Is it possible to get a bright chrome finish on wood?

[Brisso57]

Well obviously, not directly ... but I'm interested to find out if anyone has achieved an acceptable bright chrome finish on an MDF or ply speakerbox.

The trick would be to have the appropriate intervening sandwich layers, I imagine.

Doug

[Geek]

My guess is anything can be done, but it'll peel and flake eventually... like the chrome on my coffee maker

Cheers!

[Wardsweb]

The only thing I can think of that would be even close would have you spray the cabinets with automotive chrome paint and let it dry. Then cover the cabinet with bar & table top epoxy resin. You mix, pour it on, spread it around and it will level itself. It dries hard and looks like glass. You would need 20 coats of lacquer or polyurethane to equal this.

[pikkujöpö]

How about gluing a thin stainless steel sheets and polishing them to superb shine ?

[Ron E]

How about gluing mylar film to the panels?

[el`Ol]

There are self-adhesive foils, e.g. from Oracal.

[Droidiphile]

Originally Posted by el`Ol

There are self-adhesive foils, e.g. from Oracal.

The model airplane hobby uses many different self-adhesive heat-shrinkable plastic foils in many different metal-look-alike tones to make accurate scale models of various aircraft. Super shiny chrome is one of them. I don't think these are the colors you want, but they are fuel proof, so you could feasibly have a Molotov Cocktail mixing station right on top of your speakers. That's always an added plus for any audiophile quality speaker system !!! Plus, they are made of polyester film, so the covering will be good next-door neighbors for your capacitors.

On a more serious note, you can buy them in relatively large rolls. Foils do not tolerate abrasion and/or scratching very well. You can certainly use the "epoxy clear coat" method over the foils, but that comes with it's own set of problems, as opposed to spending huge hours with rubbing compound on lacquer... As an alternative, Rustoleum makes a super-shiny chrome spray paint.

Good luck !

[Brisso57]

Originally Posted by pikkujöpö

How about gluing a thin stainless steel sheets and polishing them to superb shine ?

Thanks but the design I have in contemplation has box corners rounded on all axes, i.e. doubly curved. I think the junction between metal sheets would show ... & especially with any dimensional variation due to atmospheric moisture.

Doug

[Brisso57]

Originally Posted by Wardsweb

The only thing I can think of that would be even close would have you spray the cabinets with automotive chrome paint and let it dry. Then cover the cabinet with bar & table top epoxy resin. You mix, pour it on, spread it around and it will level itself. It dries hard and looks like glass. You would need 20 coats of lacquer or polyurethane to equal this.

Hmmm. Interesting. Would there not be a problem in that you could only coat the horizontal surface at one time?

Doug

[Brisso57]

Thanks Ron E, El Ol & Droidiphile.

My concern is with applying a film over a doubly-curved surface. I don't see how to avoid laps.

Doug