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Message started by sbaugz on 02/05/11 at 14:08:17

Title: question about painting headlight bucket
Post by sbaugz on 02/05/11 at 14:08:17

I took my headlight bucket off and plan on painting it black. Looks like its actually made from plastic with a chromed coating over the top. Anyone ever paint these? I was thinking using Krylon fusion, which is made for plastic and forms a bond between the paint and plastic. I was kinda thinking the chrome coating should be stripped first. Anyone with experience doing this?

Title: Re: question about painting headlight bucket
Post by james may on 02/05/11 at 14:17:50

I do know that using solvents and abrasive strippers on plastic can easily mess up the finish(scored and uneven).. I'd just clean it good with a gentle solvent and paint it with the krylon.

Title: Re: question about painting headlight bucket
Post by jrm8486 on 02/05/11 at 14:20:59

I was going to paint mine but saw that the cable might rub.

Title: Re: question about painting headlight bucket
Post by MotoBuddha on 02/05/11 at 14:30:43

Sand it with 400 grit just to take the shine off the chrome, not to remove it

Degrease it with mineral spirits

Spray it with DupliColor primer

Lightly dry sand primer with 600 grit just to knock down the fuzz

Spray it with DupliColor color of your choice as per instructions on the can

Spray it with a couple of coats of DupliColor clear coat as per instruction on the can

Wet sand with 1000 and 2000 grit paper

Rub it with polishing compound

Wax it

Title: Re: question about painting headlight bucket
Post by einheit13 on 02/05/11 at 20:26:41

795B405B764150505C55340 wrote:

Why do people always want to use primer?? Primer does not stick as well as paint.
Sand it with 220, wet sane it with 360/400. Clean it with mineral spirits (100% spirits) hit it with Duplicolor adhesion promoter, then paint it.

If you don't want to spend much cash, use a scotchbrite pad or course steel wool to scuff it up and then paint it with whatever you want. VHT epoxy (roll bar) paint works really well and actually makes a skin. I do this with chrome parts all the time. Remember, it has a chrome [/s]plating on it so paint for plastics does you no good. Chrome is metal....

Title: Re: question about painting headlight bucket
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 02/05/11 at 22:24:55

Why do people want to use Primer? Really? You asked that?

Duuude,, Come Onnn,, thats NOT the question to ask here.

The question that needs answered is....

Why would anyone want to paint anything that wasnt rusting or somehow desperately in need of paint? You guys who can paint, I envy almost as much as guys who can dance. Almost

Title: Re: question about painting headlight bucket
Post by sbaugz on 02/06/11 at 05:41:45

4F5056514C4B7A4A7A42505C17250 wrote:

Why would anyone want to paint anything that wasnt rusting or somehow desperately in need of paint?

I want to paint it because I am making all the shiny little chrome pieces black on my RYCA cafe racer. Its the look I am going for.

Title: Re: question about painting headlight bucket
Post by sbaugz on 02/06/11 at 05:47:20

7D6264637E7948784870626E25170 wrote:

Why do people want to use Primer? Really? You asked that?

Title: Re: question about painting headlight bucket
Post by einheit13 on 02/06/11 at 07:33:46

6F7076716C6B5A6A5A62707C37050 wrote:

I meant on chrome or aluminum parts. And you must also understand that 'primer' is a generic term. Primer by itself does not inhibit rust, nor does it help paint stick. Primer fills scratches, primer gives you the ability to add material to hide/cover imperfections. You don't want to sand away the base material, so you spray it with primer. you want a temporary 'shield' from the elements...you use primer.

You want to seal off something, you use an etching primer or primer/sealer. Flat spray paint works better than primer. Why is there no primer under good powder coating?? Why no primer under electroplated parts?? Why no primer under painted aluminum??

Unless you need to fill some scratches, don't wanna change the profile of the part when sanding, or you have a lot of plastic filler (which soaks up paint like wood) leave the primer on the shelf and use paint.

It may take a little more paint to cover, but use as little primer as you can. Ask any real painter and he will tell you, primer is for bare metal only, or as a tool to gauge the flatness of a panel when you use 2 different colors. Prime it gray, mist coat with black. When you sand it down, any shiny spots mean its high, dark spots (black primer) means its low....

Title: Re: question about painting headlight bucket
Post by einheit13 on 02/06/11 at 07:45:10

312023372538420 wrote:

[quote author=7D6264637E7948784870626E25170 link=1296943697/0#5 date=1296973495]Why do people want to use Primer? Really? You asked that?

I agree with einheit13- in this case maybe primer isn't a great idea. While I haven't painted chromed motorcycle parts before, I have painted tons of radio control trucks and cars with chromed parts. I have used duplicolor and various other paints on these parts and the paint just doesn't seem to stick as well when primer is used underneath. It seems to flake off.
My experience, is that the chrome finish needs to come off for best results prior to painting. With my R/C trucks, I would soak in bleach or degreaser overnight and the chrome plating comes right off. Soaking in brake fluid overnight works too. I am just not sure I want to experiment on a $100 part off my motorcycle for this. [/quote]

Chrome on your bike is harder that that on your R/C parts. Chrome is hard. You must scratch it up really well. The adhesion promoter is like glue. It will adhere to the scratches in the scuffed chrome and bond with it the surface. When you apply the paint, it will react like epoxy and join together with the paint chemically, making them effectively one single unit. It works rather well.

Title: Re: question about painting headlight bucket
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 02/06/11 at 08:23:30

Hey, I just used your reasonable point to work toward sayin what I wanted to say, which is, Why Paint, EVER.. of course I understand you guys want to make it look like you want it to look & youre willing to do the work & go thru the learning curve to get there. Im glad he said what was said about primer, I had no idea. Its interesting reading, I just like to be a wiseguy.. pay no attention to me in a paint thread, Im just along for the ride.

Title: Re: question about painting headlight bucket
Post by MotoBuddha on 02/06/11 at 08:55:29

Why use primer?

Because all the professional painters can't be insane.

Title: Re: question about painting headlight bucket
Post by einheit13 on 02/06/11 at 13:27:02

684A514A675041414D44250 wrote:

Why use primer?

Because all the professional painters can't be insane.

And the same on the other end...and define professional.... ;)

Title: Re: question about painting headlight bucket
Post by einheit13 on 02/06/11 at 13:29:26

302F292E33340535053D2F23685A0 wrote:

The learning curve is what I'm talking about. I've had paint flack off chrome with a simple washing. Stopped using primer and that fixed that issue.

Title: Re: question about painting headlight bucket
Post by bill67 on 02/06/11 at 13:50:46

Do they make a good chrome color paint?

Title: Re: question about painting headlight bucket
Post by kingart3 on 02/10/11 at 16:26:07

Rumor has it the headlamp shell gets HOT! I wonder if it gets hot enough to need a high temperature paint?

-Hal

Title: Re: question about painting headlight bucket
Post by Mega on 02/11/11 at 03:49:57

I painted a a chrome plated plastic headlight bucket on my kawasaki and for some reason the chrome split and lifted from the plastic in a couple of places. I don't know why it did that.

I ended up stripping the chrome off by soaking it in bleach, and the remaining copper layer with ammonia.