubts about durability though. In my use-cases (tools ect.) that is a pretty big priority, but even on decorative piece you need to at least be able to touch it and clean some dust with a moist microfiber cloth - otherwise it's not gonna stay pretty long. A lot of cheap "metallic" paints fail miserably at that, and rub off at a slight touch no matter how long they get to cure.
It has to hold up on nails so it needs at least some touchability and durability. But i agree that long term durability may be an issue. My big concern is UV. Anything left in the sun around here degrades fast unless its specifically made to handle it
That same company, MIA Secret, makes a nail filler to fill in cracks on nails. That might be a decent first coat? I’m not going to try it the first time. But if things go south I might.
Plastic’s in general have plasticizer’s compounds added that eventually migrate to the surface and cause adhesion problem’s over time.. The warmer the plastic the higher rate of migration.
Side Note, Saran Wrap when used to cover a bowel of food then heated in a microwave forms a water condensate on the food side. This water has concentrated levels of the compounds. In general don’t eat hot food from plastic containers, especially if the container has been heated too.
Excellent comparisons, thank you. I resorted to glueing alfoil (shiny side up) on some parts which worked very well but was susceptible to marks and touching. I will be trying the nail polish for sure!!
Would be interesting to see the nail polish finished with a 2 component high gloss clear llacquer from a spray can.
BTW great 4K video quality on this video 👍👍👍
That’s certainly an idea worth exploring. Thanks!
I'm thinking a 2 part automotive clear coat. I would not surprised however if it ended up delaminating, with half the silver staying on the part and half on the clear coat film. But maybe....
How about a urethane clearcoat instear of lacquer to reduce yellowing?
I must add that the sound quality is superb, apart from all the immensely valuable information.
I would also be interested in how the nail finish does under a 2k clear coat. I would like to “chrome” parts of a bike frame prior to a 2K topcoat, but I know most spray paint chromes do not fare well under clear.
Thank you for this video! Very interesting to see different kinds of techniques - and to see that what i've been using, nail chrome powder, is the winner haha. I've used it on sword props and cosplay armor pieces. It also comes in loads of colors too.
A good no-wipe UV top coats can be hard to come by, because not all of them work with powders, it's very brand-dependent. A non-dry UV top coat that you have to wipe also works - but only if you wipe off the inihibition with a DRY cloth/nail-wipe and really try to rub it clean (Not using any alcohol, because that just removes the tackiness) before buffing in the nail powder. Also, if your dry no-wipe top coat is too "dry" and no powder will stick to it - try applying a teeny tiny amount of uncured coat and rub it in vigorously to just create a tacky surface, apply the powder and then cure.
I've found that using some water-based lacquers also works. I've used Liquitex. Great if you already have a smooth finish that could be ruined with applying the UV resin coat. Airbrush it or paint it with a brush and let it dry for a while until it's not tacky anymore, between 30min-4h or more depending on the brand, and then buff in the powder. I tried coating it with the same gloss afterwards and went OK, i think.
And a quick note with something that needs to be said; normal nail polish top coats will not work, sadly. It has to be the UV kind.
Fantastic video. I would have never thought of using nail polish as a chrome finish. I am going to have to try that out. Thanks for the great information. 👍
Thanks Gene!
Fantastic video on chroming plastics. Thank you so much for providing this for us Pete!!! 👌
If you take the last sample, the metallic nail powder, and spray a clear lacquer over it, my bet is it would look exactly as you are looking for. I've done a lot of woodworking working with veneers and dyes and by lacquering over your final color, and buffing with grits up to 8000-12000, you can get dimensionality that is stunning.
I'm glad I stumbled across your video. I was looking for a way to do purple chrome for a few small parts on a prop. I think the nail powder kit might do the trick.
Glad you found it. Hope it works out for you! Thanks for watching!
I have done fiberglass for may years . I am impressed with the result you got, and expect it could be improved upon with a resin clear coat over the top. In the case of over coating , the first thing is to identify the type of resin . Generally only two types, epoxy or polyester. I expect the nail polish to be polyester. Similar to paint once fully dry / cured it requires scufffing before re coating, this scuffing can show in the finished coat , advise the finest of scuffing mediums. However re coating whilst its still wet avoids this step. What I would advise is getting the painted surface ultra smooth before you begin, avoiding any rub through, as the resin might get under it and cause a reaction. I am very keen to try this myself. I restore cars as a hobby. Genuine chrome is very expensive. Whilst I wouldnt attempt it on something large like a bumper, small parts could work. Especially those that are self made and require filling , being not made perfect to begin with. Cast alloy is also a problem for re chroming, so much so that many chroming places wont even touch it, because the new chrome tends to not stick very well. This could be the solution . Could I also suggest , getting yourself an airbrush, for a quicker and much smoother finish.
Best coverage on this topic yet. Doing the dash on my 68 Charger and have played with Alclad, nail Lacquer, Chrome pens, chrome/ aluminum tape and most of the crappy sprays. Going to go with the powder. Well done!
Good luck with it and thanks for watching!
As I understand it (and memory may be failing me) the 'chrome' on interior automobile plastics is actually 'vacuum anodizing'. There could be some kind of top coat involved too, been over 30 years since I looked into this.
Brother.... I've been looking for this lower-cost at-home solution for painting a chrome finish on plastic for over 30 years, now. I appreciate you demonstrating multiple examples. Thank you, sir!
Haha, I've been "restoring" auto parts since 1990 and learned about chrome nail polish back then from manicurists. You see, the ladies are very particular about the smoothness and gloss of their nail polish. I've always used that one-bottle chrome nail polish, no two-step process, and it's as good as what I saw you do, at least from the video anyway. 😉
Hi - does it stand up to engine bay heat well?
@@markmaynard9626 Don't know. All I can say is do a test and see.
Can you give us some name brands and where to buy it? Thanks!
@@marksmith6091 My wife buys it for me at a beauty supply store. Pretty much any brand will do because they carry major brands. More expensive ones are the better ones. I just used it last week on a 2004 Jeep hood plastic chrome name-badge that was peeling. It's one of those glued on letterings that you'd wreck to get off. So chrome nail polish saved the day.
@marksmith6091 all of the products I used in this video are listed in the video description. The majority of them just came from Amazon.
YOU ROCK! Great information that will be helpful across many crafty, repair, and restoration endeavors.
Thanks so much for sharing these techniques... that nail polish powder is amazing! We'll be using this on a LOT of props from now on. Just wish I knew about this years ago. Thanks again!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for stopping by and good luck with your projects!
"these nail salons have been holding out on us" LOLZ Seriously though, that one looks amazing!
Love the nail polish! FYI...The Spaz Stix makes a special clear coat that doesn't turn colors and protects the chrome.
Some may find Spaz Stix offensive.....I think it's hilarious.
That was fun. Those nail salons do dome beautiful work.
Thank you, Pete! I know how expensive this test may have cost you! And you've saved me even more in money, time and frustration! 🤣I've been making parts in plastic using Smooth-On products for years. Tooling, materials and labor really add up during the 'learning' stages of figuring out things like this, not counting your electro-plating adventures! 🥰🥰🤝
since watching this video 4 or 5 times and then getting some powders, i keep getting funny looks off people like i was either a mark rober porch pirate box victim or i've been out partying at a men only club. but i wear the glitter with pride! my 3d prints look amazing.. electroforming works but lots of prep and stuff to store! The culture hustle is great but for ease but the powders are a bit more forgiving / drying time
awesome video!!!! thank you for changing my workflow forever!
😂
Thank you! You remind me of me in your quest, except with a happy ending. Just what I need for a project that initially struck fear into my heart.
Not planning to chrome anything soon, but when I do, you can bet I will use the nail polish. You saved me lots of time. Thanks.
Very interesting and touches on a subject dear to my heart- the quest for finding the ultimate chrome paint ! well done sir !
Thanks for this. Great video to watch, and very well tested. That nail polish is amazing, but I think I'm going to have to try Rub N Buff silver leaf for Aoshima's upcoming DeLorean release...
Two things that might help you in your quest. First, use TSP to clean the parts. You can get it pre-mixed or as a powder. Second, for a primer use Zinsser 1-2-3 Bullseye. It is a shellac based primer that is good for metal, wood and everything in between. You know what they say about shellac? Shellac sticks to everything and everything sticks to shellac.
I love your description of shellac, even the name is sticky lol
That is a very impressive and surprising result! I wondered if you’d also tried the Molotov paint markers? They do give a very chrome like finish.
Al Clad II? Best mirror finish ever!
I was hoping to propose you a method with uv nail polish when i saw a topic (which i know from my researches), but luckily you have covered it in here. In silver flake method you could polish surface with flakes on it with glossy polished agat stone for high reflective effect (in uv nail method you do simillarly with a spatula). After that you have to apply layer of top coat, otherwise silver will be oxydazing and surfuraizing.
I bought your exact powder kit. Got a supposedly equivalent nail finish from our local Sally Beauty supply, borrowed a light from a nail salon owner my wife knows. I’ve experimented with various drying times but my finish comes out more like brushed chrome or highly polished aluminum rather than mirror chrome. Your finish is immediately shinier than mine.
Work in progress here. I’m still searching for mirror chrome . Mine is going on fishing lures so I have to add a super tough clear top coat which will be another challenge to not kill the shine if and when I find it
As for the electroplate, I stumbled on a UA-cam from a guy from Eastern Europe that electro silver plated plastic. He used graphite spray paint to coat the plastic surface so that it was conductive. It was all a home process in his kitchen
Appreciate all your time and work. It’s a frustrating process. Thx
I had no luck with any of the coatings I tried for electroplating. Graphite, nickel, graphite powder in the mold. The issue I had was the coating wouldn’t stick to the urethane casting. Once you put it in the slightly warm electroplating solution, the coating would peel off the casting. This is a problem specific to urethane castings I believe. Not with attempting to coat plastics in general
I bought the polish, the UV resin gel, and the curing unit. Came out to $50 for everything. After few test for Model Building ( 1/24 - 1/ 16 scale ) ' WOW ' , Game changer.
Smaller Hi-light Parts in chrome or ( metallic colors ) Works Very well and can be worked with or ( painted over ). Now I need ( other colors metallic black- green )
Wow, I’ve already been looking at nail polishes to do a set of wheels for my RC truck, as it needs to be redone. And after seeing this?! No question as from all the others that I’ve seen and their prices, clear winner for someone on a budget! I have to find that stuff! Thanks for the video!!
Ok, well after finishing the video I went to the link that you had posted and added all the nail polish parts and curing light to my cart. I was already on the right track! Thanks again for a great video!
Great video Pete!! The nail polish is the best fake chrome finish I've ever seen!! Second to that would be Molotow Liquid Chrome sprayed outta an air brush!!☻
Thanks so much! I was really happy with how it came out. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the input with the resin and the nail polish, I ordered the exact same setup for a Mack R Model Semi truck i am putting together.
Thank you for this video! Great range of candidates, one clear winner and some also for consideration.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Very cool. You said wow at the same time I said wow at the nail polish part. Great job.
The rub-buff stuff reminds me of zinc antiseize. And that chrome nail powder was actually really cool. Great vid!
Would be interesting to burnish/polish the finishes. Especially the metal coats and see how they respond. I know with the silver leaf quite a shiny finish can result. Also with the silver leaf method you could gold or copper or brass finish with basically the same process.
they lose the shine, apparently the varnish will wear down the pigment
*personal experience
Excellent video. Solved some of the problems I have in duplicating chrome appearing surfaces. Thank you for your efforts.
I used the fingernail polish, and it looks SO good. Thanks for the tips.
I know for fact spaz stix is and works awesome, goes over high gloss black that they sell and you have to buff with microfiber after it's dried , it's beautiful
I am definitely going to be purchasing some of that nail polish in the foreseeable future.
The trick to getting a good chrome paint over plastic/primer is to get your base coat as smooth as possible. If you have a deep gloss black the chrome will lay over it like a wet mirror. If you have any texture at all in the base coat, it will be clearly visible in the metal layer.
There are also a few chrome finishes from the plastic model making hobby, the most common being Alclad 2 Chrome, and Uschi Chrome buffing powder which is very similar to the nail buffing powder but much finer.
Alclad is not suitable for outdoor use.
I’m glad you were able to use the Culture Hustle product. I’ve been a fan of theirs for some time, going back to their first “2nd blackest black”. Unfortunately I have not used any of their products in my own art. They seem like a cool group who “get me” or “I get them”.
Great video! You do a nice job in narration. Thank you. Nelson
Glad you liked it!
My collection of chrome-worn Micronauts thank you!
Definitely need to try the Uschi van der Rosten metallic powder metallizers. Tons of different finishes. Their chrome looks great but the old iron patinas look amazing too
That's pretty awesome. Score on finding the nail polish!
hahaha- I've been crazy for nail polish technology for painting other stuff for a while now. You're right- those guys have been holding out on us artists!
Thanks for the research. I was looking for something to paint or apply to plastic fishing lures to give them a reflective chrome finish. I'll certainly try the nail polish/powder kit.
Nail polish looks good. I sprayed some Ace hardware "interior metallic" , mirrored silver it says, spray paint. Does look good and cap is chrome too.
Great video. I have some nickel plated microphones on chrome stands but the clips are black plastic. This gave me some ideas!
Thank you for your video and testing all of these. The nail powder and gel turned out so beautiful. I don't know how my husband found your video, but I'm so thankful he did. He needs to rechrome the trim for a rare instrument cluster. I am ordering this stuff now. He said, I just need the chrome. You can have the other colors. 🤣 Can't wait to do a test sample and see how it turns out. Thanks again.
Thank you and good luck with the project. be sure to do lots of testing before risking something rare! lol
What a great video. I have been doing a search for chrome paints for scale modeling. I have tried several and can't quite get a mirror finish. If you are looking for a paint, SMS Hyperchrome Cold Tone is about as close as I have come to a real chrome finish.
I have also found a buff on powder similar to the nail powder you found. But it is hard to get. The powder is made by Uschi van der Rosten. Where it differs from your nail powder is you can buff it into any gloss finish. It doesn't have to be a special resin. So it works with regular paints.
Wow Pete, I just found you. What a great video!! Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I don't know if this particular application method would help you but this is a trick I learned from a guy who use to work in industrial plastics and he said the only way to get any decent spray paint to effectively adhere to any plastic is by annealing. The process apparently requires the plastic surface to be heated with either a heat gun or possibly a propane torch until the surface is almost glossy looking, then quickly following with a coat of your chosen paint. I have tried this process on several of my painted plastics projects and the results have been incredible! The paint adhered to the surface much better and the life span/durability of the paint was extended dramatically. Just something to consider if the plastic you are working with can in fact be heated.
Just saved me sooooo much time, thanks for the video !
I was just about to suggest Culture Hustle and you beat me to the punch
Hey there! Thanks for pioneering part of this process. I am very curious in trying the nail polish finish. I am painting a front grill piece on my car, and am curious on a few things.
How does the nail polish finish hold up? This video is a few years old, so I am curious as to how those pieces have held up overtime.
Do you recommend a clear coat? And/or, will it ruin the shine?
Finally, have you discovered anything to make this process easier, or done more testing with these methods? And/or, have you found a way to coat larger objects reliably? The piece I’m painting is fairly big, and I am worried about using a tiny brush on the whole piece. Maybe I can upscale the brush?
I am fairly new to the DIY scene in terms of painting, and I am very very thankful for this video. Your work is incredible, and I plan on doing a lot of testing with the nail polish method. I’d love to stay in touch and share my findings with you, maybe soon there will be a much easier streamline method for mirror chrome. Thank you so much!
A Big Thanks for your time and efforts.
Real good comparison, thanks!
That nail polish stuff is really cool!
Hint when using the leaf or nail polish use a really soft brush to buff it, the stiffer bristle can scuff it. I use a soft kabuki brush
Having some experience of this problem I found these solutions extremely interesting. In my case I had the option of simply removing the parts in question from the vehicle but perhaps I might have acted differently if I had seen this video first.
Back in a past life when I was a plastics guy, I found a company that chromes the fittings for coffins. I used to take my plastic samples to them and get a perfect chrome coating.
Ali express do some great permanent silver markers. It comes out as a chrome liquid and coats really well (not like a sharpie, more like industrial paint pens). I'm not sure it will be child safe paint but it certainly would give you a chromed look on plastic. It's was that good I used it to chrome an aluminium part I turned out for a computer build rather than polishing it.
Thank you for the info this is going on an art piece hopefully it sticks
Thank you for the nice links to what you used
Wow, that nail kit chrome looks amazing! I'm going to put in an order to Amazon.
For indoor stuff like chrome trim on an old radio or other restoration Vallejo Metal Color Chrome and Vallejo Metal Varnish works well and has the added bonus you can get them in most countries in hobby/model stores. It can be brushed on but works best with an airbrush.
cool demo, got to see some 'chrome' solutions i never explored ; ) - i had tried the Culture Hustle but was not.. awed .. that nail polish finish was amazing!
That is one fantastic icon you have for your video.
Ive seen some others mention it as well, but the absolute best results ive ever gotten has been via airbrushing. specifically I do it in 3 parts. 1 ill start with a primer or surfacer paint to better adhere to the plastic. 2, you want an enamel gloss black coat. its important that the paint is slow curing so it can level itself out. 3, chrome model paint. alclad II is the easiest to get in the US and has great results. you go in with a VERY light touch, just barely dusting over the black. after several passes it will look more and more like a mirror. 4, top coat for protection. ive used this with great results on models for a mirror candy coat finish. if you look up "gunpla chrome" youll find many videos of this in practice and the results are incredible
Fantastic video thanks pete. I have just discovered your channel and have subscribed. I look forward to browsing and veiwing your video uploads. Thanks
Awesome, thank you!
I use this on my nails all the time 🤣 I love that you found a great use for it
This IS a great video! Gonna do some 60's car armrests! Thanks
Great video would never have thought of giving the nail polish a go .
7:28 I literally laughed out loud, nearly seemed planned it was so perfect.
7:30 - When I have trouble removing a cover like this, I use a knife blade to lightly puncture it and then rotate the blade horizontally. I've never used this product, but this method is always worth a try. It works for me 99 44/100% of the time.
I just experimented with a technique using resin mixed in with the last mirror chrome paint you tested. I poured the resin over the model and used a hair dryer to remove any bubbles. The results look amazing.
Can you post a pic or vid on your channel? The world has been looking for the best answer to making plastic chrome for a long time!
I enjoy your Bob Ross references 😊.
😂
Good job!!!
Expensive test.
That stuff for nails is amazing,
Was NOT expecting the nail powder to be the one to blow me away lol
I had heard nail polish was the best, looks like you proved it. Rub n buff gives a nice aluminum look.
That nail polish was pretty impressive. I'm going to give it a shot. Maybe coat it with a UV protection clear coat afterwards.
Hi Pete. This was a fun and informative video to watch. Thank you for putting this together. Since you made this video, how has the quality of the chrome nail polish held up over time? I'm thinking of trying this on some interior trim pieces in a late 60's Mercury.
Way to go! Great video and great results! Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!