Plating parts

[Catmint]

I use these guys, near York - I tend to put quite a bit in with them at a time and tag my personal stuff on the back end

https://www.allenchrome.co.uk/

They have turned around some pretty bad stuff for me, although I try and clean it up best before hand, removing paint and either soaking in brick acid if the rust is really thick, or bilt hambers derusting solution on lighter stuff.

This back plate was really heavily pitted, almost junk, but it came out OK

[Nick W]

The thing is for perfect plating, it's difficult to prepare your self.
Firstly the parts are cleaned , then any old plating should be removed in a reverse plating tank, removing plating by blast cleaning is likely to remove more than just the plating, ok for some items, but fine stuff like unions with threads etc are going to be compromised.
After the existing platings been removed, then either acid dipping or fine blasting or both can be carried out.
This is time consuming and won't be carried out too cheaply.
It seems they carry out this work better in the US than over here nowadays as most of the plating firms in Sheffield and Birmingham have closed

[Polarsilver]

Not ex works surface treatment that is agreed ..however have you tried "ColdGav" in a Rattle Can.. cheap & cheerful alternative .. and the surface finish improves with age

[agricola]

I dont wish to be rude but what I see may well be blasted but cries out for metal polishing.

[Andrew1967]

Received callipers, servo tinware and carb linkages back on Monday from Mark at SmiffysBits. So much better. I'm very pleased with the results.

Just not sure whether to get one set of tin ware re-done in silver zinc ??

[Nick W]

They look much better don't they!
I would like to see the silver version, as the gold it quite bright.
Here is a nos mk1 servo part, showing the original finish was quite light gold

Nick.

[Andrew1967]

Agreed Nick, that’s what I’m going to do.

Just got to find another air valve top cover to get done. I have a NOS top cover but it only has a short stub for a tube ?

Will use the other set on my 998 Cooper’s servo when I get round to doing it.

[Gary Schulz]

This thread is interesting and has made me rethink what I might do as far as plating various fasteners, brake calipers, disks etc. Back a few years ago in the wireless industry we started using a new metal coating process on our industrial/outdoor products. The process we adopted was the Geomet process since it was beginning to be used in the automotive industry and met very stringent requirements for anti-corrosion/salt air environments. This is not a plating process per se but is a water based coating using a suspended metal matrix. We found it to be exceptionally resistant to corrosion in all our industrial applications.

Since I am working on fixing the brakes on my daughter's Honda CR-V, I purchased Geomet coated rotors and they look really impressive.

20210318_100637.jpg

20210318_100648.jpg

I just did a search and found several Chicago area businesses that do Geomet coating so I am actually contemplating using this process to coat my calipers and brake disks. There is zero chance of hydrogen embrittlement and the process does not use Hexavalent chrome so there are are no hazardous waste products. I also like the satin/dull silver finish. Looks like silver cad without all the plating problems.

Figure it is worth a try...

[Spider]

Andrew & Nick, I've found all the plating I've had done (by a few firms) does dull off as it ages. Some of the cruddy Plater's work has ended up chalky after about 2 years, but most others have just dulled off, it looses that shiny finish to more like that Servo Part of Nick's after about 2 - 3 years.

[Andrew1967]

That's true of the silver stuff I have had done over the years too.

Never had this gold/yellow plating done before so wondering if it would dull to the extent of the servo air valve housing of Nicks ?

[Gary Schulz]

Just got this servo back from the rebuilder and I like the patina of the plating. Looks pretty similar to OEM to me...

20210321_141735.jpg

Not sure what the coating is on the casting but I am told it is completely resistant to brake fluid.

[Andrew1967]

That looks very nice indeed

[Peter Laidler]

Yes, very nice. But should the cylinder be black?

[Gary Schulz]

I painted my other servo cylinder black but then I saw a supposed OEM one that appeared sort of a dark and "dusty" grey. Darker than the color they used here but I don't mind it. It presents a pretty clean "NOS" look to it. I suppose over the years they varied somewhat like pretty much everything else on these cars.

There, I just talked myself into thinking it is now correct!

[cheesebadger]

I collected these at the weekend from the local plater (first time using them).
They look good, but the underlying surface isn't great, but they do hold pressure, so this was more protective rather than appearance.

[Peter Laidler]

Interesting Gary. Maybe some cylinders were actually phosphated/parkerized. That could come anywhere between dark and light grey depending on how 'rich' the mixture was getting towards the end of the week! We had a huge phosphating plant that was well used. It even took my Norton Commando frame.