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Hi all.
Anyone have any luck with finding a way to get the satin Silver finish found on the nb8c/se door handles?

I have a set from an SE aka NB8B/C somewhere. Cheap.

What kind of condition are they in?

I have a pair, not for sale though

Compares to standard ones the main difference is that SE ones are made from cast metal with chrome plating, where the normal ones are textured plastic.

The SE ones are only satin because Mazda painted over the chrome (no idea why it was chrome to start with)

Thanks guys. Maybe I should be clearer. I have them, but the coating is coming off. I am looking for a way to get the same look as OEM. Is, restore them to factory condition.
The chrome is fine. Just don't know what the top coat is.

Mine are like yours, the top layer is coming off and it looks a little crappy. One day I'll clean them up. Maybe sand them back, then polish or respray. I should add this to my to-do list!

The top coat is paint.

Plain old paint.

Which is also why it peels off.

But what kind? Is it just a satin lacquer?

very weird to paint over chrome. Chrome is a notoriously problem substrate to get product to stick to. Probably the best idea is to etch prime and then add an acrylic spray can finish. Just go to the local source that sells auto products and get the cooler /finish you want.

Mr Morlock wrote:very weird to paint over chrome. Chrome is a notoriously problem substrate to get product to stick to. Probably the best idea is to etch prime and then add an acrylic spray can finish. Just go to the local source that sells auto products and get the cooler /finish you want.

I agree, and it explains why the paint peels eventually.

It was the same as with my MG, the manufacturer simply painted over the chrome parts for the "sports" model.
Sure enough, it peeled off over time.



To the op, I don't know what paint Mazda used, but personally if I were to re paint them I would put more effort into the prepearation, run them with some steel wool, or a Scotch pad to lightly key the surface, then etch primer, then colour coats.

My personal preference would be enamel, since it is far more hardwearing than other paints from my experience.

But tall to your paint shop about it, they will also provide you the correct primer to use so that it won't lift off over time.

I have been considering casting my own from aluminium.

Which would give a similar finish without any paint at all (since it would just be the raw alloy)


But it would be a lot of work, since my little foundry isn't really big enough for parts that size (and my crucible burned through)

Yeah, prep is definitely the key. I recently did my hard top latches in flat Black. When I can be bothered I'll get them anodised.
Forging would be really fun, and considered a few items, too. The problem with having a handle latch in aluminium, is it's tensile strength. It bends easily. Without any annealing it would be very soft.
I think which I might do is get some black ones from the nb8b and use those as a base and keep the others as originals. It will be easier to start with and build on rather than painting over a polished surface.
Thanks for all your feedback, guys.
Now, who has some super cheap black door latches?

The cast alloy wouldn't be too bad strength wise since the handles are fairly thick, and aren't really subject o much force.

Plus, the non SE plastic ones would likely be at least as strong as cast alloy.


Making a forge isn't actually that hard, mines a small one from a big coffee can, with a home made refractory lining.
My tuyere is a simple steel pipe.

The hardest part is getting a decent crucible to melt the alloy down, and the huge amounts of soot you get when running it at full heat.

I'm thinking of making another one, but lpg powered rather than charcoal. Purely to cut down on that awful fine soot.

Tigger wrote:What kind of condition are they in?

One good, one ok, I'd say. WYSIWYG. $10 plus postage if you want them.

hks_kansei wrote:The hardest part is getting a decent crucible to melt the alloy down, and the huge amounts of soot you get when running it at full heat.

Ironically, the gas canister from a handheld gas torch works really well. Tall, rounded base, and steel.
As for soot, that's from incomplete combustion. Using something like a hairdryer into the coal will provide more oxygen so the soot will become less of an issue, and make it burn a lot hotter. Lump charcoal is better than brickettes, too.
The gas ones are quite easy, too. A coffee can with a concrete lining works well. When you make the hole for the torch, make sure it's off centre as it will encapsulate your crucible and give you a more consistent heat.