Can you Powder Coat over chrome wheels?

I have a set of 4 chrome wheels two of which however the chrome is chipped and looks terrible I was just wondering if you can powder coat over chrome? Will it stick? I know I can鈥檛 sandblast it off and they don鈥檛 make a chemical remover so how do I make the rims usable again?Can you Powder Coat over chrome wheels?
Well, I wrote a book on the subject so let me give it a try:





Chroming; like powder-coating, is adding material to a substrate (the aluminum, steel, etc underneath). If the chrome is chipped then chances are that the initial preparation of the steel and/or aluminum was not prepared properly to begin with and anything you put over the chrome will come off in time, but not as quickly as the chrome itself.





Adding a powder coat (or paint) over chrome will only slow the rate of loss since the powder is bonded to the chrome (more on that later). If the chrome comes loose, anything bonded to the top of it will fall off by default (excepting tension bonding on the edges of the chrome ';flake';).





So, there we go. In short, if the chrome is flaking off then adding a powder coat or paint will simply slow down the process if you do not remove the loose chrome.





My shop has done lots of work on wheels just like yours and here is how we do it:





Strip off any ';flakes'; of chrome that are readily visible. Depending on the material underneath (steel or aluminum), use either a steel or brass wire wheel to get the majority off and smooth. Be agressive here since you want to make sure anything not firmly adhered will come right off. Smooth the edges of the ';good'; chrome and the substrate with a fine wire wheel (finer than for rough removal).





An important part; ';scuff'; any remaining ';shiny'; chrome with a scotchbrite pad, 120-grit wet/dry sandpapaer or a wire wheel with fibers that can truly scuff the ';shine'; out of the chrome. It is painful, but you have to do it to give the powder coat something to adhere on a molecular level when it cures.





Give the wheel a muratic acid bath to remove any oils or contaminates. This stuff is really nasty and dangerous (used to unplug toilets). You can probably get away with Aircraft Stripper which is used to remove paint (I know, no paint on chrome right?) but it will remove all oils, etc. Rinse the wheel VERY well. Rinse again, rinse again.





Now for the fun stuff; put the wheel in the oven for 1 hour at 400 degrees, remove and allow to cool. Using gloved hands (cloth preferred) (so you don't contaminate the part) it can now be powder coated. Do not allow it to sit around for days after this step or dust will settle on it, ruining any future powder coating until the wheel is cleaned again.





At this point, you can powder coat or bring it to an knowledgeable powder coater; not an industrial powder coating shop. Bring it to someone that specializes in high-end automotive and/or motorcycle work since that requires much more attention to detail that coating a lamp post or stop sign.





Finally; since your wheels are already flaking chrome, chances are you may be better off putting them on eBay for someone else to worry about since a truly professional powder coating shop will charge between $100 and $200 a wheel for cleaning up the wheels, smoothing the chrome, dealing with nasty chemicals, rinsing and re-rinsing and finally applying the powder (price goes WAY up with translucents, prismatics, etc). If you decide to do the wheels you have then you can expect a 12+ year lifespan before any noticable ';dulling';. The powder coat itself, if done by a professional shop, should come with a 5 year warranty (curb-scrapes excepted).





It may not be the answer you looking for but too much information is better than not enough. I do work for several of the ';build-it-up'; shows on television shows so I have a fair amount of experience in dealing with these types of situations.





Highest Regards,


PCH_AuthorCan you Powder Coat over chrome wheels?
i powder coat for a living and yes you can properly prep. chrome for powder the chrome needs to be ground off with a 36 grit grinding disc. then an 80 grit to remove grind marks. after that clean it and spray it they will be good as new Report Abuse

It would appear that chrome is neither paintable or powder coatable.





I found this on the web (see the question and answer about this topic):





http://www.finishing.com/224/92.shtml





In their words:





';But, as a rule, chrome is not paintable or powder coatable. You may be able to strip the chrome off the nickel with muriatic acid, and then powder coat it. It's worth trying. Have a plating jobshop strip the chrome off of a few test parts for you.';





Hope this helps. Shame to toss good wheels.
You can have the wheels powder coated.





First they are sandblasted to provide a ';bite'; for the powdercoat to grab.





Once this is done, it's not easy to reverse so make sure you pick the color carefully.
yes they scuff them up and powder coat . but look in the news paper see if you can find used wheels mite be cheaper.but not sure.
i own a repair shop,and no you cant ,it has to have a surface similar to a paint surface to stick real good to if you sand blasted them and prepped them you could,and it would probably last for ever but that's the only proper way to do it,,good luck,i hope this help,s.

Comparing materials for porch railings--vinyl, powder coated aluminum, or composite?

Which is best? Aluminum seems expensive and doesn't have the long warranty? I've only seen composite on decks, not on white porches. How many different qualities are there?Comparing materials for porch railings--vinyl, powder coated aluminum, or composite?
There is a vast selection of composite railing materials out there that are relatively cheap %26amp; have good warranties.


Most home improvement centers carry them, %26amp; have brochures.


Hope this helps, good luck!Comparing materials for porch railings--vinyl, powder coated aluminum, or composite?
This depends entirely on your budget.Anything from resin ,vinyl and wood etc.Vinyl is expensive but is maintenance free.I would suggest vinyl for durabillity and looks.I have treated wood rails painted white and it looks excellent

Filler metal that can be powder coated?

I have an aluminum engine cover that I am going to have powder coated, however, it has a couple holes in it I would like to fill in. The holes on this thing are pretty unsightly. I would like to know what I can use to fill these ugly holes and still allow my part to be powder coated.





I have also heard JB weld will not work with powder coating.Filler metal that can be powder coated?
No, your best best is to just weld it. a good weld and grind and it'll look like new. If your not a welder, a local shop can probably do something like that cheaper that you'd imagineFiller metal that can be powder coated?
Here's a material I know that you can use to weld/ fill the holes using a hand torch. Then just file or grind flush and sand smooth. FYI, some folks in my area sand them through several grits of sand paper and scotch-brite to a high-polish, then anodize them for a really nice look.





http://www.bargainoutfitters.com/cb/cb.a鈥?/a>

How Hot Do Valve Covers Get? Can I Powder Coat, or Is That High Temp?

was going to powder coat a valve cover, but do I need high temp? How hot do they get normally?How Hot Do Valve Covers Get? Can I Powder Coat, or Is That High Temp?
They don't get as hot as the engine block. I've seen some powder coated and they seemed to stand up O.K.How Hot Do Valve Covers Get? Can I Powder Coat, or Is That High Temp?
use a high temp. rustolem paint. the valve cover will get to the water temp of the engine, approx190 degrees. the reason for the rustolem paint, in time the valve covers will rust, and if you use the rustolium paint, the cover will never rust through, and give you a hole in the cover !!!
I can't tell you in degrees how hot they get,but powdercoat will stand much more heat than that.If you need a professional answer call the powdercoat company.
Powder coating will work fine.It will probably outlive the engine!

Hey people i wanna know how 2 powder coat metal properly?

im tryin 2 paint bike parts and wanna know how to make the paint ';powder coat'; last as long as possible!! thxHey people i wanna know how 2 powder coat metal properly?
go to harborfreight.com they have a powder coating system thats reasonable,Hey people i wanna know how 2 powder coat metal properly?
Go to 'Wickipedia' web page, there is an answer there for just about everything,

makeup advice

Can you metallic flake (metal flake paint job) over a powder coated base color?

YesCan you metallic flake (metal flake paint job) over a powder coated base color?
I would suggest that you sand the powder coat with a 180 grit paper then prime the wheels then sand the wheels again with a finer paper 320 or 400 grit would work fine. Then seal the wheels with a sealer, then they are ready to paint %26amp; clear worry free. Today's paints are bad about lifting some bottom coats( because of the hot solvents they take) if their not properly primed and seal prior to painting. Hope this helps.

Should I paint or powder coat my Calipers?

I want to get my Brembo Calipers painted but should I paint or powder coat it?Should I paint or powder coat my Calipers?
Paint will trap in heat and cause your brake pads to get hotter.Should I paint or powder coat my Calipers?
DEFINATLY POWDER COAT
I would just use a high temp engine paint and paint them. That would be easier than pulling them off and powder coating them. Your call though.
There is a specific paint used for brake calipers that is heat resistant and brake fluid resistant. It is much less expensive and less time consuming than powder coating. Plus, powder coating has some definite draw-backs compared to caliper paint.


In addendum: After reading some of the answers given, take this to heart. If you powder coat, you are stuck with that particular color, as powder coating is extremely difficult to get off and redo, plus, a small chip is not repairable without stripping the powder coat off and redoing the job. What does Brembo use.....';Caliper paint';, not powder coating. Also, with powder coating, you will have to re-tap any threaded areas and you have to be extremely careful not to get the coating in the piston region. To reduce heat that you may be ';afraid'; of trapping, there is a ceramic coating that you can have done to your pistons to reduce heat entrapment. That is what we do for the Vipers we race, and we use ';HUGE'; Brembo brakes.
If it was me I would say Powder coat.








Its designed for use in areas such as brakes and looks great. And yes I agree with the person who spoke about heat transfer.
I'd go with powdercoat, or a high quality high temp paint.
Well powder coating will last longer - but the calpier will need to be rebuilt





By using high heat paint like engine enamel


You can spray them and bolt them back on
Powder coat. Paint will melt from the heat.
como esta
powder coat because the paint will get hot and flake off over time
Power coat is much better.