Chrome hardware painted black?

[dereksilloway]

So I just purchased a 6 string bass. The hardware on it is chrome. Yuck.
I am not a fan of chrome hardware at all.
Now normally I would just buy new parts (bridge, knobs tuners, etc) but because this is a 6 string bass I feel I will have a hard time finding replacement parts.
SO, is there any way I can paint the hardware black and keep it staying black, especially on the bridge were there will be lots of rubbing of metal to metal (string to bridge contact)
Spray paint with spray clear coat?
I dont really know...I want to do this on the cheap, but I naturally want it to look good.
Any ideas?

Thanks!

[Exploiter8]

You must've gotten a great deal if you bought a bass you didn't really like!

X8

[dereksilloway]

the deal was great, and I got it as a toy. I like the bass, and could live with the chrome hardware...but if i can fix it cheap why not?!

[Exploiter8]

I had a chrome microphone stand. I roughed-up the finish with a wire wheel on a grinder, wiped it clean with solvent, then painted it black. I went to collapse the stand (upper tube into the lower) and it scraped a long peel of paint off. I used Krylon or Rustoleom, I don't recall, but I wire brushed it down to the metal and left it.

I've often wondered how well nail polish would hold up on parts such as tuners? Not the binding posts, of course!

Good luck!

[dereksilloway]

Yeah Ive used just like spray paint before but Im more trying to see if anyone knows how I could keep it from chipping with all the rough surfaces scratching up the bridge and tuners.

[tassiespirit]

After you rough up the surface , use an ech primer. This binds better to the metal, then paint thins coats on, til you build up the colour and coverage you need. As usual, over time paint chips but you can just do a touch up when required.

[Caca de Kick]

Paint doesn't stick to chrome. You can't scuff it enough. You'll have to remove chrome for paint to be permenant.

[bunnykeeper]

Originally Posted by Caca de Kick

Paint doesn't stick to chrome. You can't scuff it enough. You'll have to remove chrome for paint to be permenant.

+1

Powdercoating won't work, either. I tried to get the chrome cage from a goalie mask powdercoated, and they told me the chrome would have to be removed first.

[dereksilloway]

mah, so perhaps its just better to deal with it or hope I come upon the parts cheap then?
Chrome removal seems like it would probably be a intensive process.

[fhm555]

If you are lucky and it's just nickel plated (the second step in a triple chrome plating process), which a lot of Asian hardware is these days, it can be blackened. It's not the same as paint and does not look like paint, but it's black and won't scratch off unless you get down into the brass under the nickel.

Do a search for blackening nickel silver. it's a fairly popular way to "antique" brass and nickel plated light fixtures and high end fly rod builders use the process on nickel silver reel seats.

Oh...and the way to tell if you have nickel or chrome is to polish it up real good and put some bright light on it. If the sheen looks blue it's chrome, if it looks yellow it's nickel.

[john grey]

The previous points made by other gentlemen are all on the money. You really can't paint over chrome with any lasting results and if it IS Nickel you'd be luckier but basically if you want to alter the color you're going to either have to do some work or use some chemicals.

IF it's worth it to you to do so; it's not that big of a deal. But there is really no fast, easy method that will LAST, especially over the course of time and contact. If you are not into making a commitment to do some work; get used to it & live with it.

Plate stripping is generally done via a bead/sand blast unit often available at plating companies for small parts. Organic acid will finish the job by removing the copper under-coat and are available as drain cleaner or simply at the same plating firm. The same chemicals that are utilized in gun bluing will create a black that will last for a much longer period of time than paint when contacted by fingers, etc.

[dereksilloway]

well thanks everyone for all the tips and advice.
But I think im just going to live with it!

[allexcosta]

What kind of bass is this that there's no hardware replacement for it?

[dereksilloway]

its one of those super cheap ibanez 6 strings. I just havent seen any indication of there being any black 6 string bridges outside of buying a parts bass. And im not willing to make that kind of commitment.

[pnut166]

Isn`t hydrocloric acid used by relicers to degrade chrome ? Would soaking the parts in an acid bath remove the chrome ?

[prd004]

Originally Posted by Caca de Kick

Paint doesn't stick to chrome. You can't scuff it enough. You'll have to remove chrome for paint to be permenant.

+2 and even then it will only be semi-permanent.

[96tbird]

Search eBay guy! I came up with 40 listings! Shooting gallery full of them. $32 shipped on one.

[dereksilloway]

I guess I didnt look up the right thing! Off to the magical land of EBAY!

[fhm555]

Originally Posted by pnut166

Isn`t hydrocloric acid used by relicers to degrade chrome ? Would soaking the parts in an acid bath remove the chrome ?

It might, but it would take forever. I've tried removing chrome from old motorcycle parts with acid and after a weeks soaking they were dull but other than the shine, nothing more had come off.

The simplest and easiest way to strip chrome if you don't have a sand blaster is to find out if a local memorial maker (headstone carver) would be willing to take on a side job for you. When I was fooling with scooters all the time, the local memorial shop did all my sandblasting for me.

[Strat Hater]

I think you would be better off to gather some money, buy the black bridge, tuners etc... and e bay your chrome parts to re coup some of your expenses.


btw... we need pics of said bass