Thanks for watching the video. We have already restored the front bumper from this '48 Oldsmobile here is a link to the video th-cam.com/video/BaVulG5wJYg/w-d-xo.html Here is a video of some mazak parts we rechromed for another customer a while ago th-cam.com/video/0oYNgYZ1kU4/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for sharing! I have been playing with high thickness copper electroforming at home, and was preparing a question/comment in my head if your shop would fill in the pits as best as possible with a high build copper layer, and you answered my question in the next instant. 😊 I know "just enough" to know there's loads I don't know. And I can see the skill in the shop workers, like how they wire up the items, and slip the insulators on key places & corners, like the opening for those signal lamps in the trim. I love the technology videos of "how we do this." And it's what TH-cam shines at for making lives better & learning. (Opposed to faux silliness & drama) so, again... thank you!
Wow what an incredible job. That whole process looks like another one of those jobs that’s a dying trade that’s really a form of art. True craftsmanship.
Very conscientious about their work, they don't cut corners! I've been into one of these workshops in Athens some 40 years ago, I needed some minor work to be done on my 1974 Innocenti Mini Cooper 1300. I was amazed at the working conditions, the smell of all these chemicals was something else. These people are heroes, they fully deserve the fees they charge!
Your polisher has some incredible skill, a good part of the final outcome is in the polishing. I can see why electroplating is so expensive nowadays, here in NZ so many shops have closed down especially with tighter environmental restrictions. Beautiful work I wish you were local to me.
I've had loads of rechroming done over the years, and am always amazed at the process. Here in California, laws have made it virtually impossible to do a proper job, so we're forced to choose between less-than (but still expensive) quality, or shipping parts out of state. Beautiful job on those Olds pieces, especially given the awful shape they were in!
Advanced plating in Nashville, TN. After a number of owners retired, disasters from fires to flood, Steve runs a chemical magic in the plating world doing steel, pot metal, aluminum and plastics. As seen on “Motor Trend” TV for the guys and “Power Nation” TV builds. The guys at Advanced Plating are all car enthusiasts and most are racing on the weekends. Look them up, give them a call. In the “Cowan Area” of Nashville in a relative new facility that cover acres! DK, ASE Master Tech, 78. Yes, CA sucks so bad in their government the trees are leaning west! 😮😮
th-cam.com/video/pvKhk-n09FQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=MTNyySs4JFL-DU0E This is a link to advanced plating near Nashville Tennessee! This is the place to get your shine on to last for years. DK, Omaha ASE Master since 78. 😮
@@aircooledhead It has turned into a sad situation when the State or local government can dictate how automotive enthusiasts can or can not had nickel, chrome and other plating processes can be done or half assed done! Elected and Non-Elected Professional politicians can control a process they have no clue how it works, can join the cancel culture into the American Iron restoration business! This is a scandal that can only be addressed by the citizens vote. Meanwhile, look into “Advanced Plating” near Nashville as the owner Steve, is involved in the chemistry of properly preparing, cleaning, polishing and plating parts we all want. He doesn’t micro-manage this facility but stays involved in the many gear-heads he employed. He is highly active in the industry talking to employees to make each step better, easier or last longer. He openly shares his concepts of chrome plating aluminum that others say can’t be done. Shipping is always an issue but the end product is second to none as shown on Motor Trend TV used by Stacey David, Power TV, and a dozen other TV shows. Please look above for a post I placed a link to a TH-cam video covering this company. You will be impressed. DK, Omaha. Retired ASE Master tech.
This is the best electroplating vídeo/ explanation I have seen so far. I simply have an “obsession” for polishing stuff since I was a kid. I am 59 now. Here in Portugal it took me years to find an excellent chrome service. Your knowledge and experience make me want to fly over there just to meet the company in person. Thank you for the kind video without “hiding the secrets” It sure shows us why we have to pay what is due to such a work and knowledge .
Little shops like you are worth double your weight in gold. Its a lost art and likely not to return en-mass due to environmental laws. You made this look simple (ive tried...IT IS NOT SIMPLE!) Well done chap. Long may you prosper.
Unreal technique! Great video. No wonder it costs so much to get chroming done. It’s so manual intensive with highly skilled workers doing magic! The chemicals must be a significant burden too. Well done!
When I was 21 (32 years ago) I bought my first car, a 57 Chevrolet Bel Air. I considered to do the chrome plating job myself. It was the pre internet age, so I got a book from a library called "100 industries explained". I learned about the cooper-nickel-chrome process, and tried with a tiny lock key... It was a disaster. So, did a lot of the restorarion work myself, but not the chrome plating. It was the most expensive part, but It was worth every buck. I still have the car, awaiting a second restoration. I hope by then a master artisan like you still exist in my country! Many thanks.
Very good finish, the laser was a good idea to clean. I am surprised it did not do any damage or leave any marks. Enjoyed the video, I think the customer will be very pleased. Excellent
Goodness me, I love that you’re still pumping out amazing work! My jaw is and has always been on the ground watching your staggering workmanship. Thank you so sooo much for sharing such skill with the world. 🇦🇺🤜🏼🤛🏼😎🍀🍀🍀☮️☮️☮️
Great job and old friend of mine had a polishing and plating shop for many aerospace space companies. Once in a while he would do triple plate chrome and he said, it is labor intensive. I know and appreciate what it takes and it's getting to be a lost art. Again great job! I have an old chevy and spent many dollar's in the past on triple plate chrome. There is alot of time spent on polishing and prep.
This was a great video for people who don’t understand how it all works. Years before I got into the need for chrome I always thought it was the chrome that looked like chrome lol, but no, it’s the nickel that looks likes chrome. Chrome itself is a brownish looking chemical bath. The TRUE craftsmanship is the polisher. This is a SKILL. When I developed my line of performance motorcycle parts the biggest problem was always chroming. Getting great looking parts at a fair price and most importantly on time lol. The joys of telling a very good customer about his parts for the bike show this weekend. Sorry you tell him, they won’t be back from chrome plating till next week. ( maybe )😂 and I had that experience way too often. Enjoyed the vid👍🏼👍🏼
I showed this video to a customer with a 64 Lincoln Continental as to why is was $15,000+ to re chrome everything on his car! He didn't complain after watching. Thank you! Its very labor intensive but it definitely helps to see what all goes into it!
That's Friggen Amazing!!! I Love It!!! Now I want to go out and buy that '59 Impala and give you some more business. The quirk is that I would want to help you to restore the chrome pieces. This is a 110% Finish. This is just so Awesome!!!
They sure didn't look like seventy five year old materials when you got done with them. What an amazing transformation! I love seeing what can be produced when craftsmen take obvious pride in their work
If I had a shop like this I would post a video of this on my website to offer some process education to potential clients. I'd imagine that very few people have any clue at all the amount of labor and material consumables that go into restorations like this. If the client wants the quality they desire, it will cost good money - for a good reason.
Enlightening to see this process! I stripped a kitchen faucet set back to its bare "Rustic brass" casting with electrolysis in phosphoric acid for a historic home renovation several years ago. Quite the learning process that was. This video helps me understand what exactly I was taking off.
Wow THIS gives me quite the appreciation for the whole process.. I have several cars that need loads of Pot metal and chrome re done... I can see why the prices are so high...:-(
My honor! The level of work is incredible! If geographically I had the opportunity, I would definitely trust you with the details of my motorcycles for chrome plating.
Have you seen any issues from the government in terms of environment or worker safety concerns? I see your work as an act of love, and is easy to perceive in your narration of the tasks as they occur... I can clearly see the love and pride in your work. It seems the Government always ruins everything it touches though... I hope you guys never have to deal with governmental over-reach.. It is very clear to see that all the people in your workshop perform their functions as a love as a master craftsman.. I would not mind to work in there myself as I love to do tasks like this where I see the results of my effort with pride and compassion.. I expect you see these resulting items as your child... am I wrong? Simply amazing!
There was a great car chrome shop in Northeast Philly for many years but closed a few years ago.A coworker took some pieces for a car he was restoring. Told him it would take three months so after three months when he called them to see if they were finished owner got aggravated and told him to come by and pick them up. Shop never touched them. Shop did such great work people didn't mind waiting forever & a day.
It have always been aware that chrome plating is a laborious and expensive process but now I know why. Thank you very much! I was wondering what those balls in the cleaning and chrome baths are for.
I worked in a zinc cyanide plating facility, we plated 1000’s of pounds of nails a year for coil or stick nailers in Rhode Island, USA. I am glad I am not in that job anymore but it is an interesting process!
Very interesting. My dad was an electroplater. I knew it was hard work using lots of toxic chemicals but never knew how much was involved. He lived well into his eighties.
I'd like to watch a similar video where the pot metal had such deep pits that the copper plating processes would not adequately fill in the pit. I understand that lead/tin solder is used in these situations....well maybe silver solder....to fill in the pits and the solder is then ground down to smooth Into matching the surrounding material. I've had pieces rechromed where the replater said he had to do this. I'm impressed at the labor involved. The Environmental Protection Agency has ran a lot of replaters out of business here in California. Replating, anywhere in the US, is very expensive now due to the EPA.
I would also like to hear the answer here. I have just hobby copper and nickel plated small old stuff, like double edge razors and some worn out keychains and such. If the pot metal is really corroded it is hard to clean it, and the copper will not plate on the corroded pot metal spots, so only parts of it would be nice looking/plated, dipping it in anything acidic will not clean it either, just make it worse where it is pitted bad. I guess I could grind it, flux it and tin it, but I would not be able to recreate the fine details in the casting where I would tin it. If the item is just flat and shiny without details the tinning would be an easy solution though. Maybe deplating it would potentially remove some corrosion, Hmm, sorry for thinking out loud here, but it is interesting, and nice to fix some old stuff, especially stuff that is beyond repair in most peoples eyes. I have never tried flux on pitted potmetal though. This zamak stuff is pretty poor stuff when the outer layer of plating has gone away and the corrosion begins..
If it's pot metal (mostly zinc), it will melt before the silver solder so that doesn't work but you can use lead/tin or pure tin solder. The chemicals used in plating is nasty stuff. If you simply dump the washing water to the sewer, you will pollute the waste water sludge with heavy metals so it's a good thing that that is no longer allowed in many places. You have to have a local special treatment for the spent washing water, then everything is fine.
As an ex-hazmat inspector who has been into several shops that were "shut down" by the EPA, I wish that everyone who carps about the injustice of it could have come on my inspections. Plating can be a really messy business, with the acids, bases, crystalline deposits and corrosion from acid gases. Old shops had wooden catwalks and unlined concrete floors that eroded from the acids. Newer shops are designed with maintenance in mind, but in the days before EPA, spent baths would just be taken to the dump, or pumped into the sanitary sewer, which often went to the rivers or ocean after sanitary processing. Once the laws passed in the late 70's required proper disposal of the nasty stuff, lots of shops were slow to include disposal costs in their plating fees, and started accumulating the spent baths and sediment in the back lot or corners or the shop - imagine 400 gallon tanks filled to the top with green nickel sulfate crystals, or dozens of 55-gallon drums of hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide, nitric acid, chromic acid crowded into a back lot or storage building. If these were discovered, the owner was forced to dispose of them properly (they were a danger to the neighborhood), and more often than not, they declared bankruptcy or were already shut down. In most cases, the taxpayers ended up footing the bill for disposal. The platers that survived or built new plants use methods to minimize waste by controlling contamination (see all of his rinses? Those keep his plating baths uncontaminated and make them last longer). the consequence of running a tighter ship is higher cost, But those are the true costs to do quality work and protect the taxpayers from contamination and cleanup costs. The upside is that the platers now, at least in California, do great work - the sloppy old guys are gone.
@@87mini There are many people that just do not care. Most people are idiots. People throw garbage out the window, chemicals in the toilet and oil in the soil. In all age groups. The older I get, the less I want to deal with other humans.
Mate of mine went to get some parts chromed for his Austin Healy in Australia and nearly had a heart attack when they gave a quote. He took the part with him to Thailand and they knocked them out in less than a week for less than $300. Now I gotta workout how I get my 56 Chev bumper to Thailand 😳
As Forrest Gump would say "Working with pot metal is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get". Yup! Done hundreds of these things back in the day. Pot metal is one of the trickier items to restore because you cannot predict the air pockets/pits that the casting will do from piece to piece. Sometimes you can get perfect or near perfect surfaces. If you use your copper like painters use primer, you and actually plate it 2-3 times with copper and fill in most of the pits created by rust or air pockets with pot metal. But getting them to shine and protect the surface is mostly what people want as they restore old cars. The show people are looking for perfection in their plating. In a way I miss doing this type of work. It was indeed interesting work. Ford way back in the day, not sure what years. They added one more step to their plating process but have since removed it. And for good reason too. They used to do a zinc plate. I don't remember if it was before or after the copper plate. It helps give a beautiful luster to the chrome finish. But sadly because of the dis-similar metals there was a problem of electrolysis that would go on and it would pit regular steel much like it was cast or pot metal.
Love the blues riffs in the background! Who is it? I don't see a credit so I suspect it may be copyright free for videos, but it's good! And once again, this opens your eyes as to by chrome plating - and replating pitted bits - is so expensive. It's very labour intensive!
I had a couple of gas levers for a boat in chromed zinc that were heavily corroded. I filed off the old chrome and polished the zinc to a mirror shine. The only plating I can do at home is with nickel acetate. I should have figured that the zinc couldn't handle the acid so they came out dull grey. Fiasco! Then I polished them again and sprayed on clear coat. It looks good and they are still fine after two years but it was a bit of cheating.
If more people worked this way with pride in what they did, the world would be a better place. I am absolutely tired of the laziness displayed by people who only work for a paycheck yet spend half their time looking at their phones while getting paid.
I’m not arguing with your statement nor do I completely disagree but also think that if we want to see these dying trades stay alive we need to back off on this mentality. Being in a dying trade myself (I specialize in metal shaping/coachbuilding) I’ve seen so many kids come around eager to learn that are being told they’re useless and lazy before ever being given an opportunity to learn something and start becoming useful. If someone wants to learn and didn’t grow up around an industry let alone have any experience we can’t give them shit about not having common sense because nothing is common to them yet. If you’re a kid and the people who are suppose to teach you only shit on you for not knowing something, call you lazy and make more negative claims about you why the hell would they bother sticking around?
@@AutumnsGunnar I only know what I have seen. *Trying to justify laziness is a bigger flaw than any mistakes made by those who are paid to do the work.* Bosses who are afraid to correct those who aren't doing what they are paid to do is being nothing more than an enabler. Usually, a learned response from poor training is what creates laziness and a lack of pride. Not correcting them or dismissing (firing) them when the same things are repeated after being corrected on what is expected is simply a weakness in management. Weakness in a boss is easy to spot.
@@richardclifton4120 i see everything I just said went right over your head. You seem like the type to boast about having decades of experience after shitting on people’s work while offering no substantial help to the situation. You’re more concerned with pointing out negatives vs creating and positives but you do you
Yh good luck trying to braze old die cast because the melting point of die cast is a lot lower than braze so that good shop your talking about would destroy the part
great job, I got some vw barndoor door handles done (pot metal) and they came out terrible, the chromer said its because of the poor quality metal. You have proven him wrong!!
I was told "pot metal" is done by specialized shops by my chrome plating shop. It is difficult to chrome-plate, it can outgas. You have to wait a long time between steps and it is very expensive. 250€ per handle. So I prefer to look for NOS parts
She looks good mate, as long theirs no delayed blistering , laser cleaner may of helped a tiny . Fingers crossed. I usually skip the first mild acid dip before the first layer of cyanide . Only electroclean and 3 warm rinses .
Thanks for watching the video.
We have already restored the front bumper from this '48 Oldsmobile here is a link to the video th-cam.com/video/BaVulG5wJYg/w-d-xo.html
Here is a video of some mazak parts we rechromed for another customer a while ago th-cam.com/video/0oYNgYZ1kU4/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for sharing! I have been playing with high thickness copper electroforming at home, and was preparing a question/comment in my head if your shop would fill in the pits as best as possible with a high build copper layer, and you answered my question in the next instant. 😊
I know "just enough" to know there's loads I don't know. And I can see the skill in the shop workers, like how they wire up the items, and slip the insulators on key places & corners, like the opening for those signal lamps in the trim.
I love the technology videos of "how we do this." And it's what TH-cam shines at for making lives better & learning. (Opposed to faux silliness & drama) so, again... thank you!
WOW, such a huge labor intensive process. I can understand why they cost so much to have replated now... Thumbs Up and great work!
Thank you! Cheers!
Exactly what I thought!!
@@ChromeandCarRestorationI’d like to know the price to do those items?
I really enjoy watching skilled craftsmen doing their job/s so well.
So do I
Thank you for showing realistic results with very pitted metal.
We try our best to show the reality of restoring this material
Wow what an incredible job. That whole process looks like another one of those jobs that’s a dying trade that’s really a form of art. True craftsmanship.
Thank you for your comment.
Very conscientious about their work, they don't cut corners!
I've been into one of these workshops in Athens some 40 years ago, I needed some minor work to be done on my 1974 Innocenti Mini Cooper 1300. I was amazed at the working conditions, the smell of all these chemicals was something else. These people are heroes, they fully deserve the fees they charge!
Your polisher has some incredible skill, a good part of the final outcome is in the polishing. I can see why electroplating is so expensive nowadays, here in NZ so many shops have closed down especially with tighter environmental restrictions. Beautiful work I wish you were local to me.
I've had loads of rechroming done over the years, and am always amazed at the process. Here in California, laws have made it virtually impossible to do a proper job, so we're forced to choose between less-than (but still expensive) quality, or shipping parts out of state. Beautiful job on those Olds pieces, especially given the awful shape they were in!
That’s why you get rid of your government !
Same here in IL. Only industrial plating, not available to consumers with just a few pieces.😢
Advanced plating in Nashville, TN. After a number of owners retired, disasters from fires to flood, Steve runs a chemical magic in the plating world doing steel, pot metal, aluminum and plastics. As seen on “Motor Trend” TV for the guys and “Power Nation” TV builds. The guys at Advanced Plating are all car enthusiasts and most are racing on the weekends. Look them up, give them a call. In the “Cowan Area” of Nashville in a relative new facility that cover acres!
DK, ASE Master Tech, 78. Yes, CA sucks so bad in their government the trees are leaning west! 😮😮
th-cam.com/video/pvKhk-n09FQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=MTNyySs4JFL-DU0E
This is a link to advanced plating near Nashville Tennessee!
This is the place to get your shine on to last for years. DK, Omaha
ASE Master since 78. 😮
@@aircooledhead It has turned into a sad situation when the State or local government can dictate how automotive enthusiasts can or can not had nickel, chrome and other plating processes can be done or half assed done! Elected and Non-Elected Professional politicians can control a process they have no clue how it works, can join the cancel culture into the American Iron restoration business! This is a scandal that can only be addressed by the citizens vote.
Meanwhile, look into “Advanced Plating” near Nashville as the owner Steve, is involved in the chemistry of properly preparing, cleaning, polishing and plating parts we all want. He doesn’t micro-manage this facility but stays involved in the many gear-heads he employed. He is highly active in the industry talking to employees to make each step better, easier or last longer. He openly shares his concepts of chrome plating aluminum that others say can’t be done.
Shipping is always an issue but the end product is second to none as shown on Motor Trend TV used by Stacey David, Power TV, and a dozen other TV shows.
Please look above for a post I placed a link to a TH-cam video covering this company. You will be impressed. DK, Omaha. Retired ASE Master tech.
Wow! What a lengthy process. I'm amazed at the amount of work needed to produce a chrome finish. Nicely narrated too.
This is the best electroplating vídeo/ explanation I have seen so far. I simply have an “obsession” for polishing stuff since I was a kid. I am 59 now.
Here in Portugal it took me years to find an excellent chrome service.
Your knowledge and experience make me want to fly over there just to meet the company in person. Thank you for the kind video without “hiding the secrets”
It sure shows us why we have to pay what is due to such a work and knowledge .
Tell me when you're going. I wanna tag along!😅
Little shops like you are worth double your weight in gold. Its a lost art and likely not to return en-mass due to environmental laws. You made this look simple (ive tried...IT IS NOT SIMPLE!) Well done chap. Long may you prosper.
wrong "L" word, it isn't "lost", it's "Litigated" away
Really neat process, as a restorer myself, the chrome plating and trim work process is very important…thanks for what you do! 👏👏👏😊
Thanks 👍
Unreal technique! Great video. No wonder it costs so much to get chroming done. It’s so manual intensive with highly skilled workers doing magic! The chemicals must be a significant burden too. Well done!
Couldn't agree more!
When I was 21 (32 years ago) I bought my first car, a 57 Chevrolet Bel Air. I considered to do the chrome plating job myself. It was the pre internet age, so I got a book from a library called "100 industries explained".
I learned about the cooper-nickel-chrome process, and tried with a tiny lock key... It was a disaster. So, did a lot of the restorarion work myself, but not the chrome plating. It was the most expensive part, but It was worth every buck.
I still have the car, awaiting a second restoration. I hope by then a master artisan like you still exist in my country! Many thanks.
Very good finish, the laser was a good idea to clean. I am surprised it did not do any damage or leave any marks.
Enjoyed the video, I think the customer will be very pleased.
Excellent
It would damage it if you used too high a power setting.
Great Job. Now I understand why it is so expensive to have chrome plating done. That was a lot of work.
Yes it was
Goodness me, I love that you’re still pumping out amazing work!
My jaw is and has always been on the ground watching your staggering workmanship.
Thank you so sooo much for sharing such skill with the world.
🇦🇺🤜🏼🤛🏼😎🍀🍀🍀☮️☮️☮️
Wow, thank you. There is a video on the channel where we did the front bumper of this 1948 oldsmobile. That was an epic restoration.
Amazing difference. I was really surprised that old pitting came off. It looked like 3 grit sandpaper. Well done.
Thank you for commenting on our video.
I really like the extra step of using the laser to clean the pot metal!!
We find it helps a lot.
That's a mad amount of work to get that finish, true craftsmen on the job.
Hats off to you. Absolutely gorgeous results
Thank you! 😊
Itis always a pleasure to watch a real craftsman at work and to admire their quality of work. Kudos from Kuala Lumpur!
Thank you for your comment.
Great job and old friend of mine had a polishing and plating shop for many aerospace space companies. Once in a while he would do triple plate chrome and he said, it is labor intensive. I know and appreciate what it takes and it's getting to be a lost art.
Again great job! I have an old chevy and spent many dollar's in the past on triple plate chrome. There is alot of time spent on polishing and prep.
Thank you for your comment.
This was a great video for people who don’t understand how it all works. Years before I got into the need for chrome I always thought it was the chrome that looked like chrome lol, but no, it’s the nickel that looks likes chrome. Chrome itself is a brownish looking chemical bath. The TRUE craftsmanship is the polisher. This is a SKILL. When I developed my line of performance motorcycle parts the biggest problem was always chroming. Getting great looking parts at a fair price and most importantly on time lol. The joys of telling a very good customer about his parts for the bike show this weekend. Sorry you tell him, they won’t be back from chrome plating till next week. ( maybe )😂 and I had that experience way too often. Enjoyed the vid👍🏼👍🏼
Thanks for your comment
True art! What fantastic craftsmanship. I wish this wasn't a dying art
Many thanks
I showed this video to a customer with a 64 Lincoln Continental as to why is was $15,000+ to re chrome everything on his car!
He didn't complain after watching. Thank you! Its very labor intensive but it definitely helps to see what all goes into it!
Thank you for your comment.
Amazing! Never thought the process is that extensive! Great job!
Thank you for your comment.
That's a great result.When I was looking at getting some re plating done around twenty years ago I couldn't find anybody to tackle Mazac.
Thank you for commenting on our video.
That's Friggen Amazing!!! I Love It!!! Now I want to go out and buy that '59 Impala and give you some more business. The quirk is that I would want to help you to restore the chrome pieces. This is a 110% Finish. This is just so Awesome!!!
They sure didn't look like seventy five year old materials when you got done with them. What an amazing transformation! I love seeing what can be produced when craftsmen take obvious pride in their work
Thanks for your comment
If I had a shop like this I would post a video of this on my website to offer some process education to potential clients. I'd imagine that very few people have any clue at all the amount of labor and material consumables that go into restorations like this. If the client wants the quality they desire, it will cost good money - for a good reason.
Thank you for commenting on our video.
Great craftsmanship!!!! And often people wonder why it’s so expensive to rechrome with such a laborious process.
Thanks
Wow, so many steps to get the final result. I understand that you guys have to do it right first time, otherwise it's back to the beginning again
Thank you for your comment.
Enlightening to see this process! I stripped a kitchen faucet set back to its bare "Rustic brass" casting with electrolysis in phosphoric acid for a historic home renovation several years ago. Quite the learning process that was. This video helps me understand what exactly I was taking off.
Thank you for commenting on our video.
Only a true craftsman can restore this kind of pieces 👊🏼👍🏻
Incredible work
Deep respect👊🏼
Thanks for the insight into your process...i am surprised the plastic reflectors survice the caustic chemicals...well done for your efforts...
Thanks for watching!
Amazing skills used in this complicated process, well done guys.
Thanks a lot!
Wow THIS gives me quite the appreciation for the whole process.. I have several cars that need loads of Pot metal and chrome re done... I can see why the prices are so high...:-(
Dude does the work like a true badass. Man knows his trade. You watch him work and instantly have respect.
Thanks
My honor! The level of work is incredible! If geographically I had the opportunity, I would definitely trust you with the details of my motorcycles for chrome plating.
Our pleasure!
Takes me back to my days at the BSA Monochrome got my odd bits done for free!
Ultimate recycling process.. Very interesting to watch the science behind the finished article..
Thanks
Have you seen any issues from the government in terms of environment or worker safety concerns? I see your work as an act of love, and is easy to perceive in your narration of the tasks as they occur... I can clearly see the love and pride in your work. It seems the Government always ruins everything it touches though... I hope you guys never have to deal with governmental over-reach.. It is very clear to see that all the people in your workshop perform their functions as a love as a master craftsman.. I would not mind to work in there myself as I love to do tasks like this where I see the results of my effort with pride and compassion.. I expect you see these resulting items as your child... am I wrong? Simply amazing!
Yes, we have had to conform to new regulations to enable us to legally do chrome plating. Thank you for your comments.
Wow!, that’s is very impressive and so hard to do without your knowledge!, really you are a master in chrome business!
Thanks! 😃
this was my summer holiday job when i was 13 in 1976, i worked with my dad who was a metal polisher.
Thanks for your comment
LOTS of GREAT work!!!! Thank you. It's amazing how much labor and perfection/mastery of tools that goes into plating.
Thank you very much!
Thank you so much for showing this. I was aware that this was the correct process but had never seen it put into practice.
What a amazing finish, You did a Beautiful Job
Thank you! Cheers!
Any monkey can polish. It's the skill involved in how to do it proper that's the key. I wouldn't want to pay for that job. Nice video.
seeing as how wavy those parts were, they need to offer the monkeys a few more bananas for improved work results!
Very impressive craftmanship!
Thank you for your comment.
Very nice job on them. They look great!
Helluva job on these. I'm impressed
Thank you! Cheers!
Thank you for the great informative video! It shows us why restoration of pot metal parts is so expensive.
There was a great car chrome shop in Northeast Philly for many years but closed a few years ago.A coworker took some pieces for a car he was restoring. Told him it would take three months so after three months when he called them to see if they were finished owner got aggravated and told him to come by and pick them up. Shop never touched them. Shop did such great work people didn't mind waiting forever & a day.
Nice work, even a very cheap car looks expensive with beautifull chrome.
We agree! Thank you for your comment.
It have always been aware that chrome plating is a laborious and expensive process but now I know why. Thank you very much!
I was wondering what those balls in the cleaning and chrome baths are for.
They are insulation
Lots of work and equipment involved inthe process but the results are very nice. Especially considering the starting point.
Very true!
That's some serious skill, I loved watching these guys work.
No wonder re-chroming costs to much -- the sheer amount of work!! Well done.
Man would I love to have all those tools at home! Nice work!!!
Thanks 👍
Looks amazing. I would have sanded through it on the first pass. Great skills!
Thanks 👍
An amazing process, very skilled workmanship thanks for sharing 👍
Very welcome
Looks great 👍 Gonna help me with my older truck Thanks
Thanks for your comment
I LIKE HOW THEY ARE PLATTING SO NICE. GOOD WORK !🥴😝
I worked in a zinc cyanide plating facility, we plated 1000’s of pounds of nails a year for coil or stick nailers in Rhode Island, USA. I am glad I am not in that job anymore but it is an interesting process!
Beautiful work. A job you clearly take pride in.
Yes, thank you
Very interesting. My dad was an electroplater. I knew it was hard work using lots of toxic chemicals but never knew how much was involved. He lived well into his eighties.
Better than new. Incredible.
Thanks for your comment
I'd like to watch a similar video where the pot metal had such deep pits that the copper plating processes would not adequately fill in the pit. I understand that lead/tin solder is used in these situations....well maybe silver solder....to fill in the pits and the solder is then ground down to smooth Into matching the surrounding material. I've had pieces rechromed where the replater said he had to do this. I'm impressed at the labor involved. The Environmental Protection Agency has ran a lot of replaters out of business here in California. Replating, anywhere in the US, is very expensive now due to the EPA.
I would also like to hear the answer here. I have just hobby copper and nickel plated small old stuff, like double edge razors and some worn out keychains and such. If the pot metal is really corroded it is hard to clean it, and the copper will not plate on the corroded pot metal spots, so only parts of it would be nice looking/plated, dipping it in anything acidic will not clean it either, just make it worse where it is pitted bad.
I guess I could grind it, flux it and tin it, but I would not be able to recreate the fine details in the casting where I would tin it. If the item is just flat and shiny without details the tinning would be an easy solution though. Maybe deplating it would potentially remove some corrosion, Hmm, sorry for thinking out loud here, but it is interesting, and nice to fix some old stuff, especially stuff that is beyond repair in most peoples eyes. I have never tried flux on pitted potmetal though. This zamak stuff is pretty poor stuff when the outer layer of plating has gone away and the corrosion begins..
If it's pot metal (mostly zinc), it will melt before the silver solder so that doesn't work but you can use lead/tin or pure tin solder. The chemicals used in plating is nasty stuff. If you simply dump the washing water to the sewer, you will pollute the waste water sludge with heavy metals so it's a good thing that that is no longer allowed in many places. You have to have a local special treatment for the spent washing water, then everything is fine.
Correct
As an ex-hazmat inspector who has been into several shops that were "shut down" by the EPA, I wish that everyone who carps about the injustice of it could have come on my inspections. Plating can be a really messy business, with the acids, bases, crystalline deposits and corrosion from acid gases. Old shops had wooden catwalks and unlined concrete floors that eroded from the acids. Newer shops are designed with maintenance in mind, but in the days before EPA, spent baths would just be taken to the dump, or pumped into the sanitary sewer, which often went to the rivers or ocean after sanitary processing. Once the laws passed in the late 70's required proper disposal of the nasty stuff, lots of shops were slow to include disposal costs in their plating fees, and started accumulating the spent baths and sediment in the back lot or corners or the shop - imagine 400 gallon tanks filled to the top with green nickel sulfate crystals, or dozens of 55-gallon drums of hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide, nitric acid, chromic acid crowded into a back lot or storage building. If these were discovered, the owner was forced to dispose of them properly (they were a danger to the neighborhood), and more often than not, they declared bankruptcy or were already shut down. In most cases, the taxpayers ended up footing the bill for disposal. The platers that survived or built new plants use methods to minimize waste by controlling contamination (see all of his rinses? Those keep his plating baths uncontaminated and make them last longer). the consequence of running a tighter ship is higher cost, But those are the true costs to do quality work and protect the taxpayers from contamination and cleanup costs. The upside is that the platers now, at least in California, do great work - the sloppy old guys are gone.
@@87mini There are many people that just do not care. Most people are idiots. People throw garbage out the window, chemicals in the toilet and oil in the soil. In all age groups. The older I get, the less I want to deal with other humans.
That is a very impressive turnaround....
Thank you for commenting on our video.
What a fantastic job you doing👍👍👍🖐
Mazac notoriously difficult to restore as it pits terribly. But what a beautiful finish considering what you started with.👍
Beautiful work. I wonder if there is methods for filling pot metal pitting?
Mate of mine went to get some parts chromed for his Austin Healy in Australia and nearly had a heart attack when they gave a quote. He took the part with him to Thailand and they knocked them out in less than a week for less than $300. Now I gotta workout how I get my 56 Chev bumper to Thailand 😳
As Forrest Gump would say "Working with pot metal is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get". Yup! Done hundreds of these things back in the day. Pot metal is one of the trickier items to restore because you cannot predict the air pockets/pits that the casting will do from piece to piece. Sometimes you can get perfect or near perfect surfaces. If you use your copper like painters use primer, you and actually plate it 2-3 times with copper and fill in most of the pits created by rust or air pockets with pot metal. But getting them to shine and protect the surface is mostly what people want as they restore old cars. The show people are looking for perfection in their plating. In a way I miss doing this type of work. It was indeed interesting work.
Ford way back in the day, not sure what years. They added one more step to their plating process but have since removed it. And for good reason too. They used to do a zinc plate. I don't remember if it was before or after the copper plate. It helps give a beautiful luster to the chrome finish. But sadly because of the dis-similar metals there was a problem of electrolysis that would go on and it would pit regular steel much like it was cast or pot metal.
Thank you for commenting on our video.
Beautifully produced video!
Thank you for your comment.
I have a Nash Hood Ornament that could do with a bit of this. Well done. Your work is amazing.
You could send it to us
Wow, amazing and beautiful work!
How many Mills of copper is plated onto the part?
Love the blues riffs in the background! Who is it? I don't see a credit so I suspect it may be copyright free for videos, but it's good!
And once again, this opens your eyes as to by chrome plating - and replating pitted bits - is so expensive. It's very labour intensive!
Thanks for your comment
love this sort of engineering, hopefully with Mazak it now works as results over the years have not been too good on Jensen Interceptor door handles.
Thank you for your comment.
Used to be a shop on the southside of Chicago that used to do this work! RIP to a lost art
Loved seeing this and the skill involved. Why do the tanks have floating balls in them ?
Insulation
Beautiful work!
Thanks for your comment
Wow, that's quite a process. Nice job.
It sure is
Very nice! A lot of work goes into that. Thanks for sharing.
BEAUTIFUL JOB! Very labor intensive.
Thank you very much!
An amazing job! Fantastic! Well done. Cheers!
Wow, please protect this type of art
Thank you for your comment.
Absolutely beautiful work!
Thank you very much!
much better quality than the original chrome job.
I had a couple of gas levers for a boat in chromed zinc that were heavily corroded. I filed off the old chrome and polished the zinc to a mirror shine. The only plating I can do at home is with nickel acetate. I should have figured that the zinc couldn't handle the acid so they came out dull grey. Fiasco! Then I polished them again and sprayed on clear coat. It looks good and they are still fine after two years but it was a bit of cheating.
Fascinating, beautiful job 👍
If more people worked this way with pride in what they did, the world would be a better place. I am absolutely tired of the laziness displayed by people who only work for a paycheck yet spend half their time looking at their phones while getting paid.
Agreed
I’m not arguing with your statement nor do I completely disagree but also think that if we want to see these dying trades stay alive we need to back off on this mentality. Being in a dying trade myself (I specialize in metal shaping/coachbuilding) I’ve seen so many kids come around eager to learn that are being told they’re useless and lazy before ever being given an opportunity to learn something and start becoming useful.
If someone wants to learn and didn’t grow up around an industry let alone have any experience we can’t give them shit about not having common sense because nothing is common to them yet. If you’re a kid and the people who are suppose to teach you only shit on you for not knowing something, call you lazy and make more negative claims about you why the hell would they bother sticking around?
@@AutumnsGunnar I only know what I have seen. *Trying to justify laziness is a bigger flaw than any mistakes made by those who are paid to do the work.*
Bosses who are afraid to correct those who aren't doing what they are paid to do is being nothing more than an enabler.
Usually, a learned response from poor training is what creates laziness and a lack of pride.
Not correcting them or dismissing (firing) them when the same things are repeated after being corrected on what is expected is simply a weakness in management.
Weakness in a boss is easy to spot.
@@richardclifton4120 i see everything I just said went right over your head. You seem like the type to boast about having decades of experience after shitting on people’s work while offering no substantial help to the situation. You’re more concerned with pointing out negatives vs creating and positives but you do you
I was wondering if you can use the old ones to cast the brand new one and the chrome plate new one with zero pitting
a good shop grinds out the pitting fills with some type of lead or brazing smoothes and makes them perfect
Yh good luck trying to braze old die cast because the melting point of die cast is a lot lower than braze so that good shop your talking about would destroy the part
Thanks for your comment, as @WO.885 says above!
great job, I got some vw barndoor door handles done (pot metal) and they came out terrible, the chromer said its because of the poor quality metal. You have proven him wrong!!
We do the best we can with the parts we are given. These did have defects in them as the material is very poor.
I was told "pot metal" is done by specialized shops by my chrome plating shop. It is difficult to chrome-plate, it can outgas. You have to wait a long time between steps and it is very expensive. 250€ per handle. So I prefer to look for NOS parts
She looks good mate, as long theirs no delayed blistering , laser cleaner may of helped a tiny . Fingers crossed. I usually skip the first mild acid dip before the first layer of cyanide . Only electroclean and 3 warm rinses .
Thanks for the tip
A Huge 2 Thumbs Up and a New Sub for ya. Your such a Pro and a Big Thank You for doing an Awesome Job Videoing this also.
Thank you for commenting on our video.
Very Impressive! Love to watch professionals.
I wish there were people like this in Canada