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Consensus on home plating.

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Oddjob:
As someone who knows a lot about polishing I'd advise against polishing the main plate, far too many little nooks and crannys for it to turn out well, you'd end up with a patchwork of bright and dull areas. I'd advise either spraying in colour of your choice or powder coating, powder coating is far more robust as you'll know and easier to keep clean.

For the linkages, either polish or paint the same colour as the main plate.

I've got a zinc/nickel kit but as yet I haven't used it as some of the parts aren't ready to be done and as it's a space problem I want to do the parts in one go over a few days so I can then store the tubs in the loft out of the way.

Johnny4428:
Just to add to Ian’s recommendations, very rewarding, cost affective and satisfying. Use containers with lids then store away until next use. No need to dispose of any liquids for a long time. Had a few projectiles off the wire wheel until I started using self grips.

MrDavo:
On the several bikes I've restored over the years the one area I've never been happy with is carb linkages, I've always ended up carefully painting parts silver, while looking in envy at bikes where everything has been apart and plated like new - it's one of the first things I look at! (sad I know).

When I've had parts chrome and zinc plated one thing I always come up against is a minimum job cost from platers (£45 + VAT the last one I asked) - I can understand why they don't want to bother with 10p to plate a screw or something, so I am quite interested in DIY plating next time I do a bike. It must be quite satisfying to watch a part slowly become shiny and new looking again.

McCabe-Thiele (Ted):
If I could turn back time I would have bought a plating kit rather than get my engine bolts plated locally - still plenty of time to justify one for 2022/23

AshimotoK0:
I have been DIY plating bike parts for getting on for 35 years,  starting with nickel plating parts before zinc kits were readily available.

I have had and (still have ) great results but it's a lot of messing about ... not so much on the plating itself but on the prep. required to achieve the levels of finish achieved by the ptofessional plating companies.

If I too could turn the clocks back, I would have found a reliable company, early on, that used to do a shoe  box full of parts for next to nothing. Sadly, places like Allenchrome, who I used to use... won't do small batches anymore. So to get parts done locally there is nobody I know of and hence, reluctantly,   I am back to doing it myself .... yes , very satisfying and great for small bits that are rocking-horse-poo and you can't possibly afford to lose or need in rush or forgot to send to the platers but still a load of messing about.

To make my point, looking back at the picture below from 5 years back, I has this batch done professionally for  about £50. Try estimating the time to home-plate this lot ! Plus you would be shelling out about the same amount of money , if not more, for chemicals/anodes/de-ionised water etc.

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