Black Chrome Plating

CalChrome's New Black Chrome Hybrid Finish

What is CalChrome Black Chrome?

Our Black Chrome Hybrid Finish can be applied to most metals and plastics. Combining the reflective properties of traditional chrome electroplate and the sporty look of today’s custom black finishes, the result is a finish that creates depth and unique shades, depending upon lighting conditions – from bright reflections to an almost solid, high-luster black. The process combines true chrome electroplating, CalChrome’s proprietary Black Chrome Transparent Layer, and a high-end automotive clearcoat. Due to the high gloss clear coat, direct exhaust components cannot be done with our process. See Gallery

Table Of Contents (Click Below To Get Started)

1. Pricing & Turn-around time
2. What can be Black Chromed?
3. Our Black Chrome Hybrid Finish Over Different Substrates
4. Black Nickel VS Our Black Chrome Hybrid Finish
5. Payment
6. Our Black Finishes
7. Take It To The Next Level
8. Why choose CalChrome?
9. Jay Leno – Black Chrome
10. What is the difference between Black Chrome & Chrome?
11. Colored Chrome Options
12. Black Chrome Center Caps
13. Fusion Coat Options
14. Is there darker Black Chrome?
15. How does our Black Chrome differ?
16. Fixture Marks
17. Hybrid Transparent Finishes
18. How Do I Get Started? Step By Step Instructions On How To Send Your Wheels/Parts To Us

Pricing & Turn Around Time

For wheels and all other custom projects please send us photos to help us estimate your job correctly. Wheel pricing varies by size, design, and the amount of prep required. Pricing for premium Black Chrome starts at $395, per wheel, for 1 piece automotive wheels. For others, please contact us. Processing varies depending on the type of part and wheel. Please call us at (661) 294-0170 to discuss your specific details. All other custom processing requires that you contact us. Due to the custom nature and manufacturing technique involved with Black Chrome finishing, processing time is slightly longer than traditional chrome due to additional processing and this does NOT include transit time. Payment is required prior to any work being performed. Payment for black chrome work is accepted via Personal / Company check, PayPal, Visa / Mastercard or Money Order. Payment can be sent along with the wheels and the Customer Instruction Sheet. This will help expedite processing time. If you are unsure of the work to be performed, we can upon receiving your wheels, send you an estimate once we have determined what work needs to be performed and collect at that time.

PAYMENT

Payment is required prior to any work being performed. Payment for work is accepted via Personal / Company check, PayPal, Visa / Mastercard, Money Order, and Bank Wire Transfer. Do not send payment along with the wheels. We will ask for payment once the wheels arrive. We will send you an invoice via your provided email address. Please make sure this is an email address that you check regularly.
** For rechroming of wheels and parts, WE DO NOT accept credit cards for payment. Local customers can drop off and pick up to save freight costs. Los Angeles sales tax is 9.5%. No sales tax if shipped outside of California. All prices estimated are in US Dollars. All out of country orders Bank Wire Transfer is the method of payment. In review, once we have received payment the processing of your wheels or parts begins. If for some reason you have not heard from us requesting payment for processing after your parts have arrived, please double-check that we have received your payment.

What kind of wheels & parts can be finished in Black Chrome?

Almost Anything. We have developed different manufacturing techniques to produce our Black Chrome Hybrid Finishes. Depending on the type of part or wheel we are working with will determine which process produces the best results. Often times a combination of these different hybrid processes will be utilized. Traditional Chrome Electroplate is the most favorable base coat due to its reflective properties. High Luster Polish and Polished Stainless Steel are the next best options. Next, we apply our Proprietary Black Transparent Layer, followed by a high-end automotive clear coat to protect & enhance this premium finish. Due to Black Chrome’s inherent reflective properties, light and shadows change its appearance. Only in person can you truly appreciate this unique finish. We can Black Chrome just about anything imaginable. Automotive, Marine, UTV-ATV, Motorcycle, and Industrial projects. Send us pictures of what you want to be done. We will send you an estimate.

* Our finish is a non-PVD black chrome process. Our method eliminates the orange peel dilemma associated with PVD coatings. Our finish is not a black nickel finish which tends to tarnish and fade over time due to UV damage.

OUR BLACK CHROME HYBRID FINISH OVER DIFFERENT SUBSTRATES

Black Chrome Over Chrome

Black Chrome Over Polished Aluminum

Black Chrome Over Stainless

Black Chrome Obsidian On Various Substrates

Black Chrome Over Chrome Plastic

Black Chrome Over Machine Face

Black Nickel VS Our Black Chrome Hybrid Finish

Our Black Finishes

Black Chrome

Our industry-leading Black Chrome

Matte Black

For people that want a sporty look without the shine, Matte Black might fit your needs.

Gloss Black

Here are some great examples of just how smooth and reflective our Gloss Black is.

Take It To The Next Level

For those customers that have an open-wheel design where you can see the inside of the back barrel, we can take it to the next level by preparing and processing the inside back barrel just like we offer in our show chrome products. This will give you similar reflectivity just like the face of the wheel. The advantage is that you will be able to see the calipers reflecting inside the barrel of the wheel. While this does add additional cost to the project, the results are always impressive. This process may not work for everyone, depending on the wheel design and vehicles that are daily drivers. But works very well for a show vehicle.

Why Choose CalChrome?

WE HAVE LOANER WHEELS

If it's just your wheels being processed then you'd still be able to drive your car as we have loaner wheels and tires available. Ask us about our loaner program.

EXPERIENCE YOU CAN TRUST.

California Chrome Wheel inc. was established in 1996 and has become the industry leading provider of custom and specialty finishes. Over the past 20 years we have been one of the largest suppliers of custom finishes to retail consumers.

UNMATCHED QUALITY

At CalChrome we take pride in our work. Due to the nature of custom work you get what you pay for and what you'll get from is a quality job.

JAY LENO - Black Chrome

Back in the mid-2000s, CalChrome introduced a new product that evolved into today’s Black Chrome. Back in the day, this new process utilized a proprietary dry method of applying metals and clear coats. It is a combination of two processes, Sputter Deposition and Powder Coat.

This process was called PVD and was suppose to replace true electroplating. Many enthusiasts rushed for this new look. Jay Leno, as seen in the pictures below here, was one of the first to embrace this technology. We thank him for getting this process launched and trending.

Unfortunately, after about 10 years, this technology had run its course due to ongoing failures. The environment that wheel finishes must live in proved to be too tough for this finish and most manufacturers have terminated this process, including us. Being that there was still demand for this look, it motivated us to develop our new process with the largest benefit being we’re no longer limited to just wheels and can do just about any part in our new Black Chrome Hybrid Finish.

What's the difference between Chrome and Black Chrome?

As the name implies, Black Chrome an aesthetically darker version of chrome. However what makes it special is that it retains the characteristics of traditional chrome which gives it depth. We offer our Black Chrome in two shades of black. Go for Black Chrome Obsidian finish if you want to go darker than our standard Black Chrome.

we can also do other colored chrome.

Do you have a different color of chrome in mind? We can also do that upon request. Any color you can think of, the sky is the limit with our customization options.

I want to Black Chrome my wheels? But what about my center caps?

Due to the different compositions of materials used to make wheels which are mostly aluminum alloy and center caps which are primarily plastic, we are frequently asked this question. Because the materials are different, different processes are required to make the wheels and center caps match. There might be a slight differnce in color, but almost all customers are satisfied with the results.

Also consider our fusion coat finishes

Some customers assume Black Chrome is the finish they wish to have on their wheels, when in reality they are just looking for something very dark and reflective. For these customers we also have available Black Fusion Coat – a revolutionary advancement in powder coating technology. This new proprietary process is a combination of Eco-friendly clean pretreatment, enhanced application methods, and Pulse Power technology. This high gloss finish is exactly what you’re looking for if you want to black out your vehicle.

Is there a darker version of Black Chrome?

Absolutely, we call our darker variant Black Obsidian Chrome. This finish is darker while still maintaining the translucent and reflective properties of traditional Chrome Electroplate.

How does our Black Chrome differ from our competition?

At CalChrome, we have worked very hard to develop our Black Chrome Hybrid Product. It is of utmost importance to us, that the Black Chrome finish be as high quality as possible, and to share in the unique properties of true chrome electroplate. As is plainly visible in the example, the competitor’s Black Chrome PVD Finish has a very poor surface quality, with pits and an “Orange Peel” texture to the entire surface, as well as a brown hue to the reflections. CalChrome’s wheel, on the other hand, has a smooth, highly reflective surface, with a luster that only comes from a true chrome plating base coat.

Competition

Fixture Marks

Every wheel to be processed will have marks where the wheel has been held to process whether it be held in a fixture or by some other method, look hard enough and you will always find these distorted areas almost always on the backside of the wheel. Unfortunately, these marks are unavoidable.

HYBRID TRANSPARENT FINISHES

Our custom Black Chrome, Rose Gold, Gold Chrome, and other transparent finishes are a combination of 3 different processes to achieve these unique finishes. Chrome plating, the transparent layer of color, and a high-end clear coat. The visual appeal comes from the reflective brilliance of the base material showing through the transparent layer. These transparent finishes may have small imperfections or discoloration that, unlike a solid color, we are unable to color sand and buff these imperfections as it will affect the appearance of this thin transparent layer. Solid colors can be color sanded and buffed to eliminate such imperfections. It is also recommended that all components should be processed at the same time to minimize any differences in the final finish things such as climatic temperature change and humidity can affect the overall look of the finish. These finishes, as all of our finishes, are critiqued through our quality control department. If we have presented to you, or shipped to you, this finished product, it has been done to the best of our ability. Please contact us for more information.

see how New wheels look on your vehicle.

We don’t only customize wheels, we also sell them! See how a new set of Wheels look on your vehicle with our wheel visualizer! Learn more

Black chrome Care & Maintenance Guide

For advice on how maintaining your wheels or parts, see our Care & Maintenance Guide. Read More