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I just called my local chrome plating shop and the owner of the shop verified that chrome plating is not clear....it does have color.

hey dog,

could you look at my 04oct2005 post again and ask your plater, the next time you are speaking to him or her, if this is correct about the reflectivity of the underlying nickel plate?..


epi

Well one thing that one want to remember, Copper sticks good to steel, Iron or pot metal and is easy to smooth out. Nickle sticks to copper better than chrome does, nickle is a good shiny base, but it's shine and hardness isn't as durable as Chrome hence the three layers of a superior chrome plating job. These three layers also resist the expansion from temperature changes better than just a single or double plating process.
1) the base metal of the item Iron, Steel Pot metal, zamack, bronze, etc.
2) Then a nice easily worked Copper layer, next a nice smooth Nickle layer which was good enough for the 20s and very early thirties.

...and along comes Chromium plating...

3) finally a thin hard shiny durable relatively non-corrosive layer of expensive Chromium. There are a couple of chemicals that will corrode Chrome, H2S for one.

There is just one problem with Chrome plateing, it is not easy to apply to Aluminum, which is easy to form and is strong, so there had to be another process for making Aluminum shiny and the shine to be more durable, and what is that process/processes called?

Anodize!

Mack - I had been told that decorative chrome plating was clear in that if you chrome over copper, you see copper and if you chrome over nickle, you see nickle - perhaps it isn't crystal clear, but you can certainly see through it quite easily.

My experience with Superior was recent and unfortunately, it was a common experience with several old truck enthusiasts from another website forum where the owner of Superior had solicited business. Many a GM truck enthusiast were heartily dissappointed at the poor quality, lost parts and general lack of attention to detail.

"I had been told that decorative chrome plating was clear in that if you chrome over copper, you see copper and if you chrome over nickle, you see nickle - perhaps it isn't crystal clear, but you can certainly see through it quite easily."

I asked that question of my local plating shop as well, and the owner informed me that nickel plating has a yellow cast to it and when nickel is plated with chrome the color of the finished plating is sliver, due to the color of the chrome. Also, if the part is copper plated first and then nickled plated, when the chrome is applied over the nickle the plating has a bluish-silver appearance, again, due to the color of the chrome. Chrome is not clear.

I will stick with them on bumpers only, we have found an eonomical plater in the DFW metroplex, We take stuff in and pick it up, sometimes there are several customers there at a time checking off their list as they pick up their parts. We have found that not all of one batch is ready at the same time, some of it has to be recycled, after final plating and the inspector kicks it back for a flaw. What ever is done with the old cars takes some one on one attention to be sure you get what you expect, that has been my experiance anyway, a good reason to use the locals if possible. As to Chrome metal being clear, if you check out the metallurgy, crome plateing is quite dense. by that I am talking about density or unit weight / unit volume.

The experience that KenB is talking about is typical with many local plating shops. The chances are very good if you take your valuable vintage car parts to your local plating shop that the parts will either be damaged, lost or the quality of the plating is not what you expected. :( :( :(

That is the usual JYD, and when you visit a local plating shop you understand why, when you find a good plater that keeps track of your stuff, don't let him go!

Chronium, just the facts, Mam.
Chromium, Elemental, my dear Watson....

well i finally have to make a few comments first i have used superior plating in houston as i live close they lost parts even after i showed them the photo of them when i brought them in they sent me a pencil clip and said that was it and if not they would find another at a swap meet never happened . next my experance is if the parts are pretty good going in they they are usally good when you get them back so we usally get them stripped do the repairs polish and back to the plater you only get what you inspect and not expect meaning that some times they buff through a part and it may need to be re done . if parts need to be repaired they need to be sent to some one that can or a speciality plater that does quality work if that is what you want most plating shops do good work on thick heavy items bumpers etc . that can be ground and polished but when it comes to fine delicate parts it is something else usally get eat up by the buffer and discarded [lost] plating is not the hard part of the process its the preperation and that is where the time comes in . most that do restore know what i am saying . you cant send a radiator shell to people that mostly do bumpers and expect them to put the bottom back on that the hood eat up hope this helps