Re: Painting hubcaps-

Posted by HH56 On 2010/2/9 20:14:49

One method I and others have had success with when the painted area is below the chrome is to carefully mask off as much as possible then use spray paint over all including the exposed chrome.

It will take some experimentation and probably a few tries to get conditions just right but essentially, let the paint dry to slightly tacky then wipe the excess off the raised chrome with lacquer thinner leaving just the paint in the recessed areas.

To wipe, use a dampened but not soaking wet cloth stretched over a hard object (wood) so just a minimum of cloth is able to get into the recession so cloth stays above the paint.

The trials will be to determine just how tacky to let the paint get and just how damp & thick the cloth needs to be. Too dry a paint will be hard to remove, too wet will run and too much lacquer thinner will squeeze and run onto the paint.

I have not tried it, but some have mentioned lightly wiping the chrome with a waxed rag similar to that used for the lacquer thinner first. You would have to be careful not to apply so much that it gets into the area paint will be in. It might work as the wax is supposed to prevent the paint from sticking to the raised chrome making removal easier.