Vent window frames - Who has had them re-chromed??

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jjs2800cs

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We want to have our vent frames re-chromed. I have search and not found the answers to the following questions? Some of which are coming from the plating company.



1. The frames are made of two major parts. The big piece of the triangle and the horizontal piece, bottom leg of the triangle. It appears the are both made of Aluminum (AL). Can someone confirm this For sure they are not magnetic.

2. The two pieces are joined by two screws and by two magnetic rivets. If you have had yours plated did these need to be separated?

3. At the bottom of each leg is a magnetic nut that is somehow attached to the non-magnetic frame. Before plating does this have to be removed? and if so how would one re-attach it? Not sure how it is attached originally.

Thanks

jjs2800cs

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Many casting parts for automotive are made of ZAMAC which is an allow of Zinc, Aluminum and Silicon (sometime also others).

Theses are difficult for plating and only few shops can play with them.

These have to be treated by experiences professionals for sure.
 
I think they are chrome plated brass and not aluminum. Brass is not magnetic. When @OCCoupe had his chromed the plater insisted that the horizontal piece be removed as it could trap contaminants. He was able to find rivets that worked for reassembly.
 
I just took them all apart so they could be re-chromed properly. The chrome shop had no problem plating all the pieces. They also did the exterior door handles which are zinc. I found the smaller rivets at ace hardware. They also have a larger rivet that screws together which I used to reattach the lower cross piece. I used some loctite to keep them from backing out.
 
The only thing in re-chroming such parts - just have to pay attention that the chrome layer wasn't not too thick, so was no later problems with re-assembly.
 
Thanks for the the replies so far. I did also speak with a well know BMW restoration shop and they take them apart.

Great idea to use a suitable "binding post" as the replacement rivet as one suggested.

So apart they will come. But the issue of course now become the handling of the large piece, with the horizontal piece missing the large piece could be bent real easy if not careful. We are going to come up with a suitable temporary brace for shipping and handling and maybe even the brace could remain in place during the plating process. The plater would have to ensure the material of the brace is compatible during the process.

For those of you who did get them re-chromed, can you provide the name of the shop and were you satisfied.

Thanks

jjs800cs
 
I HAVE A REAL NICE ON IF YOU WANT IT THE PLATING IS GREAT ALREADY. CHEAPER THN PLATING PLATING WOULD BE MIN. 60.00
 
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