Technical SINCE WE COVERED CHROME PLATING ALUMINUM & STAINLESS, WHAT ABOUT - PLASTIC?

Seems like he made some videos and there are a few linked in the thread. But, I asked him about it when I saw him in Springfield earlier this month and he said it is the same process that some of the street outlaw guys use on their cars for chrome. I know he had it chromed somewhere, but not sure where.

 

Has anyone tried something like ULTRACOTE the plastic heat adhesive material used to cover large R/C model airplanes there is a chrome version. As well as a adhesive backed version under the MONOKOTE brand name. You use a small detail iron to apply it around the edges then a heat gun to shrink it in place. Depending on what your using it for it could work very well.

https://www.towerhobbies.com/product/ultracote-chrome/HANU886.html

https://www.towerhobbies.com/product/trim-monokote-chrome/TOPQ4110.html

 

All of them I've run across has a vacuum metalized coating of copper as the base directly to the plastic, then from there on it's 'regular' plating. The 'pre-plating paint' to 'smooth' the surface is used with aluminum metalizing AFAIK. Has to do with the melting points of the metals involved; copper melts at 1900 degrees, aluminum at 1200.

 

I had some plastic trim panels done on an OT restoration many years ago and the steering column shrouds on my 35 Chevy. The components were vacuum metalised by a local business that did the handles and other parts for funeral caskets. I recall prepping them by sanding all the surfaces down with 1000+(?) wet and dry sandpaper to obtain a smooth finish to remove and blemishes and/or imperfections. These were the days before repop parts were readily available.

 

I suppose this process is best for interior parts, which process has the big 3 used in the past for interior dash pieces, how about the chrome plated plastic radio knobs? HRP

 

On high-wear items they almost always used the vacuum-applied copper then conventional 'dip' nickel/chrome. The splitting problem generally wasn't as bad on smaller parts, but did still occur; I'm sure if I dug into my knob box I could turn up a split example. I think the issue with the Ford shift knobs is the knob was pressed onto the lever causing expansion, then further expansion from environmental heat overstressed the plating. You would occasionally see split chrome turn signal knobs too for probably the same reason.

 

I stopped by the Advanced Plating booth in Knoxville, Tennessee this past Saturday and ask if they chromed plastic parts, the short answer was yes but they need to inspect the pieces before quoting a price. HRP