Small Chrome Plating System

Anyone using or have any recommendations on a chrome plating system for doing small parts?

Thanks,
Jim

Do ANY exist? Interesting if so, but chrome is not an easy process,
Copper
Nickel
Chrome

Is the traditional 'triple plate process' and it's rather nasty, chemically speaking.
hexavalent vs trivalent, safety concerns, waste concerns.

I would think the EPA has effectively squashed any back-shop platers but if the chemicals can be procured then the only thing stopping someone would be the law, and that's a minor hurdle for some people.

Yeah, that's part of the problem, they have pretty much shut down everyone here in Upstate NY. I thought Eastwood used to have a small kit, but they only list copper and nickel now. Coswell has a system, but not sure if it is worth the money?

https://www.caswellplating.com/electropl...ating-kits.html

Thanks,
Jim

Well that is interesting. A hell of a hobby to be a part of if you can get good at it. I imagine the learning curve is slow and expensive.

I built printed circuit boards for 11 years, plating copper, tin/lead, some nickel, and gold. A good plating manager who knew how to keep chemistries in balance was worth his weight in cyanide laden gold.

Are the people on the net talking about these systems? There are a butt-load of variables that have to be controlled.

I used to work in a clean room environment plating frequency crystals with gold and we had a cyanide alarm that would go off now and then, you should have seen the mad dash to get out of there!

We had amyl nitrite ampules in little cyanide emergency boxes on the wall. Used in the event of poisoning.
The procedure was basically.."if you taste almonds, you have seconds to break the vial and inhale or you die"

Amyl Nitrite is also a controlled substance, a drug known to be abused---recreationally.

I remember Todd, telling everyone after a box was broken into, that he tasted almonds!

I also remember plating the common gold fingers on boards in a humid, smelly room. Nasty job.

Have you looked into the DIY chrome spraying process? This looks pretty promising.. here is a youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9-wFTUhpT4

Also, I remember watching a "Counts Customs" episode where they purchased a chroming kit, not sure if it was different than the one I listed in the youtube video. I'll see if I can find info on it and post here.

Found it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIUErhuFXT8 I think there are few of them.

Yeah, checked into it, VERY expensive to get started.
Doesn't look like it would work well on small parts.

Thanks!!
Jim

The one on youtube looks pretty straight forward. I can't imagine it would cost that much for that kit?

Jim, is wrapping an option on your small parts?

Hi MoparJack,

Unfortunately no, they have weird shapes.

I looked into Spectra Chrome last May, which I think is the one they used on Counts Customs. Their systems run from $2,800 to $11,000, plus $1600 to $8000 for the solutions. Would probably work great if you were doing it as a business, but a little too much for the small parts we do.

Thanks!!
Jim

No such thing as a small chrome plating system. You need a lot of chemicals, tanks, electricity, buffing wheels, etc. to triple chrome plate metal parts. Your best bet is to box the parts up and ship them to one of the few remaining chrome platers left.

There must be some good chrome platers left in the business since the guys on the TV shows get their chrome done. I don't know who they send it to but in the show they take the parts off and box them up and then at the end of the show they are installing very nice looking stuff.

That is exactly why chroming is expensive. Even if you use the above systems by the time you buy the system and materials, add labor and other overhead the cost becomes pretty equivalent.
I also wonder how durable those finishes are ??

Consider ALSA "easy chrome"...

Unless spray chrome has significantly improved, I’ve only had good luck with interior plastic parts. Mainly dash bezels. Any exterior parts never held up.

Caswell plating does have small kits and a thing called copy chrome, it works, their system works but it is a $500 plus buy in.

So if you have alot of small parts or can do parts for others for a fee it is probably not a viable solution.

I have it and gave some a good number of pieces

Not bragging here.
I did almost all the polishing for my plating and had it run.
The EPA was there at his place once a year wanting him to do upgrades.
He was/is a friend.
Now just do Hard Chrome and no Ornamental. It takes other things to do them

I saw you tube vid of some brits with a 2 can rattly system that they litterly just sprayed the be jibbies out it and then another 2. Came out ok looking. But there laws are different than ours. As the chrome Krylon or Rust Oleum, should just be called glitter silverish. The tv shows get better deals than we do because of volume. The chrome shops also charge for the expected outcome too. Consider the tap, tap, tap, smash and soldering fills. Also the number of times dipped. What I miss are the bumper exchange shops. They took your old bent up blob and you got a nice shinny flat replacement. But with the pirces of copper, silver and nickle it is expensive to say the least.

I am willing to bet most look for good replacements over having stuff chromed simply because of the cost. A shop up in denver will do my wheels, $250.00 each, center caps are $100.00 each. For my Lil Red I'd love to have the grill made all shiny and smooth again, also the front and rear bumpers. But my wallet doesn't think so. Which cost's less> A NOS grill for $1,000.00+ or a the one it's born with? The bumper could easily cost as much as much as the grill. How about the mirrors? $500.00 each? But that seems the going rate, pretty much priced out of reach.

Mexico

Just a thought here but i see you are not too far from Syracuse have you tried Sandys Bumpermart in Syracuse? i had my Charger bumpers done there and it was well priced and a very nice job.