Love affair with Chrome OT

[Frank Elder]

Has anyone dealt with chroming plastic, I think that the control knobs would look better if they matched the trim on the dash.

There are several vendors in Hemmings that provide this service.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Chrome would be different but I think the contrasting color is great..the D24 dash is mucho chrome as it is...

[BobT-47P15]

Frankie, if you can find one of those plastic platers.....you might have them

do a couple knobs to see if they look good that way. If they plate them,

will the lettering show thru that.....so you'll know what the knob operates?

[Niel Hoback]

Plastic platers can be found in model car magazines and yes, the plating is thin enough that letters will show up nicely. It ain't cheap though.

[Frank Blackstone]

I used the Killer Chrome 3 step kit from Alsa paint company in California. It worked well for me on a convoluted dash I made. You will have plenty of material to do many knobs. The kit was about $100.

[Frank Elder]

Frank, can you explain this kit and how it is applied? What did you "practice" on first?

[Frank Elder]

Thank you guys.

[David Maxwell]

...some of those cracked knobs. Can they plate over plastic filler like Bondo? Maybe the Killer kit would work best for this? Just some thoughts. I have quite a few old cracked and crumbling knobs lying around. Might have to try it.

[JerseyHarold]

I've thought about this for a while and it may work. Try copying the Killer Chrome application process with regular paint and see what happens? Black paint, aluminum paint, then clearcoat.

[Plymouthy Adams]

you get a rich stain finish with the so called chrome you get at wally world after clear coating..its just not a reflective paint from the get-go

[Andydodge]

The best spray on type chrome finish is Alclad 11 Chrome paint, bar none, I own a hobby shop, www.scaleautomobilia.com.au and have been building models for 40+ yrs, Alclad is available at hobby shops, there is about 20 different metalizers, most of which suit aircraft/military modellers, however the Chrome finish is as close to chrome plating you will find......it is available in small bottles and spray cans.....it is sprayed in one or 2 mist coats over a Gloss enamel base coat, the gloss enamel provides a reflective shine over which the Alclad Chrome paint effectively changes to a chrome like shine, it is better than any other sprayed on finish.......the only downside is that it may not be up to being used in areas subject to handling such as dash knobs.....it can be sprayed with clear however this tends to dull the chrome shine.......trust this helps, andyd

[steveplym]

...some of those cracked knobs. Can they plate over plastic filler like Bondo? Maybe the Killer kit would work best for this? Just some thoughts. I have quite a few old cracked and crumbling knobs lying around. Might have to try it.

That might not be a bad idea David. Maybe use a spot putty type of filler and sand it to perfection. Then you could paint the knobs a color close to original and paint the letters on the front. If I get some time I've got an old throttle knob I may play with. I'll have to how it works.

Also may use a steering wheel repair kit. I've seen epoxy in several parts catalogs to repair the cracks in a steering wheel. That may work better as filler seems to not be as flexible.