Testing the waters. Possible chrome venture being considered.

OK,

When I am getting something painted or refinished I just want a clean job. Not a perfect high dollar job. Just something better than what I had without breaking the bank. Paint places are around that offer the cheap and quick paint jobs for guys like me. However I don't know of anyone offering this for chrome plating. So thats what I would like to test the waters for interest.

I have alot of experience in plating and metal finishing. This is something I am just looking into as a side venture for guys just wanting a cheap and quick job. Not a show chrome.

I have worked at various plating and metal finishing companies in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky.

If there is enough interest I'll get a company name up and going and start from there.

What prompted this was guys at shops would polish their own parts and bring them in for plating. They didn't care it wasn't the best finish as it was cheap and looked alot better than rust or flaking paint. So the idea to offer that level of plating at 1/3 to 1/2 normal plating costs occured. Most shops don't want to offer this as they don't want their name on less than perfect chrome. Someone sees a part with some pits and asks who did it.

The process would be a simple Strip, polish, and plate. No repairs, no pit filling, ect. The better the part is at the begining the better the finished product.

By all means ask questions here or contact me through PM.

Not currently offering this but could soon if I have a few guys that seem interested.

Also as a note I wouldn't be setting up to run large items such as bumpers, grilles, Radiator surrounds ect. Smaller parts with the largest being maybe valve covers and air cleaners.

 

What would it take to build an anode ring to do wheels? I'm thinking astro slots.

 

I got one of my windshield stanchions for cheap, because it was plated with pits. No one has said anything or maybe they didn't notice, but to me, it looks bad. Bad stuff looks worse shiny. Ask the painters.

I suppose something like that would be okay for a few people, but most guys that like chrome are going to want it right. Not cheap and okay. Just my thoughts.

 

shotty work at a cheap price, that's one heck of a business plan you have there.

 

I think it is a great idea, as long as you can take the heat. Because some guys are going to complain......period. Even if you did their parts for free.

 

I like this and would be interested.
As stated by the op,the better the piece the better the outcome.pullys,small parts stuff thats fine and just needs to be shiney.
Not a restored clapped out valve cover you dragged from the pit in your back yard.
I get it,where do I sign on.

 

sounds like race car chrome that some friends get....

 

Okay. I'm still not getting it. If a guy did a great job in the prep, wouldn't the plating cost the same as your competitor or are you purposely going to do inferior work on a nice prep job?

 

Yesterday I was flipping thru a catalogue of reproduction parts for OT trucks. In particular the front bumper is available in 3 different levels of finish.

First is raw steel with a quicky prime coat. This is for guys who want to paint it or send it off for first rate megabuck chrome job. Cost 109.99.

Next is cheaper chrome job, its the raw bumper plated with no finish work. For those who want a shiny bumper- Cost 139.99

Next is premium quality chrome job, guaranteed for 5 years. It's still not perfect but there is some finish work done before plating and advertised as satisfying to those looking for oem quality. Cost 159.99

My chrome shop quoted me 3-400 to plate that raw bumper but he had to see it first to put it in writting. Cost 409.99-509.99 but that's going to be perfect show chrome.

So from my point of view- somebody that can plate a bumper for 30.00 or even 50.00 for a better job would be really BUSY.

 

Have ya thought of that painted chrome process.. google it and watch, tell me if ya gonna do it. I saw it a year ago, and no body talks about it... Damn , looked good to me, wish somebody in Phoenix would do it...

 

Nothing personal, but I don't think you will have much return business. Turds rolled in glitter never look very good after the first glance.
Chrome must be perfect or the part would look better left rusty. If I want cheap, I'll spray it with a rattle can, at least everyone will realize I didn't spend much while being cheap.

 

On another note-
I had a crazy one year only part for my dads Harley that needed replaced or replated. Just the front fender guard on a 1976 FLH, sort of a mini bumper.
I looked and searched for months for a NOS part and none could be found.
So it goes to the chromer.

I talked with him about doing an oem quality job, (aka not perfect) because the bike is 99% original and a show chrome part isn't going to match the rest of the chrome original to the bike. Thank goodness it's far enough away that its not too noticeable but if you hold it next to the OEM chrome it's a night and day difference.

Funny that the OEM chrome isn't perfect at all, and the prep work is minimal at best- but still looks amazing.
Chrome doesn't have to be perfect.

 

It actually is quite a concept. Getting what you pay for. Nothing more and nothing less. I'm in.

 

Cheap plating is just that,,Cheap.

The EPA has had a hand in making Chrome Plating a lot more expensive than it once was and as someone said earlier in this thread crappy prep work and shiny looks like Poo. HRP

 

Thus the whole concept. The more work you put into it before you send it off, the better it will look....and the plating cost stays the same.

 

How do the (Chinese,whatever) do the cheap ass chrome parts I see at the swap meets.?

 

Good luck with your venture,I for one am willing to pay for quality work. HRP

 

google: cosmichrome see what 'cha think....

 

Who gets the final say on what is acceptable for the price and who eats it when the chrome falls off in a week?

Small chrome outfits will never produce what the factory can. I have seen wrecks with the stock bumpers all twisted up and the chrome still remain and have seen a rechrome get bolted up to the mounts and crack. How are you going to test the part so that does not happen?

 

Chrome started out as a protective coating.
Yea it's shiny, like hydraulic cylinders are shiny too.
Someone figured out making a perfect surface and then making it shiny looked pretty damn cool.
Detroit chrome was never perfect but still pretty damn cool

 

There's the key phrase. If you take in a turd, you get back a shiny turd. But if a guy is willing to do the prep work/repair, which let's face it, that is the real expense of plating. Really not that much different from painting.

I can see this working for non-diecast parts that are prepped well or not in bad shape. And I'll agree, OEM plating isn't always the best and shouldn't be that hard to duplicate; look at the plating on any Japanese motorcycle.

Diecast will still be problem, but hasn't it always been?

 

Where are you planning to locate. Shipping may be an issue.

 

simple... they don't have the EPA to worry about, so hazmat disposal isnt a problem, no OSHA rules to sweat and they pay the worker fifty cents an hour to do it

 

cosmichrome; google it,, you can chrome a tree branch, bondo, whatever.. its patented.. be in touch..

 

I had a friend that was a bit obsessed with crome plating costs. He did high dollar cars and quality chrome really jacks up the price. He one time sent 4 bumpers to 4 different platers all different prices. It was interesting look at the results. It was a 34 style bumper. Prices were from $200 - $900. You could see where the cost difference came from. The $200 one had some grind marks in it and was still bent a bit and had rust pits on the back. The $900 you could shave with on both sides. The others were in between. Each bumper would have looked good on the correct car. The $900 one would have looked out of place on a daily driver.

 

Hard Chrome,flash chrome or triple chrome,they are all different.

Ask someone about bumper boyz and see how happy they are with cheap chrome plating,,I'm betting nobody is happy with their work after the bumpers start peeling. HRP

 

The OP stated he is only interested in doing small parts. No bumpers, etc. I find it just amazing that so many are getting confused by what is being offered here. Chrome plating of the parts that you prep and send to him.

 

Based on the input so far there's clearly a market for this and no danger of putting the high dollar show chrome shops out of business.

 

I watched a youtube video on the "copy chrome" home kit for using a legal home plating kit, that is not real chrome. The guy made some thick steel brackets and he was pretty shocked that they came out of his tank with super deep scratches and heavy grind marks. He said "I thought the plating was thick enough to cover them".

This is why I think someone mentioned "painting" on the thread. Same deal, if you leave grind marks, nice paint will magnify them.

 

One thing should be clarified; is this a copper/nickel/chrome plate, or something less? Nickel/chrome should be the bare minimum, chrome only won't last at all....