Chrome plating...any alternatives?

[DavidG]

The chrome pieces on my B-10 are next in line to be refinished, but I would like to know if anyone has any other suggestions for an alternative . The parts are pretty rusted and pitted, and replating isn't cheap. Also parts like the steering column tube are attached, (welded), to non-chrome plated parts ,(firewall/sub frame), and I don't know if re-plating is possible. I really don't want to spray paint , but....? Thanks, Dave

[JDSnyder]

I have never found a "chrome" spray paint that looks much better than aluminum paint, even though the caps on the cans shine really well. The pitted parts are a problem. If there aren't too many of them, you could fill them in with the touch of a wire welder, then grind and sand them down. As far as chroming attached parts, you can always sand and paint the parts that aren't supposed to be chrome.

[MPH]

Dave, I used crome spray paint from local true value hdwr store on my B112 and it looks good and seems to be holding up real good...MPH

[HubbardRA]

You may check into ceramic coating. Instead of chrome plating the exhaust for his motorcycle engine pulling tractor a friend of mine had the pipes ceramic coated. He said it cost about $125 for the whole set. It will not rust like chrome, but is not quite as shiny. I don't know where he had the coating done.

[KSever]

I was looking into having my chrome parts done in chrome powdercoat. The company here in Madison recommended this instead of rechroming. He also stated that most of these parts when they were originally chromed were chromed then welded together. Since the weld joint doesn't conduct the charge correctly to be chromed after being welded. my 2 cents of info after I researched this same thing. Kris

[lsenus]

The Eastwood company makes a home powder coating kit. The part can either be baked in an oven, or heated with infrared lamps to cure the coating. They have everything an auto restorer, or tractor restorer would need. http://www.eastwoodco.com

[DavidG]

Thanks for the input guys, I'll take some of these suggestions under consideration. I think I'll do some experiments with the chrome spray paint first, and if that doesn't work I'll look into the powder coating. Dave

[HubbardRA]

I've tried chrome spray paint. It is nothing more than a very bright silver. Doesn't look like chrome. Looks like bright aluminum.

[Dadsy98]

I checked into having some parts plated a while ago. The plating shop charges a minumum for the service, something like $65.00 per hundred pounds. So, one piece is expensive but 50 pieces is only $1.30 each. Get your friends together and have a plating party :) Steve