Nickle plating ?

I've seen nickle plating that has sort of a satin finish to it. I have some stuff that I'd like to get done this way and want to know how to get it that way.
Clark

 

Talk to JimV. up here in RI. He works at a trophy shop and I thin khe does some small stuff.

Jay

 

over 'ere nickel plating is done by the chromers, they just don't put it in the chrome bath wich is the third step in chroming sumptin' (copper, nickel, chrome)

 

I have a nickel plating question also.

I just got a 32 Chrysler gauge panel for my rpu. It looks similar to a 32 Ford, but has two extra gauges.

It is nickel plated brass with an engine turned face. The nickel is rubbed through in a couple of places. If I have it replated, will I lose the engine turning?

Neal

 

i would like to know how it stands up to weather and abuse compared to chrome. thinking about doing some of my panhead parts in nickel plate instead of chrome.

 

There are a couple types of nickel plating. Electrolytic and Electroless. Electrolytic is the traditional type where you attach the electric current to the part and submerse in a bath. Most chrome is triple plated: copper, then nickel, then chrome. The copper provides the smooth surface, the nickel is actually the primary corrosion control, and the chrome is for appearance. The chrome is very thin, about 1/8 the thickness of the nickel.

So you can get your nickel electroplating at any shop that does chrome.

Electroless is a process in which the part is just lowered into the solution and the nickel metal plates on to any metal surface. It is advantageous for a few reasons: it does not have the embrittling effect on hardened steels, it provides a consistent coverage thickness all over the part, and is lower residual stress. Electroless is not as popular as electrolytic, but many plating shops do have it. Probably a little more expensive, but not that much difference. Electroless comes out of the bath dull, not shiny.

Any nickel plating should work well for corrosion resistance on any of the parts you guys are discussing. As long as you like the color difference, more yellow compared to chrome, it can be either satin or polished.

For Neal, if the nickel is a real thin thickness, you might still see the engine turning through the plating. Depends on how deept he scratches are and the thickness of the plating.

 

Not exactly the same thing .. but ... I re-did our bathroom last year and my wife liked the look of nickel instead of chrome. Any pieces that I could not find in nickel I bought in chrome and had the chrome shop 'knock' off the chrome down to the nickel. As far as wearing ... I think it tarnishes over time, and is generally a darker hue. I think it looks good, but much less 'sparkle' than chrome But the bathroom does not have a flathead in it

I think the copper/nickel process would fill in the machining swirls of the dash ... or at least most.

later,
papa al

 

I'm pretty sure nickel is what I'm looking for. I was hoping the satin finish nickel took less work.
Clark

 

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For Neal, if the nickel is a real thin thickness, you might still see the engine turning through the plating. Depends on how deep the scratches are and the thickness of the plating.

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I would guess that the brass was originally engine turned first and then nickel plated?

I guess I could have it stripped, polished, do new engine turning, then replate it. Then again, maybe I will keep the patina I have.

Neal

 

[ QUOTE ]
I'm pretty sure nickel is what I'm looking for. I was hoping the satin finish nickel took less work.
Clark

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I think it is like Grimlok said, it depends on the prep work. I have had a bucket of parts zinc plated, and if the piece was polished to start with it came out shiny, like chrome, if it was a rusty old bolt, it came out with a dull silver finish.

Neal

 

Sounds too easy. Just bead blast and have nickel plated. Can't be that easy.
Clark

 

Hey SoWhat, we do nickle plating where I work & the finish will come out like the metal!! If its highly polished it'll come out like chrome, I sometimes use a "fine" sandblast & it comes out satin.
Its very durable but it will rust!!If you take 2 seconds to wax it or not let it stay wet it'll do fine.I was told at work by the plater that its Tougher then chrome
I kinda like the finish & i get it done for nothing!!
JimV

 

If you want satin finished nickel you just get the plater to pound plenty to it then go over it with a 320 grit, which is the norm for satin finishes.
Electroless is generally better for wear resistance.
DON"T SCOTCHBRITE IT!
Nickel is normally around .0005" thick.
We try to put on a thousandth where we can, but that is not the norm.
With electroless you normally get around a thou and it is normally a cobalt or phosphorous alloy which makes it much harder, almost as hard as good industrial hard chrome.
It does develop a deep gold hue, if you put plenty on and polish it well.
Beautiful finish that require a little maintenance if you polish it.
Requires little maintenance if it is satin finished, but satin isn't for me.

 

Polisher...are you saying to hit it with 320 after plating. I don't want a brushed look. Ilike the look of metal right after you bead blast it.
One of the things I want done are my La France headlights. They have a lot of art deco lines in them. I have a pair that are chrome and the lines get lost in the shine. I bead blasted my other pair and they look super. They just won't hold up this way.
Here's a pic of the headlights and how they look. I did take a scotchbrite to the one but this is the look I'm after.
Clark

 

Clear powdercoat what you have.

 

You can nickel straight over the finish you have there.
It will be brighter, thats all.
Bright Nickel won't fill the lines, or light satin finish.
It will exaggerate it if anything.
You can satinize nickel by doing it after plating, if you put plenty on, or by getting the grain you want and nickelling over it.
Just don't have any copper put on, and don't use electroless nickel, as they are both self levelling to a degree and tend to fill light discrepancies in finish.
The coarser the finish the better the nickel will bond too.
If it is tanked for an hour you should get around a thou, that's be about double what goes on regular chrome.
To just nickel plate them would be well cheap.
We will nickel chrome a pre-polished inlet header for $80
if all we have to do is tank it.
Unless your pieces are huge, and I don't think they are,
(I'm still not familiar with all the old american motors)
they'd probably only be $10-$20 a piece at ours or any other plating shop.