Chrome Advice

For those wanting to keep their bike the way the factory made them.

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Vintageman
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Chrome Advice

Post by Vintageman »

I would like to have rusty/pitted chrome items re-chromed. Is this possible?
What is the process to cleanup, repair pitting? re-chrome, expensive?

Who does this in USA (New England)

Thanks
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Alan H
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Re: Chrome Advice

Post by Alan H »

The chromer has to clean up the items first to get the chrome finish to look good, so if it's really pitted, it may be beyond salvage.
The chrome is a very thin 'cover' so any imperfections underneath will show.
If you google chromer, metal polisher in your area, take your parts there and they will advise or laugh, depending on what you have.
Think of how stupid the average person is, then realise that half of them are more stupid than that.
Glyn.G
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Re: Chrome Advice

Post by Glyn.G »

As Alan said,
I've recently had a few pieces re-chromed and to be honest it would have been cheaper to buy new, ( if possible ). Chrome plating does not fill holes or pitting although some small pin holes can be filled with lead and then smoothed over before chroming. I had a Headlight bowl & rim, Kick start lever, Rear tail light bracket, and Headlight mounting brackets off my GT380 done and there wasn't much change out off £300.
Vintageman
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Re: Chrome Advice

Post by Vintageman »

Thanks, I would say much of it is too pitted to have chromed.

I just picked up a complete 1971 T350 for very little money ($150). Tank and side covers very nice and shiny. Fort tubes perfect. chrome is pitted and some is worse that others (Head light ears and little pieces, turn signal stems very bad, etc). I have wanted to do a café, but bike so complete... I think I clean what I can, buy a couple things if I an find them and feel like its worth the coin. Maybe some little things I'll paint.

Thanks
Current Bikes
74 GT250 (T350 upgrade),
76 GT250 (T350 upgrade),
71 T350,
70 T350,
74 GT380,
75 T500,
73 GT550,
75 GT750,
72 Yamaha DS7 (R5 upgrade),
77 Yamaha RD400 (Daytona Cyls),
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Alan H
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Posts: 3160
Joined: Thu Feb 16, 2012 11:50 am
Country: England
Suzuki 2-Strokes: 4 x GT550s - J, M, A, B.
Location: The Republic of South Yorkshire

Re: Chrome Advice

Post by Alan H »

Plenty off acceptable pattern parts from Asia nowadys. Ebay is your friend (most of the time!)
Think of how stupid the average person is, then realise that half of them are more stupid than that.
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akendall1966
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Re: Chrome Advice

Post by akendall1966 »

Had quite a lot of chrome done this year. You can't do much if the base metal is bad and beyond polishing to a good surface. A plater will strip all the old plating off electro-chemically, polish the base metal, then replate. Decorative chrome is normally copper then nickel with a thin chrome layer to finish. Often they use a flash nickel layer on the bare metal to help with copper adhesion. Copper has some self levelling properties so will in fill some very small pits. I had a rear mudguard done and the results were great with extra thick copper, but it was only lightly corroded to start with.

As the others have said nos or aftermarket will cost far less if available. Other put your money into rechroming the best used item you can to avoid disappointment with the results.
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