Hardware refinishing

[Jim Wayman]

Some may recall that I offered hardware refinishing as a service to members a while back. This is not a business, but a response to members who were having problems getting their hardware re-plated in a timely manner and at good quality. What I can do is degrease, derust, remove old plating, media clean and have parts plated in clear zinc. Turnaround is normally within a week, I do not do the plating, but have a good contact who will do any size batch with a quick turnaround. The plating is not a cheap home kit type, but a normal commercial type. If you need this kind of work done for your project, email me at hiway9999@hotmail.com with a picture of the hardware you want done and I will give you a quote.

[John Ready]

HI JIm, I am in San Diego, CA and need my chrome wheels on my 1965 C re-chromed. Are you in Southern California?

[John Ready]

Sorry, I just noticed you are in Fallbrook, CA. Fallbrook is where I had Don Emory repaint my car in 1985 I think. I will send you a picture later to your email.

[Jim Morris]

Zinc plating and chrome plating are on two different planets.

[Jim Wayman]

John

I don't do chrome plating. Most around here use a company in San Marcos (don't remember the name). I use Custom Chrome Plating in Michigan - very good.

[Mike Wilson]

John, a lot of us have used Perfect Custom Wheels, formerly Bolton's in Gardena, CA. I will say some weren't happy with the results.

Mike

[Jim Morris]

Most, if now not all, large items (wheels, bumpers, etc.) from Los Angeles south go to Tijuana, Mexico for processing. 25 years ago there were about 15 chrome shops in San Jose, CA. The last one, Superior Chrome, closed its tanks about 3 years ago. I believe they still do metal polishing. California local and state EPA restrictions and costs of waste disposal are said to be the "cause of death" for these shops.

[Jim Wayman]

My local chrome plater went out of business about a year ago. He told me how some time ago California authorities mandated that chrome shops use a certain additive to make the fumes from chrome plating less toxic. They required that shops use a certain product made by a certain producer. A few years later, they told all of the chrome shops that that additive was harmful to the environment and required that they do a full environmental testing of ground water and neighboring properties costing hundreds of thousands. He said that the inspectors told him that it was their intent to close down all chrome shops in the state.

[Mike Wilson]

The chrome and cad-plating processes are nasty by nature. I know they are heavily regulated in California. One of my platers told me he had considered moving to Arizona but it would cost him about $500K to start up. Since he's in his 60's, he's going to retire in about 3 years.

Mike

[Steve Proctor]

HI JIm, I am in San Diego, CA and need my chrome wheels on my 1965 C re-chromed. Are you in Southern California?

Don't forget, application of chrome is just one step in the process. A knowledgeable shop must cut the welds on the back of the wheel, then go through the stripping, cleaning and chroming process, then carefully align / true and weld the wheels. I didn't look, but recall the allowable runout in the little orange book is 1mm. There used to be a few shops that did this, maybe only one now??