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Alternatives to Chrome


Simpleton7016

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Here's the deal. I am an idiot. I could probably just leave it at that and salvage a little dignity, but that wouldn't be very much fun for y'all. So here is my newest silly question: What are some good alternatives to chrome? I saw a picture a while back of a tractor with chrome wheels. It really looked sharp. I called for a couple of quick estimates to have my wheels chromes and they were all probably more that the machine is worth (not in my eyes, but certainly in my wife's!) Deep down, I am a perfectionist, but as I have said before, with two little boys (ages 1 and 2), I do not have the time to be a perfectionist for a few years. Still, I want to make my tractor look sharp. It certainly does not need to be show quality, just something that they can point to in awe as they watch daddy mowing, throwing, tilling, etc. out the window. Having said that, are there any good cheap alternatives to chrome that will give the wheels a similar look from a distance? There is all kind of spray paint on the market that claims to be shiny like chrome, but I have no experience with it. God knows I have already spent too much to equip my tractors....I just can't justify spending over a thousand dollars for some silly chrome wheels. Any thoughts? Thanks , Erik P.S. I met yet another member from here last night and again, I am amazed at how friendly and genuine he was. That makes 5 or 6 of you whom I have either met or spoke to on the phone. And don't get me wrong, I am not suggesting a "Brokeback Tractor Club" or anything...but I could sit around and talk tractors for hours with any of you. (Actually, I would probably just listen since I have a lot more to learn than to share) And who knows, if my wife ever finds out how much money I am spending, I may just get the free time to hang out! :)
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I just sprayed the front wheels for my 3314HFDT with some Chrome paint from ace hdw. that's not looking too bad. I'll get a picture of one today here sometime for you. Also had a can of mag wheel psint I was gonna use but guess I've had it too long, no squirt power left in the can :(
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I have not seen a good chrome paint yet.It all looks like metallic silver to me.I would paint the rims the original color then add a set of chrome hubcaps.
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I second the hubcaps but the cool alternative is gloss black rims, silver or orange boltheads and white letter tires (done with a can of white vinyl paint and a model brush - just dont let anyone see you do it). I had that look imbedded since Burt Reynolds had that old brown LTD moonshine runner in the Gator McCluskey movies -
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Why not paint the center of the wheel the same color as the tractor. Paint the rim with aluminum or chrome paint. Stud the wheels in the rear and install chrome lug nuts. Paint the letters on the tires with "White Out" correction fluid for correcting typos on papers. I used the White Out on a set of tires and it actually stayed of for several years. It even has the little brush inside the bottle and attached to the cap. Better than most other letter paints that I have tried. Just come up with an interesting paint combination. Here is one of mine.

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Here's a shot of the front wheels on the 3314 I just painted with chrome paint. Not like a real chrome job but they'll turn green next summer with grass clippings anyway:( I might take the hubs off and paint them orange or black yet, if I get in a messin' around mood.

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I have what I call poor mans Chromeing. It wont work on all parts but its cheep and very easaly mistakin for real chrome. Ill look up some supplyers and post some pics of how its done. Oops cant do the pics sorry.
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Looks like the silver they use to paint grain bins. Is it similar? I used that to paint the rims of my WD Allis and it turned out pretty nice. DaveM
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quote:
Originally posted by MPH
Here's a shot of the front wheels on the 3314 I just painted with chrome paint. Not like a real chrome job but they'll turn green next summer with grass clippings anyway:( I might take the hubs off and paint them orange or black yet, if I get in a messin' around mood. [img]/club2/attach/MPH/01.02.chromeys.jpg[/img]
i think this looks pretty good. May look better if you used a black or orange hub cap.
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"poor mans chrome" - I like that. Something like that is what I am looking for Dan. Y'all have given me some other really good ideas too. Thanks. Keep 'em coming too. P.S. Dan, I looked at your profile and love your vac system. I purchased something similar this winter, but yours is significantly bigger! Very nice!
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Ok hers the story. My father builds and flyes his own model RC plains. He picked up some chrome monofiliment/ plane covering, just to be used as accent. The film is heat shrink and heat adhisive to the baulsa wood fram. I have used this stuf to cover auto parts and tracor ext. The plastic film is very hard to work with but with a lot of care and experence I have molded to to a few curved auto parts. The flat struff is easyer, and Im not sure I recomending doing a tractor rim and have much luck. I used up all my dads chrome film real fast and have had a hard time geting the good shinny chrome any place. The heat adhering monfilliment is very difficut to work over hard curved and many dips. Plus it will not look as good if you use to much heat and try to get it over a complex serface. So off and on for the past years I have used somethong like this on a lot of flat stoks. http://www.ngpracing.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=Foliatechfoil&Category_Code=specials This is NOT heat adhearing but a sticker matieral. I an finishing referbing and painting a B10 and painting my B110 this week and plane to chrome the lift arm, and stiring post and a few other parts. Her are 3 keys to making this stuff work without pulling your hair out... 1. Prep- Sand, stop any rust, paint it just as if it was going to be seen to all. The reasion is, the parts has to be very smooth and will hold the adhesive back. Also keeps it weather proof. 2. Cut it to fit perfectly - With the backing still on the film make shure it dose not over lap each end but just a little or not at all. This is the most important part to a good looking job. The seam being small and stright. 3. Adhering - A trick I learned from a old sigh paint on how to adhear sticky back signs,sticker,films and the like. And a key to geting this stuf to stick and NOT have any rinkels. Get a spray water bottle full of warm water add about 1 teaspon of dish soap, may be a little more if you have a larger bottle, mix it up good. Now spray the clean painted flat serface completly with a thin coverage for the soapy water solution. Peal the back off the film/sticker and apply it to the wet serface carefullt. Have ready a small squiegy (I use a small wind sheild blade) and starting in the middle of the film covered peace, work the water out to the ends of the film and with a paper towel mop up the excess water. On a curved peace or shaft to be covered, where you need a stright seam, you might have to start working the water out at the end and work our way around the peace. What the water/ soap mixetur dose is help you slide the film aroud till you like its positin and then work the water mix out and it will stick in that exaxt place. Dont worry if you cant get all the water mixture out compleatly it will dry/evaperate out itself. What you dont want is a bubble of water that you can see traped under the film. It most likly will leave a bubble when dry. Dont press to hard when squiegeeing out the water you can strech the film. After is dyes of a few days and you want it to be as water tight as possable you can get some clear fingernail polish and paint the open edges so outside water/weather wont get under the film. This is not a life time chrome covering but I have seen some of the projectis I have done for others still in use 4 yeras ago. Some was not treated as well and it came off in sort order. Like every think I have found in life a little experence doing this and it gets easier and better looking. Wish I could show you the golf cart I chromed out form a guy But cant do pics anymore. Hope this will inspier you to try it and it wont cost that much. But like i said there are to many curved in a tractor rim for this to work over the intire rimm. It might cover the inside flat peaces well. Hay thanks Simleton7016 I made collection box and adped/fabricated a AC blowe to my Craftsmen. It will hold about 200# of leaves and 300# of grass. I have used it for 2 or 3 years now. The cheep Craftsmen ait much but it dose have a good suck to the deck and the blower aids in geting it into the box.
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Thanks Dan, sounds like a great idea. Have you ever tried to apply a clear coat of paint over the top of your work? It sounds like a great idea, but I pressure wash my tractor often, and I am afraid the washer might shred any decals I may add. You mentioned fingernail polish, I am curious if a clear coat will adhere to this stuff?
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I painted the reflector on my old yard light with that stuff, more like a shiny silver paint than chrome. I would add my vote for a set of chrome moon hubcaps if you are after the chrome look. And I thought I was the only person to like that Burt Reynolds classic "White Lightning"! 429 Cobra Jet - they don't make engines like that one anymore. The follow on "Gator" was a total waste of time though...
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IMO baby moon hubcaps go on something like '67 Chevy Super Sport. They have some rust on them but if anybody wants the two off the 3314HFDT thier yours for the postage.
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  • 3 weeks later...
Dan, did you get your B10 and B110 completed? I would love to see some pictures of your lift arm and the other parts which you used that chrome paper on. Sounds like a great idea, but pending your outcome, I may not have the time or patience to do it correctly. But if it turned out as good as you suggested, I will find a way! Thanks, Erik
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quote:
Originally posted by Simpleton7016
I am not suggesting a "Brokeback Tractor Club" or anything...
It's been done. They collect green tractors.[:0]
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I experimented with a couple of Silver/chrome type spray bombs yesterday. One was infinitely better than the other. Here are the pics. I will still try others, but the Rustoleum Bright Coat was not bad. It was infinitely better than the other can which was very dull! [img]/club2/attach/Simpleton7016/Chromealternative11.jpg[/img] [img]/club2/attach/Simpleton7016/Chromealternative22.jpg[/img]
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Looks good. No Im not finished yet with my two paint jobs. Well there painted and just starting to go back to together. My good camera busted the other day Ill try to get so pic. Now Im off on a trip to Florida to pic up my brothers E-bay stuff, be bak end of the week. You sould try the plactice films, its not that hard. Just get it real smooth and painted, and dont try to cover multy curves.
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I tried clearcoat over chrome paint and it turned it dull, like a silver/gray. Is there a shop that re-chromes bumpers or similar nearby? restroration shop?
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Both my tractors originally came with gray not chrome rims, so I use Rust-O-Leum's gray "hammered" look on my rims. And they look great.
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