Frothers Unite! UK

I'm thinking of painting a couple of walkers and fancy doing them in a high shine chrome finish. Has anyone got suggestions for paint combinations and styles that would work for this idea? Would need to be easy to do and easily replicated as I'm a cack handed numpty when it comes to painting

Alclad Chrome if you've got an airbrush (nasty toxic stuff though)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AKxXZXTcY4

not my video but give a good example of how to use.

Humbrol used to do an enamel chrome, might be easier than Alclad.

The stuff you will be painting is too small for chrome to work, it will just make it look toy like. The only effective way to do chrome on a miniature is SENMM but that is notoriously difficult to get right and only really works in photos or on very small areas.

Some of the model aircraft crowd use foil, rubbing it down over the aircraft. Probably not shiny enough and a bit too bonkers though.

Thanks for the replies chaps.
Assuming they are too small for chrome to work properly what would be a good way to do a shinyish metal finish?

You could try using NMM techniques but with metallic paints. Can look really good but I doubt I could pull it off myself (I'm also in the "cack-handed numpty" painter category).

KingSkin wrote:You could try using NMM techniques but with metallic paints. Can look really good but I doubt I could pull it off myself (I'm also in the "cack-handed numpty" painter category).

I'd go with that. Adding some top highlight to the underside of any metallic areas should give you the effect you are after.

The thing with chrome is shouldn't it show reflections?

I'm pretty sure that in Poser the file that is sometimes used to render chrome surfaces is an image of some fancy sportscar with all it's reflections. And when that is mapped onto a surface it gives it a reflective look b/c only a small part of the image is used in any one spot.

Klingsor wrote:Some of the model aircraft crowd use foil, rubbing it down over the aircraft. Probably not shiny enough and a bit too bonkers though.

The stuff you are talking about is shiny - have a look at http://www.bare-metal.com/Using-Bare-Metal-Foil.html or the Hasegawa Mirror finish range - both like flat surfaces though and silver is the closest to chrome from Hasegawa

If you want a small area try the model master range - can be hard to find but works well for RC cars

Tamiya do a pen - looks neat but they can rub off and I have never tried coating them with varnish...