Chrome on plastic...Re-doable at home??

Did a search but found nothing. How is chrome done on plastic? obviously it is NOT electrically charged like they do metal, I have heard the term "plastic chrome vulcanizing" what is the proccess? Something that can be done in the shop? I would like to rechrome some dash pieces, and knobs off of some old engine testing equipment. I have seen the adds for rechroming plastic in the Hemmings books and others but just want to do 5 pieces total and the frieght is probably more than the parts are worth!?!?!?...Ken

 

Makes me wonder too.

 

The process is called vacuum metalizing. It is usually done on a large scale and thus it is hard or rather, it is expensive to have it done on a smaller scale.

Here's a place for hobbyist size stuff. It's still not that cheap.

http://www.chrometechusa.com/index.html

 

Why not try the stuff the modelers use?

 

Cool.

 

The stuff modellers use? Bare Metal foil may be shiny, but it'd be an absolute bitch to apply and make look right on most car parts........and not peel with temp extremes, exposure and actual use. Just my opinion anyway. Doable, yes, but, your mileage may vary.

Lots of modellers use ChromeTech to plate parts though.

Tim D.

 

That chrome-plated plastic is actually a bright aluminum finish. There are companies that redo some of these pieces from Mustangs, Camaros, etc.

 

I don't know if the chrome is achieved the same way, but I undertand the aluminum is done by touching a white hot tungsten electrode to a block of aluminum with a charge applied to it which vaporized the aluminum to a fine mist. The part to be plated is charged the opposite so all of the aluminum is attracted to it. similar to powder coating though I don't know how they make the powder adhere permanently.

 

I know this is a very old thread but I just came across it. Chrome plating of plastic parts is done the same way as metal parts, but the plastic must first be sprayed with an electrically-conductive paint. Some of these paints use silver as the conductor and others use palladium.

Been looking into it myself...

Terry

 

In order to electroplate over plastic (or any other non-conductive surface) a conductive coating must first be applied over the substrate. There are many different coatings out there.

To vacuum metalize, it is actually aluminum going over the substrate, then the aluminum coating (which is very thin) is clearcoated for some durability. It is wrongfully referred as chrome so often that I find myself doing it for simplicity's sake.

 

For small interior pieces wouldn't chrome paint be the way to go. The type done by professional body shops? A discussion of the process is brought up about every other month. Do a search about chrome paint you'll find at least a dozen posts about it.

 

You surely find a local shop doing the same thing .

http://www.lashopabandit.com/pages/chrome_plastique.php