**ATTENTION**HAMB Alliance Members

I've been an Alliance Member since it was offered and it's saved me bookoo$$$ on all kinds of stuff, not to mention the cool personal plate, "thanks Ryan"..
So now, I'd like to give back to my fellow HAMBers if I may..I wish I could just offer a HAMB rate but this is a new shop and opening costs and overhead are extreamly high, so for now all I'm able to convince him to do is an "Alliance Rate" I'm not sure how much this will be yet but it will be comperable to other vendors...I so recommend the Alliance membership...it is well worth the $50.00 and I saved that much the first time I used it...
I have been waiting for 4 months while permits, construction and miles of Federal, State and Local Beaurcratic " Red Tape " has been cut through to open this shop, so I could get this job and now it's finally going to happen...Now for the good part!...

I am going to work for a New Chrome Shop here in West KY and while having a meeting with Steve (owner) this evening I posed the question to him if he would like to become a HAMB Alliance Vendor and he expressed moderate interst in it, even though he isn't a gearhead...he loves hotrods and motorcycles and would like to help this community..as well as get his name out there...and he is also fully aware of the hotrod/gearhead he's hired.
The Chrome and Polishing Shops scheduled opening for the end of February 07' as well as a Powder Coating and Media Blasting Facility to follow shortly there after.. (which I will be running)...
If this is a service HAMB Alliance members would be interested in PLEASE let me know, by responding your interest here, so that I may show to my new employer (this thread) and begin whatever process it takes to become a vendor...
Thanks, Hillbillyhotrod aka
(Chris Michaels)

 

I think it would be great.

 

I would probably be interested in getting one or 2 things chromed sometime down the line.

 

Don't see how you could go wrong as an alliance vendor. If the quality is there I think you will be plenty busy. You will have a potentially HUGE customer base from the get go.

We all like shiney stuff to one degree or another.

Go for it!

 

Sounds like a good deal to me

 

Sounds like you have services that would benefit the board, just remember that Ryan is very busy and the process to become an Alliance Vendor takes time.

 

I would be interested at one time or another.

 

I'll be having bumpers, grill and small parts to be chromed late this year and I'd rather have the money go to a 'brother'. If I can save a buck along the way, all the better!

 

Sounds great to me!! Especially knowing i can support a fellow Kentuckian. My brother is looking for someone to plate a '34 grille and various other parts! Keep us posted!

 

Sounds good...I need a grille & trim pieces plated this year...

 

Chrome plating is a big ticket item and if we could save a few bucks it would be great. I think most people now days have a powdercoating business within a resonable distance and a lot of parts that need powdercoating are large, meaning if you were any distance away it might make it cost prohivitive with transportation involved.

Frank

 

Sorry, no time to read it all but I'll tell you what scares me worse than the cost of plating is the thought of not getting the part back.

I have heard so many horror stories about sending off rare items and never getting them back that I'm scraed to death to get my 59 Imperial grill done. Those damn things don't grow on trees!


That said, we have a chrome/polishing shop in the Alliance...


http://www.englishcustompolishing.com/

 

KY is a good location to serve a good segment of the country, especially us east coast guys. If I had a choice of sending stuff to NJ to an unknown, or to KY to someone with a H.A.M.B. connection, the stuff would be headed to KY.

 

Curious, English Polishing is great, but he told me he cant handle anything over 36" long or Pot metal items. If I am wrong, please feel free to edit my post.

That said, As long as you can handle the parts and give some sort of loss guarantee You will have people lining up

 

I am kinda with rash.. living in seattle!! Do I wanna send my parts to KY!! I see how stuff gets treated in the shipping industry daily and its not pretty.. this might work out better for you locals??

 

First let me thank everyone for all the interest and PM's
per Rashys comment Thanks for making a good point...Well I thing I can assure you if the parts make it to us it will get done and returned! Although I am not in charge of what happens once FED/UPS gets them in thier hands on it, thats what shipping insurance is for..and that will be delt with on a case by case basis..
As far as region is concerned shipping may be an issue for you West Coasters but as mentioned by others here the Central part of the country and the South as well as the East Coast may be perfectly viable...
We are located in the far west corner of Kentucky..Reidland, KY to be exact...which is a suberb of Paducah KY. Just off exit 16 on Interstate 24..Easy access!
Also My plans later this year will include attending several rod runs and shows with truck and trailer to set up a booths for the PICK UP of New Work and DROP OFF of Finished Parts for folks that may be attending these functions..saving on shipping as well will allow ya'll to see the quality of work that will be coming out of this shop..
As far as ther being another Chrome/Polishing/Powder coating and Media Blasting shop in the Alliance already I doubt another will affect it's business but only help make availible the services to HAMBers that may not be close enough for thiers...
thank you all,
Chris~

 

I am buildinga 51 merc KUSTOM and will need pieces like bumpers, convertible roof parts, 53 Desoto grille, etc. chrome plated to show quality. Please be sure and provide the type of chrome plating process you will be doing (hexavalent chrome or trivalent chrome) and the levels of quality you will be offering. Also what other in house services will you be offering? I wish you success. 19Fordy

 

I have a '55 Merc wagon.
I'll be needing quotes shortly on getting my front and rear bumpers and some other items plated.
I'm in Cincy and we have zero plater shops here.

Glenn.

 

Don't take me the wrong way. I didn't mean that I was afraid things won't come back from you. Just that people can be sure they will come back from an Alliance member or a bunch of HAMBers will go get them.

When you throw shipping into the mix, regional chrome shops would sure help. The fewer times a part meets the box smashers the better off it will be.

I was not aware that polisher cannot handles item longer than 36" or pot metal. That counts me out on both points.

 

No offense...........but, your "blue" text makes my eyes sore.......just something to think about......I could not read your last post, it was a "blue" blur.

 

I don't think polisher is doing any chrome work right now. There may be someone else at the shop that is, but he told me he is having some lung problems and is not chroming right now at all. I've got enough chrome work to keep a shop busy for months, but I too am scared of not getting my parts back. The last time I had some chrome work done it took 6 months to get it back and the work was shotty at best. I'd love to have a reliable chromer that we could rely on.

Doc.

 

good luck with the plating and powder coating.sent you a pm
Menno

 

Hi ;
any updates when is the opening day is

later kb

 

yea,what he said. i'm just a couple hours up the road. and am interested.

 

I'm down with the idea of having someone we have a personal connection with receiving the items I send off to be done - especially if I can save a few bucks in the overall process. I'm not much on chrome, but powder coating stuff would be my thing.

I can see the ups and downs of the whole idea, but I'd be better for it as a vendor - it can only mean more money in my pocket. I'd say I'm for it.

 

Personally, I'm glad to see a new chrome shop starting up anywhere. Here in Kansas City we have lost (mainly to environmental issues) most of the chrome polishers/platters. I think we only have two at present and they cannot or will not handle certain large items and the last time I had a bumper plated it took 6 weeks. Good luck to you and I hope you get in the Alliance as I like discounts. Keep us posted on when you are accepting work.

 

I think it would be great --

 

There is a huge opportunity in this business for quality chrome plating - there are not that many good shops. I'm like many of the others -- I'll drive to the plater, see the operation and decide if they are going to be doing my work. Please let us know what plating processes, what finishing techniques you'll be using, what level of restoration of parts you can handle and what the quality/cost options are. Where do you see yourselves in relation to other operations -- in quality, cost, turn around, etc.?

The most important thing you can do is promote your quality levels -- and make sure you deliver on them. Customer service is everything to me . . . I don't mind paying for quality work, but I expect you to set expectations you can live with. If you say it takes "3 weeks" then deliver in 3. If you say you can handle die-cast and potmetal plating, then you better be really good at it. If you can handle period hotrod parts and deliver show quality -- that costs more, but is perfect, then make sure you can deliver on it. Hopefully you guys have experience in the business and will pay for quality employees -- the level of detail and finish work will define your success.

I live in Columbus and have many parts to chrome -- give us some answers to our questions, let us know when you'll be open and what products and services you'll provide.

 

BTTT

Any answers to all our questions?

 

Well, hell yes!!! I need lots of Buick parts rechromed and I'm an east coaster so shipping would not be to expensive. Please keep us posted.