Chrome plating

Our company’s main activity is chrome plating, specializing in the chrome plating of parts for vintage cars. Our work is focused mainly on the chrome plating of car parts. We use decorative chrome plating, also known as bright chrome plating, to apply a thin layer of chrome coating to a matt and then bright nickel intermediate layer. The applied chrome reduces nickel oxidation and increases its corrosion resistance. The end result is a bright or semi-gloss finish depending on the preparation.

More about chrome plating:

One of the most important and high-precision jobs in our company is the rechroming of parts for vintage cars and motorcycles.

As you know, up to the 70’s there were a lot of chrome parts on the vehicles, which over the years have become damaged or rusted. Nowadays, the restoration of vintage cars and engines is in its golden age, and our company is trying to play a role in this market. It is well known that the parts of these vehicles are irreplaceable, it is usually not possible to buy new ones, so we have to save the original parts. But what does such a complex and lengthy process look like in practice?

As we’ve written, we’re dealing with irreplaceable workpieces, so we take great care to ensure that every single piece of incoming parts is recorded and photo-documented. Quotations are made separately for each piece, preceded by a thorough condition check to determine the time required. This will be the basis for pricing in all cases. We give a separate price for each piece so that the owner can consider whether the part is worth reconditioning. The accessories for which the owner has ordered the restoration will be put to work based on the owner’s final order.

But what does it mean?

But what does it mean? Using large-scale industrial polishers, we first remove the deep cavities from the material with 80-grit screens. We remove the marks left by the used 80 grit screen with 150 grit, followed by 240 and 400 grit discs. It is important to note here that the nickel or chrome layer does not repair or cover any scratches or surface imperfections. Therefore, the perfection of the polishing itself is the most important part of the process. But what to do if the material is so thin that it is not possible to polish the craters mentioned above, because the thickness of the material does not allow it. In this case we can increase the thickness of the material by galvanic coppering to have something to work with. (This operation is repeated if necessary until the ideal surface is achieved.)

This is a rather time consuming and expensive process, on some pieces it requires 3-4 times more working hours. It is also a common problem with bumpers where the broken piece has been repaired previously and cracks are visible on the surface. These can also be repaired with a thick copper and a hand-held metal roller. The preparatory processes prior to galvanising therefore require the most time and precision. And, as already mentioned, the length of these processes, the labour hours invested, will determine the cost of the reconditioning.

Once the polishing and degreasing is completed, the workpiece is given a matt nickel, then a bright nickel coating. At this stage it is still possible to remove minor scratches with a special disc. Then comes the final step, the chrome plating itself, which actually protects the nickel layer from tarnishing.

USEFUL TIP:

If it is possible to buy new or aftermarket, it is advisable to choose the faster and cheaper option. Our chrome plating processes are specifically designed for unique pieces, hand and machine machining of irreplaceable parts. The process is extremely energy, chemical and labour intensive. In all cases, these factors must be taken into account when developing proposals. Whether the accessory is a Lada or Jaguar accessory is irrelevant to the price, it is always the owner’s decision to consider the potential future return on the cost incurred in terms of the overall value of the car.