Word on the street, says this chrome paint is good stuff

Apparently its forms a proper reflective chrome like finish, and is bet applied on a black undercoat.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/381339710673

Might work for headlamps?

Interesting

PFM wrote: Might work for headlamps?

Bingo !

I  used VHT (Very High Temperature) paint on Janspeed and Maniflow  Tubular Exhaust Manifolds on my Lotus Cortina and other "Banana Bunch"  Exhausts on my Fords, back in the 70's. 
It was a very good product.

So, who's buying some to test it?

I have 2 cans in the post.

If its good, I might paint my whole cab with it.

The hydro dipping place near me has started doing chrome dipping, may need to look at this in the future as my headlights don't have too many MOT's left in them

Ooo, be great to hear how good it is, I have a spare headlight here ready to experiment with

Oh bollocks.

Oh bollocksy bollocks.

Big massive barstuard.

I have just done a right knob head trick.

So I was having "Great Success" with the oven head light trick...

155 degrees for about 12 to 14 minutes, got both head lights open, no saga:-



Then I picked up the towel which I'd wrapped the 2nd lens in as it was "ruddy hot"...

But I forgot the lens was inside and:-

Boom




So I have basically just smashed a perfectly good headlight lens.

I could cry scream explode etc, but I'm older and cooler than that (!)



So I REALLY need a passenger side head light.

Can anyone help?

Can't help with a headlamp, I can only offer my sympathies. Did you use a black base coat for the chrome paint ?

I have not painted them yet, just broken my dreams instead

Ah okay, I thought the left one in the pic above had been sprayed..

It has by a previous owner, with some non glossy silver paint.

I wouldn't say its chrome, but its not a million miles away.

More than good enough for some reflectors.

Sprays easy and dries pretty quick.

Lets hope it resists the heat from the bulbs.

Looks very good, could be salvation for some vehicles.

HighlyJetted wrote:Lets hope it resists the heat from the bulbs.

I'd be more worried about rain on the n/s one  

How is the beam pattern ?

Not fitted yet, waiting on a lens to turn up in the post

Await with interest

Firstly, remove head lights from van.

Remove bulb, adjuster, and metal bracket.

Stick head light in over, 155 degrees C for about 10 minutes.

Prise lens off, start from the bottom as they tend to not be bonded as well on the lower edge. I use a nice plastic wedge lever type thing. Be careful using metal levers as they will be hard on the glass and make it chip or crack.



Next clean all the original glue putty stuff from the plastic grove and the glass.



Give the reflector a quick rub down with some scotch brite or wet and dry etc, then mask up the plastic with some masking tape.





Now they are dust free, spray up the reflectors with the magic paint. Start with some very thin coats, then finish with a heavier coat to make the finish more shiny.







Once cured, bond the glass back on with clear silicon, put a heavy bead in the grove on the plastic, shove the lens on, then I cable tied the lens in place to cure for 10 hours.

Once cured, refit the bracket, adjuster bulb etc. Then fit back onto the van.







Lights look great, and the beam is more than acceptable.

Good job as we would expect from yourself

Yes, nice job indeed!

Didn't think the chrome paint would work out that great! Let us know how it will stay under the heat of the lights. If it works, than I hope that I didn't already thrown away my old head lights.

Found it

Ok, I've ordered a couple of cans, hopefully here Tuesday
I've got mat black paint here to prime with, it says on the can its "alkyd resin lacquer" is this ok to go under the chrome? Don't want it going all wrinkly! If not there is a shop up town that has some acrylic based spray paint . Don't know if that would be a better option

I didn't prime at all, just rubbed the old chrome/copper etc down with a bit of scotchbrite to key and went for it. Mixing paint systems is a dangerous game.

Fab, that's a lot easier then, I'll get it all smooth and lurverly then wait for the paint to arrive 01.13.2017

You play the dangerous game with this paint as you want the smooth glass finish...

If you lay in on too thin, you get the orange peel dimple effect as with all paints.

Lay it on too thick, it'll run - especially as you're trying to get it into the corners etc of a strange shaped item, unlike a flat panel of a car etc.

Every time I use aerosol paints, I always put the cans of paint in a bucket of very hot water - e.g 60 deg's C, this thins the paint so it goes through the nozzle better and gets a better mist, and it also make the solvents evaporate quicker so it drys quicker, makes it mix better/easier when you shake it too. Then I always warm up the item I am spraying, I spray in a cupboard, or large cardboard box, where I point an electric fan heater into the space just to get the temperature at that sweet 35 deg's C. Again this makes the paint set quickly and stops the droop.

If you spray at ambient temps at this time of year like 5 to 15 degrees, paints take ages to go off, meaning the gaps between coats ends up many hours or even days with some paints. Jack the temperature up to 30 degrees then your painting like a pro in a booth.

I've sprayed whole hijet roof's a couple of times now, sets of alloy wheels, lower halfs of cars that have had welding, motor bike fairings and frames. I can get a near perfect finish even with the mighty rattle can.

Blimey, don't scare me, I've only got one shot at this luckily I sprayed a few random objects over the summer so hopefully I've got the vibe for it now!! Ill whack the heating up and use the hairdryer on the light as well as warming the can up, don't worry I'll ventilate the kitchen after I've finished!