anyone used home plating kits....?

[readie]

Heading says it all.

Either replica chrome like this:

http://gaterosplating.co.uk/Replica-Chrome-Brush-Plating-Kit.php

Or zinc plating here :
http://gaterosplating.co.uk/Zinc-Nickel-Plating-Kit.php

Any thoughts or views ?

 

[taylor2800]

No experience with systems such as this but I find it very interesting. I have successfully performed slow rust bluing on project firearms and enjoy the satisfaction of doing things like this myself. I do remember seeing a series of posts regarding a fellow who used kits such as this to restore small parts for his E type Jaguar.

 

[deQuincey]

IMHO,
these are simple and not profesional ways of chroming, so the results would probably not be very durable

to do this i would simply go an unexpensive way, not 39 euro, a bottle of chloridric acid, might be a couple of euros, water, a battery, and copper cable,... ;-)

 

[Stan]

I tried one and the results were poor

 

[Bmachine]

Chrome is one of those things where there are no good shortcuts. Either you have it done right or you are going to be ultimately disappointed.

This being said, Eastwood has a new chrome powder coating system which seems interesting and which I will test "soon".

 

[stphers]

Hi

I have the Caswell plating system at home and so far have used it quite a bit. I have the set up for the bright zinc , and yellow chromate as well as the clear silver/blue Works great. Final product really depends on how good it looks before getting plated. the more polished, the better it looks. I just reordered more solution to get my solutions up to 4 gallons each so I can plate bigger longer items. To do a 4 lt ( ice cream pail ) size from really the only plater around here costs now over 300 bucks and with 5 of my own cars for restoration as well as ones that I am doing for other people, it made sense to get the system. I also got the copy chrome kit as well, have not used it yet but I am sure it will do quite well for a lot of smaller items such as seat or lens screws, etc. I also do my own my own powder coating as well and I have used Eastwoods new chrome, not totally sold on it, used the old chrome lots and it seems like it leaves a better finish BUT a word, this is not a chrome like finish. What it does work well for is a base for their translucent colors. Now at the shop, I can galss bead a part in the AM, either powder coat it or plate it that aft and have it ready to put on the car almost right away ( at least for the powder coating, the plating works best if it is left overnight to set in and dry.


Here are some pictures of some 2002 parts that I have plated both with the yellow chromate and the silver, also some chrome powder coating pictures

It is a fairly big investment for both, over a thousand in the plating set up and not quite the same for the powder coating ( I have at least 40 different colors and textures for powder ) so unless you are going to do lots, it may not be worth it for most people.

I can try and answer questions for you as best as I can

Thanks, Rick

 

[Gary Knox]

Did some chrome plating as a personal project in the science lab in high school over 60 years ago. At that time, I found I needed to do copper plating first to get a good result. Never bought a kit, but have considered it several times. As Rick says - to do any fair size parts it is pretty expensive, so better need to do a lot of them!

Gary

 

[Bmachine]

Here are some pictures of some 2002 parts that I have plated both with the yellow chromate and the silver, also some chrome powder coating pictures

Rick, great info!. Can you specify which of these pieces were plated and which were powder coated?

Thank you.

 

[stphers]

THe last four pictures show plated items, the first ones are all of powder coating, the oil pan was done in chrome powder but then I have this crazy idea to build a ALL blue engine I have an extra 2 lt kicking around so I am building that up but everything will be done in one form or another in blue Tanslucent blue for a bunch of the parts, a metallic blue for the block, maybe wrinkle blue for the valve cover. I will include a picture of the oil pan, it is translucent blue. The steering box is done with powder coating and all the fasteners were plated. Also an aluminum shift knob done in translucent red

Maybe by this weekend, I will have everything set up to try out my copy chrome, will post some pictures once I have done some stuff.

Thanks, Rick

PS sorry that here is nothing E9 here, it seems that last three restos have all been 2002's. The next 2 cars up are a 69 Alfa GTV and then a 74 Alfa Spider( but also doing my son's 72 2002 and my sons 81 320i My poor E9 just sits there waiting it's turn

 

[Bmachine]

Thank you Rick. Very infformative.