Technical Looking for REPUTABLE chrome plating

I'm at my wit's end! I have been in contact with a lot of chrome platers in the last month, looking for quotes to chrome a Model A front axle.

I have spent a whole lot of time doing metal finishing on this axle. It's nearly perfect, damn near ready to go straight into the copper tank (see pics.. if you disagree, please tell me... )

Of the people I've contacted:
*4 haven't gotten back to me at all, despite repeated attempts
*3 had such egregious misspellings in their email replies that I wouldn't count on them to fill out the return shipping labels properly
*1 was so cheap that I'm sure it's a scam
* 4 were INSANE in their prices ($850ish... damn, man...at least buy me a drink first....)

SO... can anyone recommend a chrome plater that's honest, reputable, and reliable? The metal finishing on this piece is damned good.... can't see how some of these guys are quoting me such high prices. Or am I wrong? Is this just how it is these days?

 

Clearly you haven't priced out chrome work lately. I would say if 4 shops gave you the same price then that is probably pretty close to the going rate.

 

chrome must be made of gold these days

but the fact is that good and cheap usually do not mix
you have to pick one

 

Advanced plating, Nashville, TN.

 

When you ask a business owner for a hard number for services, they're likely to make sure they cover their butt not knowing for sure what it will entail until they see it.

 

John Wright
Ohio

 

Advanced Plating

Sent from my SM-G955U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Try Astro plating on Lankershim Bl in Sun Valley/No Hollywood Ca. They are usually reasonable.
Astro Plating in Sun Valley, CA with Reviews - YP.com
www.yellowpages.com/sun-valley-ca/astro-plating
Find 2 listings related to Astro Plating in Sun Valley on YP.com. See reviews, photos, directions, phone numbers and more for Astro Plating locations in Sun Valley, CA.

 

Industrial Plating in Omaha; ask for Randye
They are not cheap, but do first rate plating.

They also do black phosphate, bright zinc, etc.
I had some brass gears for a project and asked what could be done to make them appear black. He said "no problem". IIRC, it was some kind of process involving nickle. Came back with a very nice shiny black finish.

 

http://www.shermsplating.com

 

A few facts for you.
1) chrome plating is not cheap.
2) as much as you think that you have polished or metal finished your part and that it’s ready for plating you are wrong and the plater will inevitably have to rework a lot of it.
3) chrome plating is not cheap.

Ogden chrome in Utah did a great job on the chrome work for my RPU, and did I mention that it wasn’t cheap?

 

this is true, and so are 1) and 3)

 

You're in Denver, right? go to the Tri-State swap meet in 2 weeks. In the past few years, there has been a chrome shop out of California (?) there that i've had some round-about experience with. I'll have to research his name, but it had just two initials.........B & R , D & B, something like that. Two years ago a friend from Colorado Springs was looking for a back bumper for his '57 Ford, and that plater had one there at the meet. The guy said he'd hold it to the next day, I called the friend who pulled both his bumpers off the car that night and brought them up next morning. He liked the one that was there finished, so he bought it and left the other with the guy to be replated. Paid him in advance even though I warned him about all the chrome shop horror stories. The guy told him about 4-6 weeks. Parts were delivered on time and Les was very happy with the job. He paid less for the two bumpers and bumper guards than the shop he was going to send just his back bumper to wanted for the one bumper.
Bring the axel with you and save shipping one way. There have been other chrome shops at the swap meet as well, so make sure you're talking to the one with just initials in the name.

 

This sounds like Bumper Boyz MO, or whatever they are calling themselves these days, and if it is (their 2018 Schedule has them in Denver Feb 3-4) you want to have NOTHING to do with them. There are endless threads on multiple forums about them and their shady business practices. Search the HAMB and you will see multiple threads about them.

 

Pay attention to this ^^^^
I had a friend that they did a bumper for, was not pleased at all.

 

To Tim's point; you're at a disadvantage trying to get a bid over the internet with photos rather than setting it down on someones counter, which brings you to Blue's #2 point. It's the same as doing all your bodywork and having your car "paint ready". A top notch painter will find extra prep work you missed. He won't paint it and put his name on the work w/o addressing those issues. Same goes for the top notch platers. They have a lot of pride and a reputation to maintain and won't turn out anything less than flawless work. If their plating job comes out substandard because you balked at $150 of extra prep work, you won't be happy and when someone asks at a car show, who plated your axle, the plater won't want you calling the job theirs. This is why they're "padding" the bid.

 

The chrome shop I was talking about is not the Bumper Boys, Not the Bumper anything. That's why I emphasized the name only having two initials. And why I repeated it at the end so it wouldn't be missed, but apparently you missed it anyways. In what way did the discription I gave cause you to post "it sounds like the bumper boys"??
I couldn't find a list of vendors attending the meet. I will call my friend later today to get the name of the shop I'm talking about. BTW, he also does the Goodguys. I saw him in Phoenix/Scottsdale.

 

Just so you are informed, the name means nothing in some instances.
The Bumper boys crew have operated under different names and ran the same scam.

K13 didn't miss anything, you missed the point.
He said it sounds like the way they operate and they are proven confirmed scammers.

What you need is to do your research and avoid the scammers if you can regardless of which name they are operating under this month.

 

https://www.hanlonplating.com/ Did a pair of 32 bumpers for me. Top notch work. They are in Richmond, VA

 

Very true, but my research was based on an actual experience as noted. The shop I was talking about has used the same name for at least a few years that I'm aware of, and being fully aware of the widespread problems, I thought it only fair to report a good experience. I of course have no way of knowing what, if any, tie ins he has to other shops. I don't think it's fair to shops trying to operate in a reputable fashion to automatically include them in a general grouping that concludes that all swap meet plating vendors are crooks. jmho
There are multiple shops that do the Tri-State swap meet.

 

True enough, even good shops like Ogden Chrome attend shows and promote their services at times.
It can be hard without good feedback and personal reports to sift out the crooks.

 

Isn't there a problem with plating an axle? Hydrogen embrittlement or something?
It has to be baked after plating?

 

Platers cannot give you a quote until after they visually inspect the axle.
You would have to send it to any plater for a meaningful quote.

 

If you were local I'd say Pacific Plating in Vancouver, WA. Chrome Tony and his son Chrome Troy are incredible. I scratched the chrome off my power gen bracket and they re-plated it for free... even though it was not their fault. Oh, that was same day service, in by 10:00 out at 3:30. I can't get my dry cleaning done that fast.
Their motto "If you cant eat it or sleep with it, chrome it". So I did just that.
I was not paid nor did I received special incentives or considerations for this testimonial. All statements are true and accurate representations of the actual events and circumstances. No animals were harmed in the posting of this thread.

 

See, Billy, I would never, ever recommend Tony at Pacific Plating. I have had numerous customers regale me with horror stories, and I have had to take back and rescue parts myself. So I`m glad you had a good experience there, but there it is......Advanced Plating in Tennessee, on the other hand, were great to deal with, but not fast and not cheap. As the saying goes, pick any two out of three.....Good, Cheap or Fast. You know the drill....

 

No idea if they have a minimum, or whatever, but we use them at work for nickel and it looks good. they also do chrome.

http://thelindgrengroup.com/facilities/nico/

 

You're a good man Tinbender, I wont dis that here or elsewhere. I have other buddies that will align with you on that post but I say you get out what you get put in. They have never done me wrong, and in exchange I will never disparage them.

 

I don't know how long its been since you had something plated, but the price has increased exponentially. The same garnish moldings I had plated for less than 40 bucks in the mid 70s was quoted to me for over $600 a couple of years ago.

 

Advance Plating, Steve does excellent work but quality is not cheap. HRP

 

Just had parts for my 36 Chevy pickup chrome plated by Ogden Chrome, and had my 56 Chevy bumper done by them in 2012. Came out very nice each time, but a big jump in price since. It all has to do with environmental protection regulations that drives ups the cost.