New Plating (Finish) Option from Advanced Plating

Looks good but I'd be careful what you charge folks. Chrome we can't do ourselves so we have to pay your prices. That finish we can duplicate.

 

I think it looks awesome. Definatly would have to be on the right car. but it looks super cool! Good job thinking ouside the box!

 

That's killer

 

Care to share the tecnique with us. If it's so easily duplicated why haven't you shared the process with us here on the HAMB..........................we're waiting!!!!

Frank

 

Would probably look good on an early grill shell or inserts!

 

I like it a lot...for something. Not sure what yet. As said, the right parts on the right car will look great.

 

Dont want to hijack the thread but since you asked so nicely...,it can be done with chemicals or paint...done both....Just redid all the hinges and handles in the kitchen.

 

Looks amazing!! Great finish and idea!!


Sent from my iPhone using TJJ app

 

Yes we do polish old aluminum valve covers. Depending on their design and condition, you are looking at roughly $125 a piece.

 

While you are correct about being able to duplicate it with chemicals and paint kits, I can tell you that ours is a true electroplating process. This finished is applied the same way chrome is, so this should last longer and wear better.

 

This is just the beginning of some new finishes we are creating. I hope to have more to share in the near future.

 

Awesome. I for one would like to have a plated finish that really looks like new cast iron.

 

Got called out and backed it up

 

Traditionally this finish is done on copper or brass (solid or plated) items with a simple dipping process in various antiquing solutions. Colors can range from blue, green, brown & black. The longer immersion & stronger the solution the darker the color. Then the pieces are highlighted by hand with a scotchbrite or buff, then clearcoated. They are as durable as any painted part. Now there is new technology called pvd that deposits titanium in a vacuum chamber . Depending on the gas pumped into the chamber the color can simulate brass or gold, rainbow and I presume many of the new dark finishes seen on plumbing fixtures. This finish is tough. Unfortunately I'm not familiar with a plating process that results in this antique finish, but if it is a plating process you still have to have a pretty nice part to start with.

 

I like it!

 

Well said, thank you. PVD is not new, but has gained popularity in recent years.


My question to the original poster is what kind of warranty is on the finish? I highly doubt the finish's hardness is going to be even close to that of chromium. It looks neat though.

I know I would apply a heavy nickel plate or duplex nickel plate underneath the decorative copper that gets the antiquing. That's what is commonly done on brass and gold plated parts. That way it gets the corrosion resistance of a nicely done rechrome. As far as scratch resistance, the top metal layer is going to wear like whichever metal or clearcoat it is; which is softer than chromium.

 

Sorry for just now getting back to you. Somehow I had missed your question.

Corrosion wise in regards to the base metal this process is the best. Has a cyanide copper base and then an acid copper deposit. Same restoration process used with repetitive copper plate and polishing. It will not rust, bubble, or peel from base. And it sure won't corrode from the top with all that copper. The copper is etched and then the bronze finish is done as an emersion coating. It is a metallic deposition, bronze/zinc. High metal content. Not electoplating. After 24 hours it is scuffed with a scotch brite pad. Its tuff. It does have a clear sealer on it. Personally I think it will out last the black finishes. If you scratch the bronze finish you see copper . Comes with a year warranty. The idea of using brite nickel or semi brite nickel first prior to copper is totally the wrong way. Cyanide copper adheres the best to the base metal and acid copper adheres the best to cyanide copper. Hope this answers your question. Good luck.

 

Very cool.

 

I like it. Do you have any pix of this process used on bumpers? Thinking about the front and rear bumpers on my 50 Merc.

Subscribed!

 

WOW NICE X3 that would really good on a number of things.

 

O.K. 58Buick....... I'm calling you out!!! I don't think Josh will mind, I know he is capable of sticking up for himself. Between Josh's shop & mine, I'll wager that we have about 200 years of combined experience on you. No way is a copper plated and clear coated finish better than a quality copper, nickel, chrome job. You opened this thread stating "NEW PLATING FINISH". Josh & I knew immediately what the finish was, but we continued to read on with the possibility of learning something new. After 46 posts you admit that the parts are copper plated, antiqued and clear coated. AH HA!! I thought so. I've personally been antiquing parts for 35 years and sculptor's have been antiquing real bronzes for hundreds of years. You might be using new high tech proprietary chemicals, but the process is still the same. Nothing NEW about that, your just presenting it to a different market.
It appears you are moving to Nashville to take a job at Advance Plating, I applaud your ambition and salesmanship, but might I suggest that you bring your coveralls and go out in the shop & strip some parts, polish them, plate them & find out much work and craftsmanship goes into restoring 80 year old parts that have to be show chrome. It will temper your claims of better & cheaper and humble your salesmanship so Steve won't object to backing up your claims.

 

Hey Josh, Yeah, I know PVD ain't new. They were probably "chroming" model car parts before I was born, & trust me , I'm old. The new technologies in titanium PVD and all the different finishes is amazing. The combination of powder coat, PVD & top coat with acrylic powder as used in wheel coating ( there's a thread this week on wire wheels out of Fresno) and Edelbrocks "Endura Shine" that they warranty for life is also amazing for an old troll like me that is stuck in a dusty, dirty, smelly, old plating shop. I would just like to see a little more truth in advertizing. There is no spray on "Chrome", it's silver nitrate and there is no "Oil rubbed Bronze". There's no oil & no bronze, it's just blackened copper.

 

It is an option and options are good. On the right rod it would look killer on the head light buckets

 

Whoa, easy guys. Okay so instead of saying that this was a new finish, I should have just said it is a finish we are now offering. To a degree you are right, I am just the messenger on this and I am looking to help get the word out that we offer more than just chrome. Even though there is no oil or bronze, it was just a name that seamed to fit the look of it. Not trying to insult or pull a fast one on anyone. Just something I thought we were doing that would look great on an early hot rod that hot rodders might be interested in seeing. Sorry to get you all wound up.

 

this is how Champs think.. keep it up buddy, I love it...

 

All the handles in my house look just like that! Could look good on the right R rod. Where on this forum did you find that chrome can be used to much in to many places?BUCKD

 

Yes all questions answered, thanks. I won't beat you up any over the semantics, lol. I figured you were just being a salesman, but these guys on the HAMB will keep us all honest, which I like.

A 1 year warranty sounds correct for the finish. I believe with proper care, it will last as long as the clearcoat will hold up, even then it could be polished/retreated/recleared.

Plating the nickel directly onto the base metal, which is steel in the case shown, is not wrong at all, and is how almost all OE manufacturers did it since the 1800's when horseless carriages came onto the scene and even to today's truck bumpers; with excellent adhesion.
Now cyanide copper plating over the nickel is not as forgiving as over steel, but can be done regularly with great adhesion. It's definitely not the norm, I know.
I like the nickel because I believe it is a much more durable coating to protect the base metal than copper can be.

Copper can be a decent protector of the substrate when plated very thick, but in my experience it's more of a sacrificial anode like zinc, Which means it corrodes to protect. I think the clearcoat is the only protection for the bronzed copper plate. Basically, copper and clearcoat as corrosion protection is not the best. Maybe the best for bronzed copper, but not the best in the world of electroplating. The nickel shortage of the "Korean Chrome" era will attest to that.

 

dont sweat it buddy!... its like how the call "Spray On Chrome" a new tech, but the basics are from way back the 1800s, I really like your process...

 

wow,im going to have to raise my rates

 

here in Nicaragua we do them for $40 a piece, but then again the average nicaraguan only makes $2 a day..