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[Captain Pugwash]

Hi there

Does anyone have any info or experience of getting fittings chromed? I'm building a ChrisCraft barrelback and have scratch built the deck fittings but need to get them chromed. None of the paints on the market seem to get anywhere near a good enough gloss.

The fittings are made from brass/ wood /and perspex and have all been primed and sealed.

Any help gratefully received

[DickyD]

I might be wrong, but back in the good old days fittings had to be bare metal, preferably brass if they were to be chromed.


Chroming is an electrical process and wood and perspex don't conduct electricity, at least they didn't in the good old days.


Could be wrong. 

[TailUK]

Non conductive parts can be metal plated using a process called Vacuum Deposition but I don't know if you can get that done for small quantities.  Non metallic parts can also be plated by coating them with a graphite based colloidal solution to give the metal plating a base.
Google for nickel plating at home or some thing similar it's not as difficult as people think.

[Guy Bagley]

you can have  small numbers of parts vacuum chromed,  - this will work for non metal parts, so long as they're non organic....
 
i had a small number of parts done a few years ago-  these were acrylic parts...i dont  think timber parts can be done..
 
i found a small company down at the time  near brighton/ hove who do this kind of work, i gave them a call and asked about having some items done, - they made reflector sections for flashlights....
 
 they said drop them in they would be added to the next batch of work they were doing - they did the work and called me up to collect the goods - after asking what i owed them i was told it would  cost me a 'drink or two' .....
 
 i tried to contact them about a year ago and they have relocated !!!- there must be other companies in the Uk that do this work, try your yellow pages and see if anyone is near and give them a call...

[raflaunches]

Have you tried the Alclad II paint range, aircraft modellers when they want to paint a bare/natural metal aircraft they use this to simulate almost any metal finish. I believe that you prime it with their primer, which is black, then you spray with an airbrush onto the area  you want to be metal, wait 24 hours and then you can polish it to your hearts content to your required shininess! 
Their website is www.alclad2.com which gives detailed explanations how to use the product and where to get it from.

[Guy Bagley]

 used allclad alot.... but more suited to static models IMHO  - it does scratch though, need to laquer it if its  on a model which will get use and if its in a position wherei t is likely to get  abrasion......

[hammer]

You could try covering items in soft solder and polishing. Maybe not the plastic. R.G.Y.

[Bryan Young]

I have a similar requirement ...but this is for brass plating of 2 cowl ventilators.
Although I was given the name of a local company, I haven't as yet followed up on it. But I did just check "Google" for Metal Plating, Plating Finishes etc. and a wealth of companies came up. Some even plate on Styrene (which is what I want).
When I was building my car I bought an old fashioned rear number plate light. Chrome plated. Or at least it was until I tried to polish it! Some firms actually state that they will also plate with a surface that can be buffed.
You don't give your location....so can't help any further. BY.

[Captain Pugwash]

Thanks everyone for your advice - I've ordered some of the Alclad and one of their buffing kits and we'll see how we get on.

 

[jaymac]

I might be wrong, but back in the good old days fittings had to be bare metal, preferably brass if they were to be chromed.


Chroming is an electrical process and wood and perspex don't conduct electricity, at least they didn't in the good old days.


Could be wrong. 

Hee Hee you are     I was a plater back in the Day  and  decorative chrome  went on over Nickel plating which went on over  Copper plating .    even Brass fittings ie   sink taps were  copper plated first
 
 Topical for this  Forum     we used to cadmium plate  shell sleeves and also Hard chrome (which was calculated to  1000ths of an inch and no Computors  or Calculators) we did the  launching arms for the  aircraft carriers catapults
You could plate anything if you could give it a metallic coating Black Lead springs to mind

[Neil]

just come across this little thread on another forum...might be of interest to you all.
neil.
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1768181#post23238971