Technical nickel plating experience/advice..... good/bad/ugly

I did some google searching and youtube video watching about "do it yourself plating" or using an Eastwood or Caswell Kit. seems like it's not so easy to get items bigger than nuts and bolts to come out good. Also you can spend some $$$ on these kits too....

 

Maybe the platers I talked to were full of shit, involved in a monopoly, at the very least not reading the bullshit on the Internet.
Three different individuals at 3 different companies said exactly the same thing.
The processes are different but the end results are very similar with electroless being more uniform. In fact 2 of the guys said they like to use electroless for decorative chrome because it goes around corners and whoopie Dooos better with less problems
The costs for the two processes are about the same.
Either process can go to right into the chrome tank for about 15% more.

Ok so they are full of shit!

All I want is plating that's bright and corrosion resistant.
I don't need mirrored out show chrome parts everywhere.
This would be great if it hold off corrosion



Ps, that base for the shock mount doesn't look like its up to the task.

 

You can buy kits to do it at home.

https://www.caswellplating.com/

 

Of course it's the same cost to do the nickle part. If guys are not giving you a way better rate on straight nickle plating regardless of the way it is applied compared to decorative plating then you are getting ripped off. My point was usually when guys are doing Electroless plating it is for industry and they are not doing the extra steps required to do decorative like copper and polishing so it is less expensive.

 

That picture only shows part of the way it's attached. I drilled a 3/4" hole in the mounting tab and turned down the shock end to similar size, ground a "V" groove on the backside for more penetration before welding. Then welded the outside..... I am concerned I can get the straight slots mounting screws tight enough.

 

All I know is that I can take a 45-minute drive (depending on traffic) and pass 6-7 platers that do Nickel, and only 2 chrome shops.

The chrome shops want a kidney, half of my liver, an eye, and a lung to plate one narrow bumper.

 

Usually they are set up like this.
There's 3/4" of forged material working against the shocks action here.

You can try a hammer driven impact screwdriver

 

You need to talk to a new organ harvester, you're getting ripped off. That's list of body parts should get you at least a dozen bumpers

 

Clearly.

 

Thanks for idea.

hmmm.......... next time I make some I'll copy the F-1 mounting style closer.

 

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This is true. But the Chrome adds nothing to corosion resistance of

 

This is true. But the Chrome adds nothing to protect the substrate metal from rusting.

 

If you want corrosion resistance specify over 6/10 ths electroless nickel. If you want bright polish the hell out of it and have them copper plate and polish B4 nickel plating .

 

Had the valve covers on my Hemi nickel plated, they were pretty rough before we took them to the platers. Turned out great I think...



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Plating uses some serious nasty chemicals. Nickel Cyanide as an example. Not something to screw with at home.

 

Is that nickel cyanide a by product of the plating process or something being used in the process?

 

Sorry-I have never seen a Nickel Cyanide bath, but we do have a small Copper Cyanide bath. Cyanide is benign as long as you keep acid away from it-it does not fume.