Good UK based videos on chrome plating

[AshimotoK0]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU9l66_XmDk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLcS5O6oJG8&t=0s

Interesting how they reverse plate in a sulphuric acid bath ... I always thought that other chromers I have used have used the chromic acid bath to do this.

Worth a watch  ... these did my CB500K0 rear guard/fork ears and rear lamp bracket a few years back. Very professional outfit and prices and delivery were good at the time. I seem to remember another member here enquired about wheel rims, after i had my parts done  but they were quite expensive for those at the time. Wheel rims are really expensive everywhere now thought to rechrome (last ones I had done at Prestige were £185 each and I think they have gone up about 15% since then)

[philward]

With the amount of labour required, you can see why chroming is so expensive

[Oddjob]

Enjoyed that, wasn't aware they used essentially buffing compound on the linishing machine. Got to buy myself a linishing machine, getting pits out of metal is very time consuming.

Only criticism is that they did a really nice job of the front but ignored the back of the bumper entirely, suppose though they only have so much metal to work with.

[Lobo]

Blimey, I’ve a new found respect and understanding of Chroming pricings. The labour is indeed intense, but given modern safeguards wrt chemical / liquid disposals one can’t begin to imagine the associated costs there.

Thanks Ash, a very entertaining half hour.

[AshimotoK0]

This one made me chuckle ... one definitely for Oddjob ---- they got a Triumph Spitfire/GT6 rear bumper in that was off a ex-Wheeler Dealers resto. If you read the comments the guy who did the original chroming comes back to them. Evidently Mike Brewer wanted a a cheap (45 quid) rechrome!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mzma3Vr4n9o

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

The Bristol chrome bumper video was very interesting - as has already been mentioed the back of the bumper including the mounting brackets were not shown having any polishing - I also wondered if they did anthing to the edges of the bolt holes themselves. Maybe a trade secret so not covered.

Certainly labour & chemically intensive with areas that some might shortcut to keep the price down - during the initial polishing with the various grades of abrahsive I have visions of Ken doing his polishing wizardry.

[K2-K6]

Excellent link Ash, and good to see someone putting up what it really takes to complete to this standard.

Amusing, the cardboard flap on polisher machine.

Good they use turned up gloves to stop the solution running down onto their sleeves,  funny that he's wearing a wooley jumper to work there in 

See the three motorcycle chain guard on the table at the copper stage ?

It's how real places work and all the better to showcase real knowledge too.

[mickwinf]

have seen a few of these videos, very interesting and top work

[Oddjob]

As I've repeatedly said Ash, the amount of work you put in can but doesn't always reflect on the amount of results you get out. Do it cheap and you'll need to do it again.

Just as an aside, had my Cb1300 wheels ceramic coated this week instead of powder coated, I had a small incident the other week whilst on my way to Dynasurf where the council decided to block off a road, mainly I suspect because it was being used as a short cut through a new estate and they wanted to stop that, so they blocked a small section of the road off, no signs etc, ripped up the pavements and laid grass, replaced the tarmac of the road with a sort of high grip surface. From a distance you cannot see the road is no longer there, it looks like the road just carries on, no railings etc. So I didn't spot the kerb lying across my path until the last minute due to low winter sun etc, hit it really hard and essentially scrapped both wheels, the front was so distorted it started to loose pressure. So to get back on track, got them done gold to match the present wheels and I'll see how they last and report back. Seen a pic of them and they look really good. I also had a LOAD of my 500 parts done at the same time, mainly as an alternative to having parts chromed, for instance, I have 6 CB550 exhaust clamps and 6 CB500 exhaust clamps, the 500s will be chromed the 550s will be chromer ceramic coated, we'll see which last better, the chrome IMO will always look better. I also had 24 exhaust collets chrome ceramic coated to see how they perform as opposed to either just leaving them as bare metal and watching them rust in short order or trying to zinc plate them and watching that get burnt off by the excessive heat of that area.

I'll post some pics when I pick them up, was supposed to be today but I've been bed bound all day.

[K2-K6]

Bit of a passer to clang the rims Ken, I hate things like that, the curb that is. They moved curb "cheeks" out on our road to improve ergonomics  but on average we'll get someone every couple of months clatter one and massacre their tyre. They're pretty brutal great square edged granite type, real big fuggers.

Interesting to see your ceramic coating items when they're done.

Also, on nice wheel rims I use silicone grease (only the tiniest amount ) really well rubbed around tyre bead to fit them. They slide on nicely and then seat really uniformly as they pop up onto the rim form. It's only the same as release agent used in moulding the tyres and mskes them really workable while reducing fitment stress on newly coated rims. Sealing and location seem unaffected and maybe even enhanced as the bead drops really accurately into the j section firm on tubeless rims.

I find this far better than tyre soaps, some of which may long term promote corrosion, which this doesn't.

[Oddjob]

The newly painted rims were my spare set, luckily I bought them cheap and so I could have one pair painted without being off the road. However the front end now has a clunk it didn’t have before just as the bike comes to a stop. Maybe it’s jarred the newly installed taper bearings or maybe it’s bent the fork stanchions, got a spare pair of those complete but the ones on now are hard chromed so I’d like it if they were ok. Got a new set of radial Brembo calipers to go on as well so I might as well do everything at the same time.

I’ll be having the new rims fitted with new tyres, already got a brand new Michelin Road 6 rear free of charge off Michelin due to one of my tyres cracking so oddly they sent it back to France and cut it apart. They blamed the emissions from my freezer for causing the cracking, oddly enough the next tyre did exactly the same thing so maybe they were onto something

[Laverdaroo]

Road 6's are my favourite tyre, they are simply incredibubble in the wet on the VFR. My mate uses them in his club races as wets when he's hard up. Great choice Ken.

[Oddjob]

If you go onto Camcoats website Roo and click on his Instagram link you'll see my gold rims near the top of the page, still in the boot of the car ATM.

Thought I'd mention the ozone being produced by Fridges and Freezers as most people have one in their garage, they reckon it affects the rubber and it was ripping mine apart under traction, not helped by the motor having huge amounts of torque and me using it all, got a heavy hand most rides, I just don't do slow even these days.

[Laverdaroo]

Ive heard of it before but never had an issue although the year before last The VFR was parked up against my bait freezer and the left hand side of the tire was a lot more worn and in a worse state than the right and i\'m no straight line lover so just thought it was me acting the goat going up the gorge at Cheddar but that might have summut to do with it maybe. I always thought it was a 'get out of jail free' card produced by the tyre manufacturers and \i sold them for years at City etc etc...

I'll check em out on the site mate.

Pm sent by the way....