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For those of you who have shot a variety of "chrome" powders, I have a couple of questions and a request for advice.
First of all, let me explain that this is a hobby for me. I use an Eastwood Hot Coat gun because it was inexpensive and I had no plans to do more than a few parts for myself. I simply cannot justify the cost of an adjustable or corona discharge type gun; this is not a revenue stream for me. I am willing to accept that as a limitation; should the answer to my questions boil down to "get a better gun" then I'm prepared to send my parts elsewhere to get the results I'm after.
All my questions are in reference to chrome powders and their post-treatment; if you have no experience with these powders, I'm not really interested in hearing from you. (No offense meant; you're simply not the target of this question in this is public forum.)
1) The two chrome powders I've used may be the same; they look identical to me once cured. One is Eastwood's "reflective chrome" and the other is PBTP "ultimate chrome." Both of these products claim to require a clear coat and three types of clear I've tried severely "darken" the finish.(*) Is this normal? (The clears I've tried are Eastwood's "ultra clear low-temp," PBTB's "super durable high-gloss crystal clear" and "diamond acrylic clear.")
2) I'm very happy with the look of the chrome powders after application; every part I've done comes out highly reflective, very smooth and I was initially impressed with the powders. It's close enough to the real thing that it's difficult to tell in photos that it's not real chrome and as I said, I'm very happy with the results. I've read elsewhere that the PBTP "bonded chrome" does not require a clear coat, but is suggested for UV protection and "mar resistance." What is your experience with this powder? Is it as "bright" as the ultimate chrome? Does it truly need a clear-coat in low-duty applications?
Finally, my request for advice; I'm prepared to hear that I'm just being too demanding of these products. I understand these powders are on the forefront of the technology and this process simply isn't going to duplicate true chromium plating. I don't expect it to and again, I'm happy with the pre-clear coated parts. Please help me understand, from your customer's satisfaction with your preferred "chroming" method, how I can get the best results with the equipment I have.
You may recall my earlier issues with clear powders; I have overcome these issues with a new IR gun and some confidence in my oven and the powders themselves; I believe I was "checking" my parts too often, preventing the parts from ever coming up to temperature and my IR gun simply wasn't up to the task.
Thank you in advance for your consideration and your advice. Please be honest; I have no disillusions that I may well not be equipped or prepared to get the results I want.
-Deek
(*) By "darkening" the part I mean that the parts are still reflective, shiny on the surface, but the quality of the reflection is flawed... see the images below that illustrates the reflection in two parts that have been chromed identically, and one clear-coated with PBTP's acrylic clear. (My favorite clear so far)
[EDIT] Edited to add email notification. [/EDIT]
First of all, let me explain that this is a hobby for me. I use an Eastwood Hot Coat gun because it was inexpensive and I had no plans to do more than a few parts for myself. I simply cannot justify the cost of an adjustable or corona discharge type gun; this is not a revenue stream for me. I am willing to accept that as a limitation; should the answer to my questions boil down to "get a better gun" then I'm prepared to send my parts elsewhere to get the results I'm after.
All my questions are in reference to chrome powders and their post-treatment; if you have no experience with these powders, I'm not really interested in hearing from you. (No offense meant; you're simply not the target of this question in this is public forum.)
1) The two chrome powders I've used may be the same; they look identical to me once cured. One is Eastwood's "reflective chrome" and the other is PBTP "ultimate chrome." Both of these products claim to require a clear coat and three types of clear I've tried severely "darken" the finish.(*) Is this normal? (The clears I've tried are Eastwood's "ultra clear low-temp," PBTB's "super durable high-gloss crystal clear" and "diamond acrylic clear.")
2) I'm very happy with the look of the chrome powders after application; every part I've done comes out highly reflective, very smooth and I was initially impressed with the powders. It's close enough to the real thing that it's difficult to tell in photos that it's not real chrome and as I said, I'm very happy with the results. I've read elsewhere that the PBTP "bonded chrome" does not require a clear coat, but is suggested for UV protection and "mar resistance." What is your experience with this powder? Is it as "bright" as the ultimate chrome? Does it truly need a clear-coat in low-duty applications?
Finally, my request for advice; I'm prepared to hear that I'm just being too demanding of these products. I understand these powders are on the forefront of the technology and this process simply isn't going to duplicate true chromium plating. I don't expect it to and again, I'm happy with the pre-clear coated parts. Please help me understand, from your customer's satisfaction with your preferred "chroming" method, how I can get the best results with the equipment I have.
You may recall my earlier issues with clear powders; I have overcome these issues with a new IR gun and some confidence in my oven and the powders themselves; I believe I was "checking" my parts too often, preventing the parts from ever coming up to temperature and my IR gun simply wasn't up to the task.
Thank you in advance for your consideration and your advice. Please be honest; I have no disillusions that I may well not be equipped or prepared to get the results I want.
-Deek
(*) By "darkening" the part I mean that the parts are still reflective, shiny on the surface, but the quality of the reflection is flawed... see the images below that illustrates the reflection in two parts that have been chromed identically, and one clear-coated with PBTP's acrylic clear. (My favorite clear so far)
[EDIT] Edited to add email notification. [/EDIT]
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