chrome plating

[john k]

I have a little piece for a car I am working on, is rusty and wanted to put some chrome on it after I get it buffed up.   Went to JC Whitney to see if they still had that little plating kit with a brush and bottles of chrome/silver/oxide?   Nope, don't see it.  I remember a guy would replate parts to old revolvers with this stuff and looked ok.  Worked with a guy that would gold plate hubcaps and car grills  with the brush too.   So is it off the market, EPA decided it was dangerous?   Did several google searches for home plating unit and found one for $2,500.00, not really in my field.  Anyone got some ideaas or sources?

[oldgoaly]

Caswell plating, but it's not chrome, chrome needs some poisonous chemical which you need hazardous chemical handling ability.

[HeelSpur]

I got a can of spray on chrome paint for rims in an auction box.
I know its not what your looking for but am wondering how well it would work.

[amecks]

Caswell is popular in vintage motorcycling circles.  They are right near here in Lyons NY.  http://www.caswellplating.com/
They have very many different finishing options.
Al

[Nolatoolguy]

Is it possible to buy the same part, but in better condition or NOS?

A while back I was restoring a craftsman table saw. I tried a chrome spray paint an it looked horrible. I saw a identical table saw on Craigslist a few months later an bought a whole saw just for a handle. Still was cheaper way then getting it plated an looked great only some polish.

[Chillylulu]

Really, chrome plating is more like clear finger nail polish. What makes it so reflective is the nickel plating the put ion it first. I was talking t a plant supervisor about 20 years ago in a large plating shop. He said that most of the cost for chrome plating has to do with the work spent polishing the base material. The better the polish, the shinier the final product.

I spent 4 or 5 days there, surveying the plant for a new fire sprinkler system installation. I learned a bit about plating, but mostly I remember the smell.

Jewelers use small plating units and have the kind with the felt pen that is wired to one side and has kind of a felt tip you put in the solution to get the material to plate with. I think Naja tools had a clearance unit on sale for $150.00, but that was a year or so ago.  The real money was in the bottles of plating solution.

Rio Grande has a lot of different types. Here is a link to a video of one of their people using the pen type to plate silver: https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=38&v=IRn07Cc9COs

their website is riogrande.com search "plating"

Chilly

[oldtools]

Yupp!!  most of the time is spent cleaning, prepping, to get a good bond, need a good base coats, (i.e. Nickel, copper, etc.) then several layers of the top coat, Chrome.. etc. if the amps are too high, you burn it, too low doesn't adhere good, solution has to be just right, easy to contaminate with other solutions, so need to rinse between.. keep brushes separate, then you got to deal with costly Hazardous materials..