You will need an airbrush, preferably double-action. For projects
larger than 6 x 6 inches, you should use a standard HVLP spray gun.
We recommend a half- or full-mask respirator, even with small jobs.
Shake before use. Mirra Chrome is an acetone/alcohol-based paint. No reducer
needed.
The key to a successful mirror-like shine is with a glass smooth
surface, free of dust and other imperfections. If your material does
not already have a very smooth finish, the quickest way to get that
is by spraying 1 coat Lightning Clear. This will air cure in 4 hours, as opposed to 24 hours for Mirra Clear or, a week for Speed Clear. The usual method is with an airbrush
or paint gun. If the 4-hour cure time isn't required, you can use Mirra Clear instead, as both the base and top clear.
Do not wet sand: You want as smooth as possible a finish. If you must sand, buff to a glass smooth shine afterward. Before spraying the chrome paint, clean
your surface of dust with air or a dry cotton cloth. A mirror shine will reveal every detail. (If buffed, clean with a cloth wetted with half alcohol/water, and clean again ... ALL residue must be removed!)
This paint reflects its background, unless more is sprayed, then
it doesn't matter. I have found that when working with metal ON SMALL PROJECTS, it
is best to strip off all the paint and clearcoat the metal: No primer. However,
if you use a primer, or your surface has color other than metallic,
these are the results I’ve seen:
1) Black background — Dark mirror
shine, like mica. You can lighten this up with more chrome paint. NOTE: Many including Alsa say that black is
the best background to begin
with.
2) Silver, metallic or grey primer background — Best
background for me on small projects, next to chrome itself (I have used bare metal,
clearcoated). NOTE: For large jobs, use a black base, since it's
easier to see the chrome go on.
3) White — Produces a high shine,
but you have to use more paint than usual.
4) Other colors: You can produce a nice
effect over colored backgrounds by giving them a highlight of chrome,
without fully covering them.
• Over your base, spray your clear coat. The idea is to get it glass smooth. Let it cure, as indicated above. Now you are ready for the MirraChrome.
• The key is to spray very little Mirra Chrome with a high
volume of air. You want to “mist” on the paint. This
will result in a mirror shine with some dust left over that you
can wipe off. I use a double-action Iwata Eclipse HP-BCS airbrush
and have the pressure at 45-55 psi. I have used 20 psi for
a HVLP paint gun (Iwata LP-H50), with the volume down. Start out
with a very light mist and work your way up as you get experienced.
TIP: When airbrushing small parts (less than a
dime), it is possible to spray full volume, point blank and get a
mirror shine.
• Keep spraying back and forth until you see the mirror reflection
from the paint. If you spray too heavily the finish will look dull
and you may have to start over. Wait at least 4-6 hours (I wait a full day) before very
lightly brushing off the excess paint dust with a cloth, like a cotton
T-shirt. If you happen to rub off the paint, just airbrush some more
on.
• At this point you may try different coloring methods,
unless you want straight chrome. Alsa has candy
colors, which can be mixed with thinner, color blender, or
clear.
- Spray whatever color or combinations over the chrome: This is the way to go IF you are doing a color fade. Mix candy concentrates up to 1:10 with high gloss acrylic thinner. The
colored finish won’t
look good until it is clearcoated.
-The other method is to tint
your clearcoat: This is the way to go if you are doing one color.
TIP: IF you are painting an area that won’t
be handled or exposed to the elements, you can leave a straight
chrome paint job without clearing it.
• Finish up by spraying a poly-urethane clearcoat. If the paint
isn’t dry enough, the shine will decrease a lot unless you
have colored it.
TIP: Before clearcoating, you can try the second
method of coloring. Using a candy concentrate such as provided by
Alsa, add the color into the clear before spraying it. Also, I have found that your shine has a better chance if you clearcoat it fast. Don't go light, just sneak up on the thing and nail it with clear.
Clearcoating over uncolored chrome paint is one of the trickiest
parts of the process, so be careful. Spray it wet and fast. (NOTE: This is if spraying other than Mirra Clear, which is easiest to apply.)
TIP: If your finish dulls too much after spraying
the clear, there is a solution other than starting over. After the clearcoat has cured,
go over the job once more with chrome paint, but very lightly.
Then let dry and clearcoat one last time. The lighter second coat
is less likely to dull because there is less of it to interact
with the clear.
• Let the whole job cure before any final sanding or buffing you
may wish to do.
NOTES
HEAT: After the chrome paint is applied it can withstand high heat,
which will increase drying time. It may also increase the shine.
ADHESION: Mirra Chrome contains a self-etching solvent that allows
it to stick to the smooth clearcoat base far better than most products.
However, you will probably want to protect it with a topcoat, since
it can still rub off.
DRY TIME: The paint dries very quickly, so you can polish and add
color from 15 miniutes after spraying it. I prefer to wait a day.
