' CHROME PLATING ' , . . .
Or Any Plating For That Matter , Is Probably The Most Misunderstood , ' Finish ' ,
That Has Ever Been Developed .
Check Out Some Quality Platers , - Online , ( Bicycle Platers ) & You Will Find
That The , ' Chrome Plating ' , Is , ' The Icing On The Cake ' , Hardly Even Worth
The Mention . My Last Post Refered To The Thickness As .0005 ; It More Than Likely
Should Be .00005 ! Yes , It Is , ' Hard ' , But W A Y Too Thin For Any Practical
Purpose Beyond , Making The Nickel , ' Look Good ' .
The , ' Real Deal ' , Is The Prep & Plating , Prep & Plating , Prep & Plating , Prep &
Plating , Plating , & Then A , ' Post Op ' , Of , Baking ! Very Lab(o)ur Intensive , And ,
Not Too Much Time , ' In The Tank ' .
The Part To Be , ' Chromed ' , ( Through The First Prep ) Must Appear As Perfect As
The Finished Article . It Is Then , ' Struck ' , With , ' Copper ' . This Copper , Must
Then Be , ' Preped ' , Again To , ' Level It Out ' . Another , ' Copper Strike ' , But Thicker ,
May Be Applied , With Another , ' Level Out ' , Buff .

( Not Even Half Way Through Yet ! )

Two More , ' Strikes ' , With Nickel , Each A Light Buff , & Then , & Only Then , ' Chrome ' .
The , ' Chrome ' , Is Not Polished / Buffed ; It Being The , ' Brilliant Finish ' ,
That We Know & Love .

( Not Done Yet ! )

Always . . . . . Remember This . . . . . Always . . . . .

The Part Must Be , ' Baked ' , To Drive Out The Hydrogen Gas Which Has Been Trapped
During The , ' Plating ' . . . ( 300' F , For About 3-4 Hours )

If This Is Not Done , Or Done Incorrectly , The Part Will Fail As If It Were A . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Glass Pretzel !

Now , Do You Want Your Bike / Fastners / Anything , Entrusted To Anyone Other Than
A Quality Bicycle Plater ? . . . I Think Not !

( No , I Am Not , ' In The Business ' , But I Do Indeed Have The Most Glorious Set Of
' Oxweld ' , Torches That I Did In My Friends Shop ! )

Ps . The , ' Plating Does Not Rust , It Is The Steel , ' Parent Metal ' , That Rusts
Due To The Fact That The Plating Is , . . . . . Wait For It ,

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Porous !

And You Want To Use , ' What Kind Of Abraisive ' , On It ? !!

Regards ,
J T