Who has had chrome plating done? Where and how much?

Dorian · Mar 5, 2014

When I think of chrome I think of John Brians crazy bike. I can't imagine what this must have cost? Someone here said 100 bucks for a front sprocket? I think we will see less and less chrome being done as time goes on.

RustySprockets · Mar 6, 2014

Has anyone tried using any of the various "silvering solutions" as an alternative to genuine chrome? This is a technique employed by crafters to achieve a mirror finish. The liquids are applied to the prepared surface either by dribbling or squirting through, of all things, a trigger sprayer.

The demo videos always show some pretty amazing results, even on items which are not metal. The big drawback is the startup cost--about $300. After that, one need only replenish their supplies which, as best I can figure, runs around $90 per 100 sq-ft of coverage.

http://angelgilding.com/DripSilverVideo.html

yoothgeye · Mar 6, 2014

That looks amazing... almost too good to be true... I wonder about durability.

RustySprockets · Mar 6, 2014

I'm guessing about as durable as paint, since it needs to be top coated with clear, lest the silver tarnish. I think it would be especially useful on plastic parts, like bezels and shifters, that were once vacuum metalized. Real electroplating won't work on those, even when it's available. More research into this process is needed.

dragnusa · Mar 6, 2014

RustySprockets said:
Has anyone tried using any of the various "silvering solutions" as an alternative to genuine chrome? This is a technique employed by crafters to achieve a mirror finish. The liquids are applied to the prepared surface either by dribbling or squirting through, of all things, a trigger sprayer.

The demo videos always show some pretty amazing results, even on items which are not metal. The big drawback is the startup cost--about $300. After that, one need only replenish their supplies which, as best I can figure, runs around $90 per 100 sq-ft of coverage.

http://angelgilding.com/DripSilverVideo.html

I seen something like that done a few years ago, when I was doing hydroprinting. not sure how well it holds up but I know thats how they have done the "chrome" show cars that pop up at big car shows from time to time.