UltraLumen - Chrome Airbrush Paint - 4oz

Please note this product can only be shipped inside Australia only. 

ULTRALUMEN chrome paint is the FINAL BOSS of chrome finishes. It has the finish quality of real chrome metal, with the ease of use of a paint. You can spray it, wipe it, brush it, or even DIP your parts in it!!!!

Designed from the ground up to retain its shine when clear-coated. You can also use a tinted clear to turn your chrome all kinds of different colours!

This chrome paint is new and revolutionary, please read the full application instructions in addition to the summary listed below for tips, tricks and the fine details.

Application Summary:

1. Start with a gloss black base coat with 2K clear as a top coat (at least 3 coats). 1K or rattle can gloss paints are NOT recommended. The base must be as close to glassy and as glossy as possible to achieve a true mirrored chrome effect. The chrome will strongly highlight any surface texture or imperfection. 
2. Ensure the top coat is fully cured before proceeding.
3. Using an appropriate spray gun (.6mm or .8mm HVLP) or airbrush (for minis or very small areas only) apply light coats with high air pressure and low paint volume. Allow these coats to dry and apply an even wet coat, as wet as you can get without drips. Air dry this wet coat to allow the particles to relax and align. Yellowish chrome needs additional chrome applied and will get cooler and neutral once it is built up enough. More application tips are in the full instructions below.
4. Poor reflectivity or splotchiness may have occurred as a result of too light or too heavy an application. If needed, spray the part with 99% Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) through a spray bottle or paint gun, rinsing the part with IPA until the finish is even. Once even, dry with a hairdryer and your part should turn mirrored. Additional coats can be applied if desired.
5. Bake in an oven set at 50C for at least 12 hours. The hotter the better, but ensure not to exceed your part's heat-resistant capabilities. At room temperature leave at least 1 week. Cooler temperatures can result in the chrome never locking in. A 3D printer with a closed chamber and heated bed can make a good makeshift curing chamber. See full writeup below for more detailed information. 
6. The final clear coat has 2 options. 
7. Final Clearcoat - 1k clear coat: Rattle-can;  Dulpicolor clear comes recommended from Digital armory. If using 1k rattle-can clearcoat, a solvent-based clear must be used. 
8. Final Clearcoat -  2K clear. Reducing the hardener and adding thinners is essential for the metal particles in UltraLumen to relax. Your exact clearcoat ratios may vary, please see the full ratios recommended by TDA below in the full writeup. Once this layer is cured, regularly mixed 2k clear can be used after.
9. Yellowed chrome can be offset using a blue tint in the final layers of clearcoat, or using a dustcoat of water-based clear as an interlayer over the raw chrome before applying the final clear coats. Do not apply water-based clear heavily as it will ruin the shine. 

Full Application Writeup: (From The Digital Armory)

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS IS A NEW, REVOLUTIONARY PRODUCT, AND AS SUCH, THERE MAY BE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THESE INSTRUCTIONS AND BEST PRACTICES OVER TIME. YOU WILL NEED TO EXPERIMENT TO FIND WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU!

How to use ULTRALUMEN - NOTE - Use an hvlp paint gun with a .6mm or .8mm nozzle for best results. An airbrush is fine for small pieces like minis or gunpla. SHAKE VIGOROUSLY FOR AT LEAST 30 SECONDS!!!!

1. Standard chrome paint base (black or grey, with 2k gloss clear on top. I prefer grey) - must be EXTREMELY level!!!! The more like glass your basecoat is, the better the end result. I apply three wet coats of high-solids 2K clear.

USING 1K/RATTLE CANS IS NOT RECOMMENDED! I have tested with many 1k as a base, and all have failed. Try at your own risk!

2. Ensure your basecoat is completely cured. If you apply too soon, you may not get a good chrome.

3. First, apply in light coats with high air pressure and fairly low fluid volume and allow these light coats to dry. Then you can follow up with an even wet coat. Allow this wet coat to air dry so that the metal particles can relax. You want as wet of a layer as you can get without a lot of drips/runs. You may encounter beading. If you do, try applying more light coats before the heavier coat. Play around with going heavier or lighter to achieve your goal. The goal here is to get as even of a layer as possible over the entire piece. This is the key to getting a mirror finish. If your chrome is coming out a bit yellowed, that means you need to apply more paint. As the coat gets thicker, the chrome has a cooler hue. A proper thickness results in a perfectly neutral shade, not too warm or cool.

4. Poor reflectivity and splotchiness are the result of poor application (too light or too heavy). This can be remedied by rinsing thoroughly and vigorously with 99% IPA, either sprayed through your HVLP gun or a spray bottle. You need to continue rinsing until the part is a single even colour over the entire piece. Dry with air or a hairdryer and the piece should turn mirrored. You may then apply more coats if desired. Try to get as even a coat as possible.

5. BAKE in an oven set to 50 °C for at least 12 hours. The hotter the better. Bake at the highest temperature your part can take for as long as you can. I have heated some of my parts to 85c for 24 hours or more. Heat of some kind over a period of time is required to lock in the finish before clear. In room temperature, it should be at least a week, if not more. it’s possible that cooler temperatures will lead to the chrome never locking in. try to apply as much heat as your part will take for as long as it can. I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH how important baking is to the end result! If you cannot bake, or your part cannot take high heat, allow the chrome to dry for as long as possible, then apply an extremely dry/dust coat of water based clear like Alclad Aqua Gloss. Allow this barrier to dry, then finish with a solvent based clear to level everything back out.

6. FINAL CLEAR - I have used duplicolor clear in a rattle can with good results. Other 1k clears have not been tested, but it MUST be a solvent based clear. For a 2k clear you will mix your final clear a bit differently than usual.

You will mix a lot less hardener in. Instead of 4:1 like most clears, you will mix it as 8:1. 8 parts clear to 1 part hardener.

It is also vital that you add a lot of thinner/reducer. I mix my clear at -

8:1:4 base:hardener:reducer. This is imperative to allow the metal particles to relax. 

You can let this cure and follow up with coats of regularly mixed clear for a final gloss.

You can also add tints to the final clear to adjust the color of the chrome, or turn another color. If your chrome is turning out a bit yellow after final clear, you can try adding a bit of blue or violet tint to the final clear to offset this. in addition, you can try dusting on a coat of water based clear as an inter layer before your final clear. do NOT apply a water clear heavily, as you will ruin the shine!

NOTE - Ultralumen can also be used as a dip, a wipe on, or a brush on. It can be easy to accidentally overdo the thickness using these methods, which can result in hazing/crazing. If using a brush, make sure it has very fine bristles. If wiping, use a blue shop towel, or a suede microfiber applicator. Again, getting an even layer is of the utmost importance!