Chrome plating

[Sir Sidney Roughdiamond]

I have just had a job come in to quote for and the customer wants a chrome finish. In all my years fabricating it is a first believe it or not.

Anyway, does anyone know how much as I should be allowing for this service? Is it priced on weight like other plating or per square metre maybe a charge per individual case?

 

[piman]

Hello SSR,

it depends on what sort of chrome finish he wants. You'll need to get a good idea of what he is looking for, both in type of finish and what sort of quality of plating he wants.
If it is a mirror finish and a proper job, i.e. copper\nickel\chrome for durability, don't guess a price but speak to a plater or two for a quote, as that doesn't come cheaply, as there is a lot of hand linishing and polishing.

Alec

 

[Sir Sidney Roughdiamond]

Cheers Alec,
it will be mirror finish shopfittting quality. These are bespoke dress rails mainly from 27 o/d tube.

Thanks for the advice, I will certainly provide a drawing if it means a more accurate quote. Don't suppose you know anywhere in the North West?

 

[hotrodder]

What about polished stainless instead? Based on what i've paid for chroming in the past it'd be a fair bit cheaper

 

[Sam]

What about polished stainless instead? Based on what i've paid for chroming in the past it'd be a fair bit cheaper

Ask for ornate stainless tube dont know about 27 od but definately 25mm Myers of Glasgow do a range of polished alloy clamps that suit the tube as used in the shopfitting sector.

 

[Sir Sidney Roughdiamond]

Sounds expensive. I could do them in stainless, but there is some hot forging required in the fabrication, for this reason traditional clamps are out of the question. Also, I didn't really fancy the polishing to be honest, not to a bright finish anyway.

The previous ones I did for the same customer were powder coated, so simple and cost around £3 per running metre to finish. Didn't expect chrome to be that big a problem. Stainless would take longer, TIG welded and hand polished would almost double the time involved. Looks like I have a lot of thinking to do.

Cheers for the replies , I will make some phone calls in the morning.

 

[hotrodder]

I hate polishing too, small items aside it's cheaper for me to sub it out than do myself for what the local polisher charges. The platers might offer electropolishing too, i'd get an approx price to sub out the polishing either way. As Sam said, can buy pre polished stainless which may help cost/time wise for some sections (depending on design)?

 

[piman]

Hello Gary,

no, I'm sorry, but try some of the Classic car platers? Also, if you can get a well finished tube for your fabrication will cut down the platers work.

Alec

Alec

 

[edzt]

Aqua Plating‎
Unit 13, Aqueduct Mill, Aqueduct Street, Preston, Lancashire PR1 7JN
01772 884 801‎

Used them a couple of times - Good finish, good price

Ed

 

[brightspark]

if u are wanting a spot on job 1st class london chroming are the best they are dear i had a norton chaincase plated it was dented and scraped cost 100 quid but came back without a mark on it . no burn marks or hit and miss chroming

 

[davegeezzer]

ive had lots of car parts chromed over the years ( london chroming is the best ive used yet,but ive still had to get them to redo things ) but everyone ive used always seem to have a 6 week turn around, obviously your using new steel but for other people thinking of getting old metals chromed you must ask the platers if they are/can/will dress the metal if it needs it, ive had so many things that look ok before they acid strip them, but they just chrome straight over the pits and cracks so you have to get them to redo it again after its been dressed, I try to go down the stainless route where i can as ive found chrome platers dont seem to give a stuff IMHO.