TOPIC: Chrome work

Does anyone know of a good source for re chroming hardware? I am assuming I will have to mail items to be done. Like to have reasonable low price and know items will be coming back. Any help would be great.

Thanks

Also if anyone can give me an idea of costs; i.e. what would a cleat or bow like cost.

I haven't tried them yet, but one of the FG advertisers is in the business;
www.speedsportchrome.com/

I just took some chrome work in on Thurs. It has been awhile, since I had plating done and the price about brought me to my knees. I don't have a firm price yet, just a ball park and the pieces were not individually priced to me either. But, I had 2 small cleats, one small deck cleat, bow eye, 2 chocks, 2 windshield posts, 1 bow handle, 2 stern handles, 2 '57 Evinrude script badges and 2 pieces of stainless steel 1 5/8"x12" and another similar sized stainless piece to be polished. Est. is between $600-$800. Price will be firmed up once the chromed items are stripped of the old finish. It was not at the place posted here on the board. This chrome shop that I drove to, I have used before in the past 30yrs. and they do good work, but...........Where does one go?

Holly cow, it's been a couple decades since I had anything chromed. I'd heard the prices were high, but WOW! I may have to consider powder-coating the hardware on my CC project!

The bow light on my boat cost 180.00!!!! About fainted, but had no choice.

the pieces you see on the countertop cost $880.00....ouch

That's a beautiful boat Joe, well worth the investment.

Yours too Ron, but ouch is RIGHT! Plan "B" is looking more probable all the time, maybe even go "restomod". (Don't hate me, it was just a thought. lol)

The actual chrome plating process takes but minutes.

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The cost is all in the filling of holes ( pitting ) on these old pieces. Then the polishing.

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It is very , very labour intensive.

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Never mind the rising cost due to environmental concerns that plating shops have to deal with.

Professor wrote;

rising cost due to environmental concerns that plating shops have to deal with.

That's what I was told too! They say some Asian countries still allow (or ignore) them dumping the toxic chemicals down the sewer or into the ditches, guess that wouldn't be too cool either. Never thought about the prep work fairing the surfaces, thanks for sharing your knowledge Professor.

I may try a company in Fitchburg Ma call Jetpolishing Shop This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. has anyone heard of them. This is turning out to be way more expensive than I had originally thought. Thank you all for the feed back.

The actual chrome plating takes just minutes in the tank.

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I was doing " hard chrome plating " years ago.Proper preparation gives pieces the same shine as " decorative chrome " without the copper and nickel inbetween.

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One customer had leased a small area to work inhouse. This saved many hrs shipping and waiting for parts.It was development work for a fancy camera.I was asked to stop plating his parts should he ever wander around to check on progress.

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He would have seen the easy part of the work and not the hrs of polishing that went into the tiny pieces.Saved arguments over the amount he was being charged.

if my main pc was up I'd send the link...
there is a process for making things look chrome. it is done on plastics but can be used on metals as well. I am not sure if it is more cost effective or not.
The name is escaping me now.
They do it for helmuts, car parts etc.....

I had my bow light chromed here in Cincinnati Ohio it was pitted bad it cost me $68.00 and it turned out really good.




Haynesfiberglass.

can you post a pic of the piece please so i can judge the cost/size comparison to mine. thanks, ron

We are not very good at posting photos, but if you look at the Big Fins website, and look at Featured Events Beloit, WI 2010, and scroll down to "Jerry and his '59 Herters" and you can see the bow light there.

Jerry

Too rich for my blood. Of course my boat is more of a resto-mod than a correct restore. I paid $550 for my boat so high dollar chroming is out of my budget. I'll blast and powdercoat or paint.

I'll even replace the clam-shells and bowlight if I have to. They are Zamac (zinc/aluminum die cast) material and then chromed over. It's not like they are antiques, circa 1970. Too many other things to spend my money on.

Whenever possible buy parts that are better than what you have.
It'll always be cheaper than chrome.
You could have the parts stripped then do the polishing yourself. I've done that and it saved a bunch.

There's a company in Philadelphia called Wade Technologies. I sent them a step plate frame to get stripped only just so I could see what the pitting looked like under the chrome. It was bad and I can only imagine the labor involved to grind everything down to below the bottom of the pits. I would think that it would be far easier to fill the pits and then rechrome but this guy didn't seem to use that approach as an option. I'm told that there is also a company in Richmond that does chrome work but I don't have a name. Keep me posted if you have any success as I am looking to get all the hardware on my Crosby either rechromed or replaced with duplicates.
Shipster

One more thing. Wade Tech charged me $10.00 to strip the step plate frame.

I just went through some of this with the plater, I had used for years. A guesstimate of between $600 to a high of maybe but doubtful this high amount of $800. I got a call on Thurs. that the real price would be $1125. I though WHOA, I will be there to pick them up! I did a whole bunch of searching in my area with other people that night, who restore things to see who they use for their plating. One place cannot do die cast, but can do steel and brass, but they only do single plate, not triple plate. For my cleats, chocks, etc. that is ok as these parts are all brass anyhow and were only single plate to begin with. So they will polish and prep 12 pieces ( I saw their work as well) for only $100 for all 12 pieces! Of course I was happy, but now I needed to find someone to do the die cast parts. On another lead, I went to another shop that will do die cast. The bill for these 5 pieces is $325. So all the chrome on the boat has now changed from $1125 to a total $425. I am thrilled. Next Friday, I will pick up the single plate stuff as it will be done. The other parts are 6 weeks until getting completed. I am still very happy!