rechrome a fork?
 

I have another C&V project bike that needs the fork rechromed. Can anyone share their experience and cost? Many thanks!

It would help to know the bike this is for. In many cases it may be cheaper and easier to buy new chromed service fork you can find ones that are good matches for a lot of road bikes and cruisers. Also since you are in Denver if come to the Derailer Bike Coop http://www.derailerbicylecollective.org
on a Thursday or Friday afternoon they may be able to find a fork to match your bike.

Been a long time since I've worked at the plating shop but I'd guess in the $80-120 range to strip and replate a fork.

+1 Getting someone to do a good restoration replate on something can get pretty pricey that is why I suggested the OP look into some other options.

One up chroming is a specialty business. Look for someone who specializes in motorcycle, boat or vintage car work. Some also do antique restorations.

The price won't be low, but these folks know how to properly strip old chrome and prepare the fork for a quality job. In the world of chrome, the quality of finish is 100% dependent on how the metal is prepared before plating. Foe example you cannot plate over old plating, and the luster will come from the base layer.

Boutique platers will often speak of triple plating or triple chrome. This is copper plating, followed by nickle, followed by chrome. this will yield the brightest, shiniest, most durable finish.

Way back around 1970 I replated my pitted Columbus fork and rear triangle (Italian chrome - need I say more?) . Now 0ver 40 years later it still looks like wet metal.


BTW- and most important. Before even considering plating make sure your fork was brazed and not silver soldered. The acid etch required before plating will attack and dissolve silver solder, with nasty results like dropouts dropping out or the blades.

Silver soldered forks can also be plated, but need to be processed differently. make sure the palter knows it's silver brazed, and assures you that he knows how to handle it.

Be sure your plating shop knows about "hydrogen embrittlement" and how to treat the fork to avoid it after the plating is complete.

I've visited a number of factories where frames and forks are plated, and dealt with plating my tools in production. In none of these factories did anyone post bake to prevent hydrogen embrittlement, not did we ever do it in cone wrench production, and I've yet to hear of it being an issue.

Post baking is normally done for things like springs and other items subject heavy flexing cycle. I suspect that fork blades don't flex enough for it to be an issue, or that the sections are thick enough that it doesn't become a factor.

I worked on the zinc line at my shop so don't know exactly what they baked/did not bake over there on the chrome line. EVERYTHING off my line got time in the oven. Parts with nooks and crannies all got blown off/out with air before entering the oven. For us it was no detriment to production to bake everything so everything got baked. Rackers were always racking or unracking, only took a minute to roll a rack into/out of the oven.

Its for a 1983/4 colnago mexico. Thank you for all the guidance. It is much appreciated!

I'm surprised they didn't post bake. Forks in particular are one item I wouldn't want to have a brittle fracture. As you said, maybe the sections are thick enough the H2 doesn't diffuse into the metal far enough to cause problems. Still, it's worth asking the shop about.

I had a set of forks plated at St. Louis Plating, St. Louis, MO. They did a superb job for $50.00. The did what they call "show chrome", triple plated. Looked like brand new when they were finished. They did not mention the hydrogen embrittlement and I didn't know enough at the time to ask. They might have baked them, can't say for certain.

I hate to say sorry but little chance of matching that fork. Considering the bike a pic or two would still help, why not just sand the fork down for the most part repaint and just leave the dropouts chrome. Again pics would help.

Having seen some forks that have the lower arm "flex" bend in them flexing over rough roads I'd say that such a fork has more in common with the show chromed springs than it does with chromed tools or other things. Just to hedge my bets I think I'd look into the post plating bake to remove any embrittlement.

On the other hand straight blade forks are not going to see as much flexing and would likely be OK without it?