Cromovelato bike paint - 2 techniques for successful chromvelato

Do you own a bike and want to customize it in cromovelato style ?

This is possible using 2 different techniques, which we will explain to you below in this article dedicated to the technique of cromovelato bicycle painting.

Chromvelato is a gorgeous finish that combines the effect of chrome with a transparent candy-like color.

In the jargon of painters, these translucent colors are called “Candy”.

The principle of cromovelato is simple with a first metallic coat of chrome paint or mirror polished metal, then a second coat of transparent Candy color.

The result of the cromovelato technique is a color from the light that bounces off the chrome paint and is colored with the Candy clearcoat.

Here are the 2 techniques to perform the cromovelato technique on your bike frame.

1. Cromovelato technique with Chrome paint + Candy clearcoat

For this first technique, you will absolutely need to have a paint gun to be able to carry out the colored varnishing.

This technique has the advantage of being able to be carried out on any type of bottom, even carbon, that is to say that you will be able to use your frame of bike stripped or painted with its old paint.

It’s a multi-layered system, here’s the detail :

With the colored chrome bicycle paint kit, you will have all the products to achieve the cromovelato effect.

For this first technique, you will absolutely need to have a paint gun to be able to carry out the colored varnishing.

It’s a multi-layered system, here’s the detail :

With the colored chrome bicycle paint kit, you will have all the products to achieve the cromovelato effect.

create the grip with a 500 sanding and clean the surface well before painting
apply the black base provided in the kit
follow in stride with the ceramic clear undercoat necessary for the chrome effect. Allow at least 48 hours of drying. The harder this clearcoat, the better your chrome effect will be
apply the chrome paint. It is a liquid paint made up of mirror aluminum particles. It takes a very small amount to cover an entire frame. At least 48 hours of drying.
Apply the Candy clearcoat : this is a completely transparent colored clearcoat which allows the passage of light thanks to its dyes. Different from pigments, dyes allow light to pass through and color it. The varnishing technique is the most delicate step and it requires a specific way of applying the varnish in order to maintain the chrome mirror effect. This is explained in the paint kit page.

2. Cromovelato technique On the raw and polished metal frame

Here is a method accessible to anyone and which does not require a spray gun. This paint can be applied, in a single step, with the two-component varnish aerosols offered by the Stardust Bike range.

This technique is only possible with steel or aluminum metal frames.

The first step will be stripping the frame to get to bare metal.

It will then be necessary to polish the metal to obtain a chrome effect. The glossy frame will perfectly reflect the light and your image like a mirror.

All polished metals are particularly difficult to snag. If any paint or varnish is applied to their surface, then detachment is assured. Most metal adhesion primers are not effective on chrome or polished metals.

You have to use what is called a primer for chrome, transparent in nature and very thin, which is called silax. This very specific product can be found in aerosol or jar format.

Here are the 2 steps :

apply the silax, in one or two thin coats. Do not wait to cover this primer which dries particularly quickly, i.e. apply the next coat within 2 or 3 minutes.
Apply the Candy clearcoat, in 2 or 3 coats.