Chrome plating (or similar effect)

[jellyjim]

Hello

I want to get some small parts chrome plated for a custom build. I've had a good Google but most places seem uninterested (presumably because I'm asking for a quote for a few bits and pieces rather than 10,000 bathroom fittings) or have been prohibitively high. I appreciate it's labour intensive but £200 for something the size of my thumb? You have acquired a giraffe sir.

Any recommendations? I would also consider other techniques that give a good chrome effect such as vacuum metallising and I've read that chrome paint has come on leaps and bounds in recent years but at close to £100 for primer, paint and hardener and the likely fact I won't have the skills to prepare the part properly (which I understand is the critical aspect of a chrome finish) then I may as well not do it myself anyway.

Thanks
Jim

[zenguitar]

There are plenty of decent, local, metal plating companies. Check your local Yellow Pages for Metal Platers or Metal Finishers. And ask in your local car and motorcycle workshops too, especially those who specialise in customs and restorations as they need to get things chrome plated often.

A little searching will find you somewhere local, and you will find that it should be a lot cheaper than the paints you've been looking at. The refinishers/platers will put your parts in the tank with a number of other orders which keeps the price down.

You will need to talk to them and take advice. The plating process varies depending on the base metal you are plating and the finish you require. Some combinations require an intermediate metal to be plated.

And if anyone is interested in experimenting, it doesn't have to be chrome. You can plate with zinc, copper, nickel, and many other metals too. If you are interested in gold plating be aware that the price varies a great deal depending on how thick the plating is. In the past gold plate was typically 50 microns and was long lasting, but modern gold plate can be as thin as 10-15 microns (which keeps it affordable) and can wear very quickly.

Hope that helps.

Andy

[Tony Raven]

Been years since I've done small-scale stuff, but let's see what's still rattling round my skull.

Actual "hard" chrome plating is largely a thing of the past, something about cyanide compounds. But you can get rather good effects DIY, for not horribly much cost. Here's a fairly typical kit, for "Copy Chrome":
http://www.micromark.com/Plug-N-Plate-Copy-Chrome-Plating-Kit,8327.html

Caswell is more lifestyle than hobby, but contains much reliable info:
http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/index.html
Their "Triple Chrome" systems begin at $599; while it still produces nasty fumes, it's nothing so bad as cyanide.

Just enter metal plating kits into your search engine for more options.

[jellyjim]

Thanks Andy, I didn't know to search under those keywords, I will.

Thanks Tony, those DIY solutions look interesting.

[TheChorltonWheelie]

I want to get some small parts chrome plated for a custom build.

I'd go with Andy, send it to a specialist firm - I had some brightwork down for a restored Peavey, pickup covers, truss rod cover, metal scratchplate, and from memory it was about £30 all in and the finish was, and still is superb. I can't remember specifically what the issue was, but when they recoated them they pointed out why a specific process was required, rather than the one I suggested, so you're also paying for their years of knowledge too.

[drharker]

If you need any type of plating, I think you should visit this site: en.cromkontakt.hu
The Cromkontakt made me some plating on my equipment, and that was very good.

[ef37a]

http://www.nmpltd.co.uk/

Give them a bell ^ About as central for England as you will get?

Dave.

[Wonks]

The original post was in May 2011, so it's probably a bit late to be posting more info now.

[Hugh Robjohns]

I suspect the thread was revived by a Hungarian spammer, but giving the benefit of doubt it it might be a genuine post intended to be helpful. Drharker hasn't made any other posts so far, so we'll see...

H

[Wonks]

The name seems familiar though - maybe on another post which got deleted because it looked like a spammer?

[zenguitar]

I approved the post, but had my doubts. But as he is a new member his posts have to be approved before appearing in the forums. So if he had made a spam post it would have been disapproved at that point and not appeared.

The name is familiar? Have you reread Bram Stocker recently?

Andy

[Martin Walker]

The name seems familiar though

Fangs for the memory?

Martin