re-chroming a stem
 

So I was thinking of buying an older stem that desperately needs to be re-chromed. Does anyone have a general idea of what this might cost me so I can figure it into the total amount I want to spend?

thanks.

I would find a quality chrome shop first, if a Cinelli stem for example, or any other fabricated stem, the dechroming operation is not without peril, too much time in the tank and, you will have stem parts.

I would consult a painter who works with a chrome house, even let him make some $ on the deal, down in SoCal I would know where to go, and I would not ask the price, polishing is an important part of a chrome job, you get what you pay for. Oh yeah, too much chrome and it will not fit...

I had a Major Taylor stem, and some steel crankarms and ring chromed for an old track bike, the cost was $90. many years ago, but the shop is still on Telegraph in Oakland, Johnson Plating.

Took forever.

I was thinking of getting this and re-chroming. any advice?

http://www.fyxomatosis.com/images/ne...ellistem_1.jpg


http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Vintage-Cinel...QQcmdZViewItem

I was thinking of getting this and re-chroming. any advice?

http://www.fyxomatosis.com/images/ne...ellistem_2.jpg


http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Vintage-Cinel...QQcmdZViewItem

Don't re-chrome it. I love old rusty Cinelli. Steel wool it if you want, but I'd keep it original.

Don't. IMO, it looks great as is, it will proably look better after a thourough cleaning. A guess at the auction, it will go $125-$150 US, rechroming, $50, ebay price after rechroming, $100-$125, assuming you don't restore the badge too.

youd love my bars...

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/118/2...eb99d7c4c0.jpg

remove the plate and use oxalyic acid to clean it up and leave it, chroming is risk and could destroy the value. Is you are insanely fussy and are doing a show bike, make sure you have a long talk with the chromer about how the finish should be thin, how they should take it easy with the buffer and how they should not do too much prep work (i.e. sanding and filling pits etc..) pay the extra for a copper base.

I do! Seen 'em before over in SS/FG. Do you still have those, or were they in the Trade thread?

on a similar note, i just got a nice not rusty cinelli stem (thanks iab !)
but there is one spot where the chrome is starting to peel...

any tips on keeping it from going any further ?

If you can't live without shiny new chrome, take it to a custom motorcycle shop. Be warned: Because of DEP regs, a lot of plating shops have gone out of business, that and high labor costs add up to high costs for chrome plating.

I guess it depends what the rest of the bike looks like. Patina or perfection should all be in sync.

If you have a restored, repainted and decaled frame that stem is going to stick out like a sore thumb as they say. The top one in this pic is the Major Taylor I had rechromed, it was nothing but rust. I originally had it re-done for a 50s Paramount track with new paint, but found an original stem. The other is the original Schwinn Paramount stem.

My stepfather had that Major Taylor since I was about 10, he finally gave it to me a few years ago.