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Chrome Plating - help, please?


Jazzneck
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Mornin' All,
Ive just made a bridge cover and pair of set screws for one of my old basses (can't find a genuine replacement anywhere) and it needs chrome plating.
Can anyone recommend a plater that does smallish one-offs like this at a reasonable/fair price, please?

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When I was looking to get something like that done - many years ago - IIRC the complications were that there's few places do it, even less do chrome, mostly nickel due to pollution problems - and in itself it is an expensive process, which meant that you had to wait ages for the plating company to have a batch of items to do altogether so that the cost was worthwhile to them.
The place I used was somewhere in Fife, but is long gone, try asking around a few metal engineering companies near you for recommendations.

edit: I might be talking cr*p (no change there then) - this MIGHT be the place I used.
[url="http://www.yell.com/b/Kingdom+Metal+Finishing+Ltd-Electroplaters+and+Metal+Finishers-cowdenbeath-KY48HJ-2340612/aboutus.html"]http://www.yell.com/b/Kingdom+Metal+Finishing+Ltd-Electroplaters+and+Metal+Finishers-cowdenbeath-KY48HJ-2340612/aboutus.html[/url]
But I think you'll be shocked at the price, unless they can batch it. Depends where you rae of course too.

Edited by Big_Stu
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Thanks guys.
Tell me more about chrome powder coat, please.
I have seen and used old fashioned coloured powder coating but have not come across this chrome version.
Is it hard, durable and does it look like chrome?
Any info and experience?
I've found Aerocoat in Norfolk via Google and will talk with them in the morning but any personal knowledge / experience would be really helpful.

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No personal experiance with but my stepdad was talking about getting a few bits for his motorbike done a couple of years ago. Here's a few links. [url="http://www.the-polisher.com/id13.html"]http://www.the-polisher.com/id13.html[/url] [url="http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=chrome+powder+coat&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a"]http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=chrome+powder+coat&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a[/url]

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[quote name='TonyBones' timestamp='1342954994' post='1743049']
Best I've used [url="http://www.londonchroming.co.uk/"]http://www.londonchroming.co.uk/[/url] not cheep but thats life you get what you pay for, my first choice when i build one off parts for chops.
[/quote]
Ahh, I was just about to say there's a place down the Old Kent Rd!

A guitarist I played with years ago had a bridge chromed - it cost him £80 as far as I remember (and we're talking about 28 years ago) but they did a very good job with no problems with the various threaded holes.

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[b]MB1. B) [/b]
[b]R&S Electroplating[/b]
[b]The Smithy[/b]
[b]2 Crown Street[/b]
[b]Failsworth[/b]
[b]Manchester[/b]
[b]M35 9BD[/b]
[b]UK.[/b]
[b]Tephelome...0161 683 4908.[/b]

[b]Check out there website too...Highly Recommended ;) [/b]

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Thanks to you all so far.

I've checked out the chrome powder coating route with Aerocoat and the finish thickness will be very high as to be unworkable.
The knurling will be filled etc.
The guy at Aerocoat was really helpful though, and recomended that I went for pukkah plating in this case.

Having contacted about six different companies around the country, I'm going with Ashford as they seem to be the best value for money / guarantee etc. (not necessarily the cheapest but not as expensive as I thought it was going to be).

So the bits have been posted and I'll keep you posted on what occurs.

Again, thanks for all your help and suggestions. :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Plated bridge cover arrived home on Saturday - excellent job all round.
Fitted, along with foam wedge and played the gig on Saturday afternoon.
Very happy man here, y'know.
Ashford Chroming are good value for money, very helpful and I would use them again.

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