COSM1 CHROME INSTRUCTIONS

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August 29th, 2007

Essential Concepts • Only completely pure distilled water or de-ionized water is to be used with this process. Either type of purified water is acceptable as long as it meets the purity test. ATDS Meter (Total Dissolved Solids) is provided to test the water. A reading above 001 means the water is too dirty and will cause the chrome to appear yellow. A 000 reading is best. Some companies that sell distilled water add salts and minerals to make the water taste better-this water is not acceptable for the Cosmi-chrome process. This entire process is sensitive to contamination. Be mindful of water, tank and gun cleanliness. The air supply must be completely dry. Any water that makes it through the compressed air system to the spray guns will contain contaminants that will yellow the chrome and ruin the chemicals. Do not touch primed or chromed surfaces. Fingerprints will show and ruin the appearance. Gloves will also leave marks. Remember-No Touching! The basecoat must be completely dry or escaping solvents will cause a foggy chrome coating. Allow the basecoat to dry according to instructions Excessively cool or hot air temperatures and high humidity above 50% will adversely affect the Cosmichrome process. Normal room temperature provides the best results. 72F to 88F. Use only vinyl tape and non-absorbent masking and holding materials. The basecoat must be plated within one day or the adhesion will be poor and will not allow cutting and taping for graphics.

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Topcoat must be applied within 2 hours of plated to minimize tarnishing of the silver. Starting up Always use protective gloves and goggles when handling the chemicals and system. Insert air hose from the compressor to the male fitting on the Cosmichrome machine; keep the main air valve OFF (closed). Verify that all hoses are fully locked in place. Open the main air valve and allow the system to fully pressurize. Verify that all tanks, fittings, and hoses are well sealed. Be sure to test the sprayers, be sure that no liquids are coming out, only air should spray out. Close the main air valve and relieve the pressure from the system and tanks. • Be sure to spray all air lines from the compressor to the system to clear any water or grease that may be in them. The air has to be absolutely clean, dry, and grease free. If any of these things get into the chemical tanks, the chemicals will be ruined. Use additional water filters on your lines if possible.

Chemical Filling Procedures Fill the Distilled Water tank with pure, 000 ppm distilled water. 001 ppm is acceptable but no higher! To make the Activator-SHAKE THE A22 BOTTLE WELL BEFORE USING!! Add 20 grams of the A22 concentrate per liter of distilled water. Start by making 1 liter at a time to prevent waste. The Activator must be mixed fresh every day. Heat the distilled water for 2 minutes per liter in a microwave oven before mixing the A22. Let it sit for 2 hours be fore using. Pour the small bottle marked G4-11 into the G4 container, place cap and shake (don't stir) well, Then pour in the G4 tank. Pour the entire contents of the G4 and G5 bottles into the appropriate tanks. To prevent cross contamination of the tanks and chemicals, replace and lock the lid on each tank before adding the next chemical to its appropriate tank. Merely one drop of cross contamination will spoil the chemicals! Pressure gauge Settings Adjust pressure gauges to the settings indicated on machine.

Preparing to spray a part All parts must be held vertically, so that the plating chemicals can run off freely. NEVER TOUCH A PRIMED PART Rack or hold the parts so they don't have to be touched during the entire process. Use only nonabsorbent masking and tapes. Paper masking tapes will contaminate the process! The racks must also be non-absorbent. Wooden sticks must be completely covered with vinyl tape or paint to prevent them from absorbing chemicals and therefore contaminating the chemical process. Metal parts and racks must be completely primed to prevent metallic contamination of the process. Sand rough surfaces with minimum 800 grit paper. 1200-1500 grit is better.

Basecoat Application (Coating #1) • Basecoat is a catalyzed paint and is applied with your paint equipment. We recommend Satajet 3000 brand HVLP spray guns with a 1.3 mm nozzle but you can use your favorite paint gun if you get satisfactory results. •Hardener is added at 20% catalyst BCL-2 ratio to paint. For example, 100 grams of paint BCL BASECOAT requires 20 grams of hardener BCL-2. If needed you can add no more than 5% BTReducer. •DO NOT THIN Basecoat with any other reducers. •Spray Basecoat at 29-35 PSI. •Set spray gun fan shape to wide-open. 2

Start at the edges of the object. Apply a medium wet tack coat using a crisscross pattern first and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Apply the second coat wet in a criss-cross pattern and allow basecoat to rest for 30 minutes before baking. Bake the basecoat at 140° degrees F (60° C) 1 hour and let cool for 60 minutes after 140° F 60 Min baking; basecoat is now ready to be plated.'(The paint surface must actually reach 140°F!) If air-drying the pieces instead of baking, they must sit.at normal room temperature for min 20 hours before plating. Do not exceed 30 hours. Metal surfaces must be fully primed, front and back to prevent metal from staining Cosmichrome. Basecoat that is not fully dry will cause a foggy appearance in the plating step and topcoat. DO NOT TOUCH THE PRIMED PART!!! GLOVES OR FINGERS WILL LEAVE MARKS VISIBLE IN THE PLATING STEP!!

Intermediate Coating Procedures (Coating #2) The Intermediate coating is applied with the Cosmichrome sprav equipment. Summary Of Steps - 1 Activator 2 Rinse 3 G4/G5 4 Rinse 5 Blow drv 1. Activator (A22) Room Shake the concentrate well and add 20 grams of A22 concentrate per liter of distilled Temperature 2 hour set water. A great trick is to heat the distilled water for two minutes per liter in a microwave oven before mixing the A22.The activator must sit two hours before using. The activator will last up to 1 day at room temperature. Hot summer weather can cause the activator to begin to spoil in as little as 8 hours. In very hot weather reduce the amount of A22 concentrate to 15 grams per liter of distilled water. Apply a wet coat of Activator A22 to the primed piece. Using the activator spray gun, wet the entire piece so there is a continuous wet surface with no dry spots or water beads. If there is an area on the part where the activator is beading, apply more activator until the piece is completely wet. If you have difficulty getting the part wet then either the basecoat isn't dry enough or the activator is not ready yet!

2.Rinse the entire piece with the Distilled water spray gun. Don't be afraid to rinse well, the part should be wet and smooth with no beading. If there are any dry spots or areas that are beading, reactivate that area and rinse the entire piece again.

3.Cosmichrome Spraying (G4/G5) Aim the dual nozzle spray gun away from object and test for proper fluid flow from both nozzles. Make sure its spraying 50/50 Start at the bottom of the piece and quickly wet the entire piece moving from bottom to top just to wet it completely. At this point the part will look blotchy and brown. Keep spraying until it appears shiny and mirror like. 3

Pause for a moment to check the progress. The chemical reaction will continue while the spray is stopped. Spray additional G4/G5 if needed to achieve a bright white color. Yellowish silver requires more application. Don't worry about applying too much!

Once the piece looks like a mirror, stop spraying and rinse with Distilled water!

4.Rinse Well!! 5.Using a plastic spray bottle

spray some Speed Dry™ on the plated surface and rinse with distilled water

once again. 6. Blow Drying Using the air gun; dry the part off starting at the top and moving down to the bottom. It is very important to blow the water off evenly and to make sure that the dry surface is not contaminated with any other liquids. If there are any watermarks, rinse the part with the distilled water spray gun once again. Place the piece in a dry environment and allow drying for minimum 60 minutes and then proceeding with the next step -Topcoat. In humid weather it will be necessary to blow gentle heat on the plated part to remove all the water vapor. Residual water vapor can cause bubbles in the topcoat or cause yellowing of the part in a few weeks.

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Topcoat Application (Coating # 3) Topcoat is paint and is applied with paint guns. Add catalyst /hardener V-9 at a 20% (5 parts Topcoat VU-9:1 part catalyst V-9) ratio, i.e. 100 grams of topcoat VU-9 requires 20 grams of catalyst V-9. 15% BT-Reducer is recommended. Apply using the same method as applying the primer. Two or three coats will be needed to achieve the chrome color. The first coat may appear slightly yellowish but it should not be excessively yellow. It should barely be noticeable if it looks yellow at all. The second coat will yield a true chrome color. Do not over apply the topcoat Application into recesses and tight spaces can be difficult. Narrow the focus of the spray gun and increase the pressure to get the topcoat into these tight spots. Too much topcoat will make the chrome too blueish. If the piece does not have sufficient chrome color after it has dried, more topcoat can be applied to correct the color.

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Allow the Topcoat to stretch and flow for 30 minutes before baking. Bake at 105° degrees F (40C) for 1 hour and then let air dry overnight. Full cure can take up to six days. Excessive heat can liberate solvents that will cause fogging. 4

DO NOT expose finished parts to sunlight for 7 days after finishing.

Cleaning the Cosmichrome Spray Guns PLEASE REFFER TO E-GUN INSTRUCTIONS

Cleaning the pressure tanks Distilled water, G4, and G5 solutions can be left in the tanks for up to 3 months as long as the tanks are sealed well. Activator A22 needs to be removed and replaced every day. The activator will turn yellow as it ages, when it does, clean the tank well and make a new batch. To empty the Activator tank, simply close the main air valve, remove the hose from the activator spray gun and open the main pressure valve allowing the material to flow out of the tank into the waste collection system. After the tank is empty, release the pressure in the tank, and open it to wipe the interior clean. Using a clean, non-contaminated cloth or rag for each tank and wipe the inside of each tank until it is dry. Discard the cloth after each use. Add a % liter of distilled water to the Activator tank and spray the Activator gun until the tank is empty, this will clean the hose and gun. Open the tank again, wipe it dry inside and replace the cover. Reconnect all of the hoses to their proper guns according to hose color and the color on the side of the gun so the machine is ready for its next use. Finally, close the shut off valves on each tank. For a full cleaning, flush all hoses and rinse tanks with distilled water. Never use soap or any other detergents, this will contaminate the tanks. Tap water will also contaminate the products and tanks as well. If the G4& G5 Spray gun is not spraying equally despite good calibration, then a nozzle is likely blocked. Unscrew the nozzle, and carefully take apart the front part of the gun. Using only a clean cloth and distilled water, clean parts and blow air through the nozzle to dislodge residue. Take the time to remove the parts carefully to remember how to put them back together.

Waste Collection Follow local regulations regarding disposal of waste from the Cosmichrome process. In general the waste should be recycled as it contains silver, a precious metal. Most any precious metal refinery will be able to recycle the waste.

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Coating #1 Cosmichrome BASECOAT (BCL BASECOAT) Primer Catalyst (BCL-2) ' Shake well before using. Cosmichrome basecoat is a unique proprietary coating that is designed to accept the metallic second coating in the process. It is not a fill primer. It is a high gloss finish upon which you will be decorating with Cosmichrome. Once applied, it can't be sanded or touched or the process will be contaminated. Two Component Mix Ratio: 20% Catalyst Recommended Reduction: BT-REDUCER: 0% to 5% maximum Dry and flash off time at room temp: 15-24 hours Dry and flash off time: 30 minutes flash off then 1 Hr bake at 140 F: 60 min bake, then 1/2 to 1 hour-hour room temp cool down. Applied with conventional painting tools/HVLP gravity fed gun (SataJet 3000 1.3 mm nozzle recommended).

Coating #2 A22 Cosmichrome Activator Concentrate. Shake well before making. Mixing ratio: 25 grams per liter of distilled water Setup time after mixing: minimum 2 hours at room temp Mixed product pot life: Change every day. Water based. Remove and flush all leftover A22 from the tank every day. A22 residue will damage the stainless steel tank and spray gun and will contaminate the fresh A22 you make every day. G4-11 G4-11 is a concentrated additive that is added to G4. Once added to the G4, the shelf life of the G4 is 3 months. G4 G4 is mixed with G4-11 to be used with the dual component spray gun in the Cosmichrome system. Mixing ratio: 470 grams G4-11 per 18 liters of G4 (or 26 grams G4-11 per liter of G4). Water based G5 G5 is supplied ready to use. G5 is the second chemical sprayed from the dual component spray gun in the Cosmichrome system. Water based

Coating #3

Cosmichrome Topcoat (VU-9) Topcoat Catalyst (V-9) Shake Well Before Using Two component

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Mix ratio: 20% Catalyst (5 to 1) Recommended Reducer: BT Reducer 15% Dry and flash off time at room temperature: 24 hours Maximum bake temperature: 105F Additional boats of VU-9 can be applied without sanding for up to 3 days. After 3 days, the VU-9 will need to be scuffed to apply more coats. Other brand topcoats ( spec) can be applied over VU-9 after 3 days. Full cure at room temperature: 6 days Applied with conventional painting tools/HVLP gravity fed gun To apply colors other than chrome topcoat you must first apply a coat of un-tinted VU-9 topcoat and let it dry at least one hour before applying the VU-9 with any dyes. This seals the silver and prevents the colors from reacting with the silver. You could apply chrome tinted topcoat directly on the silver first if the next color you use will look nice with chrome topcoat beneath it. In general, gold and yellow topcoat don't look good with chrome topcoat beneath them. In other words only chrome topcoat or un-tinted topcoat can be applied directly on the silver. Color Dye Ratios (Grams Dye Per Liter Of Clear Topcoat) Blue 40g/L Red 40g/L Black 20g/L Green 40g/L Gold 10g/L Orange 40g/L Turquoise 40g/L Purple 40g/L Bronze 20g/L Black Violet 20g/L Fire Red 40g/L Burgundy 40g/L Brass 20g/L Filter dye concentrates with a 125 micron paint filter. If there are dye crystals that won't dissolve, dilute the dye 50% with alcohol.

Common Mistakes: ( not necessarily in order of frequency)

1.Failure to prepare the part to be coated well. Insufficient sanding. 2.Failure to keep the chemicals at least 72°F. Turning the heat in the shop down at night and the chemicals get cold and don't warm up by the time the user sprays the chemicals.

3.Using cool or cold distilled water to make activator. 4.Failure to activate properly. (Leaving dry spots on the basecoat). 5.Failure to clean out the Activator tank and gun every day. Failure to prime the A22 gun to flush out any remaining water in the line,

6.Failure to clean out residue in the bottom of the G4 tank. 7.Failure to stir or shake the paints well before mixing. 8.Poor booth ventilation that allows paint or plating over spray to land on the parts. Failure to keep parts in a place that is safe from dirt and over spray. 7

9. Improper base coat drying. Baking at too low temperature. Air drying at too low temperature. Over drying by baking the base coat and then letting it air dry over night too.

10.Applying Cosmichrome over a uncured primer. Use a catalyzed primer then bake and dry the heck out of it. 11.Applying multiple coats of Cosmichrome. If you make a mistake, you must sand down to the base coat and start over.

12.Failure to practice practice practice when you first get a system. 13.Dirty compressed air. 14.Using a a bargain paint gun to apply the paints and then complaining about orange peel. 15.Flooding on the topcoat. Only apply the coats until they become clear and invisible. Then move!!! 16.Failure to clean the plating gun every day. www.cosmichrome.com Email: [email protected] Cosmichrome Inc . 3865 A Isabelle Brossard Quebec Canada J4Y2R2 (450)444-4426 fax (450)444-4496 Toll Free in USA, Canada 1(866) 666-4426

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On/off switch for E gun

FOR PLATING:

Operation & Maintenance

Turn machine on • indicates power on -

Red light

For plating: position the handle to PLATING ON and spray product.

FOR CLEANING E GUN:

(1)Once finished, SHUT OF VALVES G4 & G5 on your pressure tanks.

(2)Turn the handle clockwise to AIR ON

and then spray the E gun continuously until dry

(3)Then position the handle to WATER

ON, and spray the E gun continuously to flush out and clean the system. (4)

Position the handle to off. •

This cleaning allows distilled water to pass through the coil tubes and Egun

•

Repeat twice if needed

Tool supplied for cleaning nozzle tip

■Use the cleaner tip for your nozzle's fine

hole. ■Made to push out particles from tiny hole.

Positioning handle

TWO NOZZLE SIZES ARE AVAILABLE (SIZE 1.0) included (SIZE 0.8) not included with system

Tip cleaner

COSMICHROME™ INC Master system E gun

Do not operate this machine prior to thoroughly reading these instructions. The Master System E gun is a 24-Volt DC electric system that comes fully assembled.

Set-Up 1 - Enclosed in your system you

European

How to cl

will find an electrical plug 110 power ( North America ) 220 power ( Europe ) 2 - Fit your plug into the power box and the other end in your machine. 3 - Supply Air from your compressor into your Cosmichrome™ Machine.

North American plug

Power box

COSMICHROME INC Master system E gun

Do not operate this machine prior to thoroughly reading these instructions The Master System E gun is a 24-Volt DC electric system that comes fully assembled.

Set-Up 1- Enclosed in your system you will find an electrical plug 110 power (north America) 220 power ( Europe ) 2-Fit your plug into the power box and the other end in your machine. 3-Supply Air from your compressor in to your cosmichrome machine. 4- Never try to adjust this knob this is to remain as is, it will not control the volume of product.

FOR PLATING:

FOR PLATING:

On/off switch for E gun /

Operation & Maintenance

•

Turn machine on Red light indicates power on -

For plating: position the handle to PLATING ON and spray product. For cleaning of E gun:

(1)Once finished,SHUT OF VALVES G4 & G5 on your pressure tanks.

(2)Turn the handle clockwise to AIR ON

and then spray the e gun continuously till dry

green light

\ Plug power supply

(3)Then position the handle to WATER ON , and spray the e gun continuously to flush out and clean system (4) Position the handle to off This cleaning allows distilled water to pass through the coil tubes and E gun Repeat twice if needed

Tool supplied for cleaning nozzle tip

-Use this cleaner tip, for your nozzles fine hole. -made to push out partials from tiny hole.

TWO SIZE NOZZLES ARE AVAILABLE (SIZE 1.0) included (SIZE 0.8) not included with system

Positioning handle