There is.

You're right. There is paint that imitates chrome, and looks like chrome, so I guess you could say that there's chrome paint, the same way you could say there's gold or silver paint.

But, looking like chrome, doesn't make it chrome. The thread referenced chrome plating, painting is different animal altogether.

Hi,

FWIW AFAIK quality chrome plating involves plating
intermediate metal layers between steel and chrome.

Copper, then Nickel, then Chrome.

rgds, sreten.

I'd expect it would be considerably easier to polish a glass beaded surface than raw steel, as half the work has been done for you already, especially on a complex shape full of nooks and crannies, like a bicycle frame. in fact, I bet if you copper plated over the glass beading, THEN polished, then nickel and chrome over that, you'd get a great surface.

I wanted to get some forks re-chromed ages ago, and found out from the local Harley custom shops that it would have to be sent to Nevada or Wyoming, as noone in California did decent chrome anymore. said <bleep> it, went with sandblasting and powder coating, was less hassle.

pierce- I don't think a sandblasted surface gives a good chrome plated result. It's been a long time since i tried plating frame parts. But the two shops i was with then both had sand blasters and believe me when i say that if all it took was a blasted surface I'd have a rather different view of chroming. I'd also venture that every plater would have a sandblaster and save considerable time. But since that doesn't happen I can only think it's because you'd still have to polish the blaster surface. How fine a grit can a sandblaster get down to? When i had to prep the last frame ends for plating (when i lived in Chicago) I went through 80, 180, 360(?), 600 then crocus paper before I used the buffer. This job had good luster after the plating but it started to flake off as we were putting the wheels in. Under the flaking chrome we didn't see any nickle or copper. I can easily understand the current drive with stainless steel. You go through the same prep but don't pay the plater and get close to the same results. Andy.

a glass beaded surface is pretty close to polished. I'd guess this would get you down to the 400 or 500 grit level at least.

It's not the grit as much as the character of the finish. Many platers do offer mechanical polishing, ie glass bead, or vibratory with polishing media (steel, glass, plastic), but you never get the same luster that buffing with rouge offers. You can't plate then polish because the thickness of the plating is less that the depth of the roughness.

Also consider that electroplating is a field effect, and the metal ions are attracted and stick to the nearest high spots, so when there's an imperfect surface the peaks get over-plated (chrome burn), and the recesses get underplated. That's why you'll often see a yellowish tinge on insided corners of plated objects.

As for galss beading speeding up the job, it might in theory, but in practice the buffing wheels work so fast that it wouldn't save much if any. If you ever visit a plating shop, you'll see how much the operator has to keep the object moving to keep it from being overheated and blued by the polishing compound.

BTW- if you're ever in a bike shop that has "Kingsbridge" cone wrenches, you'll see about the limits of chrome on a mechanical polish. The chrome has good luster, but you still see the surface character of the steel. The ne effect is sub par if you were plating a frame.

My 1967 Raleigh Carlton with "Flame" paint


End of hijack

No blasting process with suffice, prior to plating. From my experience, working in a plating shop, the parts should be as shiny before plating, as you expect them to be, afterward. That's one reason that some platers will use a heavy copper plating first, to fill imperfections and minimize the loss of base material. Buffing the copper is a lot easier than buffing steel.

https://www.duplicolor.com/products/automotiveMetallic/

Let there be chrome paint!!

Chrome paint looks pretty good. That is until you put it next to a nice polish chrome plate job. It just ain't the same.

You can chrome plate at home tho... casswell or whaterver the name is has kits for chromeplating.

Yeah, forget chrome. How much more elegant is SS? It's win.

both of these are the bomb!!!

Your best bet is to find a shop that has a solid rep for doing plating very well. As I mess with antique cars and hotrods a lot, I would recommend a trip to the magazine rack. Look for Street Rodder, Street Rod Builder, etc., In the back you will find ads for shops which can easily do an entire front end for a 1958 Caddy and do it to concurs perfection. They can handle a bike frame and do it to absolute perfection. Email them for advice and recommended way ahead. Expect to pay a couple of hundred dollars per frame. Its ok to comparision shop, but if some shop quotes you a low ball price, take your frame and run away.

BTW; Hot Rodders know that today there are several paints which can rather closely approximate the shine and color of chrome. I know I have re-painted a chrome early Ford windshield frame and it still looks 98% like nice chrome 5 years later... Cost $25 for materials and 10 hours of labor but worth it.

A good plating shop will typically NOT want to owner to attempt to do half his job for him. He will want to clean and prep. BTW: Sandblasting thin wall anything will likely destroy it. Save sandblasting for car frames and bridge steel. Today the methods, if using blasting at all, is media blasting with Soda, walnut shells, plastic beads, etc. Cheaper, cleaner, doesn't ruin the item, etc.

There is chrome powder coating that looks EXACTLY like real chrome plating.....you can't tell the difference sitting side by side.

Sometimes it will have vary slight blue highlights but if done correctly there is no difference at all.NONE!

As far as real plating goes......whatever the finish looks like on your parts BEFORE plating.....is exactly what your finish will look like when chromed....it will just be shiney!

So if you want polished parts after plating,they need to be polished before plating.If you see sandmarks,blastmarks,nicks,dings ect. you'll still see them.