Chrome plating

[toucheturtle]

Need 4 downpipes re-chroming, can't believe the prices these days, so far Niphos is the cheapest at £240 plus VAT. Anyone know any good platers at good rates?

[kevski]

That is a good price, it's a process that is very involved.

[Chris400F]

You could try Classics & Chrome in Hinckley, Leics. Ashimoto on here has spoken highly of their work, don't know how prices compare.
http://www.classicsandchrome.co.uk/1.html
http://www.sohc.co.uk/index.php?topic=7891.0

[toucheturtle]

RS Chrome and Colonnade have each quoted £40 each plus VAT, Colonnade have had a couple of dodgy reviews so may go with RS. Might email classicandchrome and see what they say.

[Zunspec]

A "good" and "cheap" chrome plater is probably mutually exclusive.  I had the 4 down pipes re-chromed by S&T in Yate (near Bristol). 



Cheers  Geoff

[zed]

Hi pipes look good did you have to rub them down or did they do it all as i'm want to get some rechroming done on my k7 & was going to rub the parts  down first

[Zunspec]

Hello Zed.

The art of the chroming process is to first polish the parts, usually all done by the chrome shop.  Obviously you cannot polish out any major flaws, sometimes deeper scratches/dents are filled with braze and worked back.  It is this work, before the item hits the plating baths, which contributes to much of the cost.  You can see on the end of the far left pipe the pitting where it went into the silencer, as it is hidden it was not worked on but it could have been. 

Cheers  Geoff

[kevski]

Hi pipes look good did you have to rub them down or did they do it all as i'm want to get some rechroming done on my k7 & was going to rub the parts  down first

Under no circumstances rub them down, the only thing you could do would be to clean the carbon out of the insides and that is not easy, best leave the rest to those that know what they are doing, but be careful as you will get what you pay for if you try to get the job very cheap, find the company that puts most nickel on first.

[zed]

Thanks for the replies i will leave the prep down to them & ask if they nickel plate it first 👍

[kevski]

It has to have a nickel or copper sub strata as chrome is not waterproof and the pipes will rust in absolutely no time at all.

[Zunspec]

Hi Zed,

I stand to be corrected but the 1st process with chrome plating is stripping the old chrome from the base metal.  The old chrome/nickel/copper is stripped electrically, think of it a reverse of the plating process where the item is used as the sacrificial anode.  Polishing then follows with copper/nickel/chrome in sequence after.  This is often referred too as "Triple" plating and used to described the process for the best results.

I have also had very good results from a company called  Marque Restore Chrome Plating Ltd:
http://www.marquerestore.co.uk/

Cheers  Geoff

[toucheturtle]

Read a few dodgy reviews on here about RS Chrome so ended up going with Chromefix at £55 each all in. Posted them off today and supposed to get them back in 6 weeks

[boxie30]

I used RS Chrome on a couple of parts, had to send them back as they were still rusty (which did not come as a surprise to them?) (£60)

Used RCJ, Nothing more to be said!! (£180)

Nottingham platers, left hole in my indicator bases, but still chromed them, £180 straight in the bin. Had rust left on the middle of my cable adjusters, apparently it was the only place to hold them?  Nuts and bolts, kick start and gear changer, the last two were the only ones i actually used. (£160)

In the process of sending a part back to Ashford chroming as it still covered in pit marks and a dent. (£325) (waited 6 months)

Most of the parts so far i have had chromed, from various chromers, about 40 ish, I have not been able to use as they were all still pitted, rusty or unuseable.

If anybody has used a chromer that they have had good repeatable results, could they let me know!!!!

Michael.

[BigAl (Alan)]

Used 2 chrome platers, RS in Manchester, no complaints (image attached CD175A restoration) and Ashford Chroming (CB750 luggage rack) chroming OK but not as good as RS. Mark @ RS prefers the simpler parts as he declined to do the luggage rack
Alan

[boxie30]

Used RS for chroming a headlight rim.

Had to send it back as there was rust spots all over it. He rechromed it, sent it back and i went out and brought a NOS part to replace it.