Reworking chromed knobs

[Brian Carling]

WONDERFULLY good and thorough response Brian! THANK YOU...

I am gonna have to think on this a while. The spray can "chrome"
from the auto parts places, is sounding really attractive at this point!

I don't mind stripping down and cleaning the knob surfaces myself, and that part
sounds tedious but safe & easy!

On 5 Feb 2001, at 8:01, Brian Sherwood wrote:

> What I have done, when the chrome has started to blister, is attack them
> with WD-40 and a power-driven rotary wire brush [messy but effective] to
> blow the original chrome off [in later years I found a jeweler's beadblaster
> is less of a pain to accomplish this] then degreased in a methylene-chloride
> vapor bath [no longer legal, but lacquer thinner works almost as well in
> these environmentally-conscious times] to get the impurities out fo the
> pores of the metal, then followed up with Tripoli compound, then Simichrome
> brand rouge, on a flannel buffing wheel, then another degreasing to pull the
> aluminum [?] oxide and buffing compound out of the pores of the metal.  What
> this does is impart an almost-chrome look to the base metal of the knobs.
> The buffing compounds and wheels I buy at Ace Hardware.
>
> Frankly, unless you;'re already set up to do this, just take them to the
> local custom Harley shop and ask to be referred to whoever they farm their
> buffing out to.  It's a REALLY dirty, messy job that requires coveralls and
> a face mask and a separate buffing room.  Do NOT try this within your house,
> or anywhere else you don't want covered with a layer of oily, sooty oxide.
>
> True chrome plating is copper, then nickel, then chrome.  Copper will bond
> to the base metal [especially steel] better than nickel, and is
> cheaper...the copper layer is nice and thick and is buffed out mirror-smooth
> for the application of the nickel, which is what gives the shine.  The
> chrome is a flash layer to protect the nickel and impart the bluish
> tint...straight nickel plate is a little yellowish.  The little
> do-it-yourself  ersatz chrome kits, plate nickel with a bit of cadmium
> directly onto the workpiece--the cadmium is a tinting agent to give the
> bluish tint reminiscent of chrome.  They do an OK job IF the workpiece is
> glass-smooth and nonporous.  The problem is the porousness of those
> castings.  How that ersatz plating holds up to abrasion and finger oils is
> another story.
>
> I bought my plating kit from caswell http://www.caswellplating.com
>
> Another possibility is "Chrome-In-A-Can" [not a brand name, just a
> politically-correct translation of what it's commonly called in these parts]
> spray paint from the auto-parts store.  I haven't used it so I can't say
> firsthand, but it is said to be indistinguishable from real chrome if done
> right.  I'd try that first just because it's cheap and a little lacquer
> thinner or acetone removes the paint if you don't like it without
> permanently changing the underlying workpiece.
>
> I HAVE used the silver-colored exhaust-header paint baked on the workpiece
> for various stuff, and while it looks good, it doesn't look like chrome, it
> looks like freshly beadblasted aluminum.
>
> Perhaps if there's enough interest I can look into the costs of replating
> those knobs.  There are some platers that cater to the medical-goods
> industry that do small workpieces rather than most commercial platers who
> are set up to do car bumpers and the like.  However, I gotta warn everyone
> the prep on these fluted knobs, especially from a vendor who's used to
> dealing with the medical industry, may well drive the price out of
> consideration for most people.
>
> Hope this helps
>
> 73 de ka9egw
>
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: Heathkit Owners and Collectors List
> [mailto:HEATH at LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV]On Behalf Of Brian Carling
> Sent: Monday, February 05, 2001 7:22 AM
> To: HEATH at LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV
> Subject: Reworking chromed knobs
>
>
> Has anyone ever tried to restore the look of their CHROME Heath knobs?
>
> What can be done?
>
> If they are really bad, is there any way to redo the chromium plating on
> them?
>
> I know that there are plating kits available that are used by CAR buffs.
>
> I considered that as a possibility, but I am just not sure how bad they
> would have to be
> to warrant such an effort!
>
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