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Old 9th May 2016, 9:44 am   #1
Tractionist
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Default Plastic plating?

Has anyone yet found a cheap outfit or technique for re-plating chromed/bright metallised plastic trim?

Having been dissatisfied with the use of paint on Bush TR series lettering, my current technique is to superglue the letters to new/un-crumpled 'Baco-foil', trim it off/around the edges etc. with a fine blade, paint the letter edges with very silvery paint, then clear lacquer the lot, all very time consuming!

With metal badges e.g 'GMarconi' I usually clean everything off them, polish them up, re-spray them, then carefully cut the raised parts back to a polished finish with very fine wet and dry, and then [again] re-lacquer the lot. (Looks good on 'The Good Companion' etc.)

(Incidentally, I've found that Cascamite wood adhesive produces a very good near invisible and opaque [but light translucent] repair on cellulose tuning scales, e.g. on the Philco 444's, which have often been burnt through by the dial light.)
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Old 9th May 2016, 11:06 pm   #2
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Default Re: Plastic plating?

Do any craft shops sell metallic finish Fablon?

Kev

Just seen this but there are loads £2.49 for a pack of A4 if I have read it right! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-METRE-RO...TGvDzpu-JGWmgw

Last edited by Oldelectronics; 9th May 2016 at 11:15 pm. Reason: Add text
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Old 10th May 2016, 12:46 am   #3
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Default Re: Plastic plating?

I remember when I was a kid you could buy self-adhesive chrome bicycle handlebar tape - but I haven't seen any of this for many years ...
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Old 10th May 2016, 9:00 am   #4
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Default Re: Plastic plating?

I remember that!! possibly now gone up market and migrated to craft/art shops?

Kev
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Old 10th May 2016, 9:22 am   #5
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Default Re: Plastic plating?

Oh, there's still plenty of chrome tape around - Ebay, for instance.

You might also try Speed Tape, a shiny aluminium tape used for temporary patches on aircraft. It's a bit more substantial and has terrific "stick".

Cheers,

Frank
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Old 10th May 2016, 9:53 am   #6
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Default Re: Plastic plating?

I have here a roll of aluminium-faced insulation-sealing tape - it's "Idenden" brand, made by Bostik:

http://www.bostik.co.uk/construction...-Foil-Tape/306

which sticks extremely well, and can be gently burnished to look rather good. I've used a strip of it to 're-chrome' a somewhat age-worn chrome trim on the dashboard of an E-type Jaguar.
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Old 10th May 2016, 10:23 am   #7
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Default Re: Plastic plating?

Not sure if this will work but worth looking into...

If you have a used bath of etching fluid (ferric chloride), shake it up to distribute the dissolved copper deposits and place the plastic into it. I 'believe' that the plastic will take a coating. IIRC this is how they 'plate' plastic anyway.

From there you have to follow the normal electro-plating methods used.

Rather hit and miss (I suggest) but perhaps the only way
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Old 10th May 2016, 11:04 am   #8
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Default Re: Plastic plating?

Quote:
Originally Posted by G6Tanuki View Post
I have here a roll of aluminium-faced insulation-sealing tape - it's "Idenden" brand, made by Bostik:
Ho! Do they do 'engine turned' finish as well?
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Old 10th May 2016, 11:15 am   #9
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Default Re: Plastic plating?

Hmmmmm ......

Thanks all. These letter are often broken or missing - my current technique is to 're-cast' them by dipping an original into a little blob of molten candle wax and then placing the broken letter into the hardened female 'mould' and running a bit of Aradlite in to it .... but any moulding plastic would do I suppose.

Some motor shops supply new plastic lettering - but these will probably never be of the correct size and font/script. E.G. Gerry Wells [RIP] used to recall that he was responsible for the 'raked' 'U' and 'H' on the Bush script ...... !!
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Old 10th May 2016, 2:36 pm   #10
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Default Re: Plastic plating?

Quote:
Ho! Do they do 'engine turned' finish as well?
A disk of emery on a stick in a slow pillar drill and lots of patience.
 
Old 10th May 2016, 3:11 pm   #11
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Thumbs up Re: Plastic plating?

Good lad .... just testing !!
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Old 10th May 2016, 5:38 pm   #12
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Default Re: Plastic plating?

"Lad" I am so chuffed!

Back on topic, electroless nickel is what they use to prime non conducting surfaces for further plating, I have heard it is a tricky process as the container with the solution in can plate its self all of a sudden.
 
Old 10th May 2016, 7:23 pm   #13
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Default Re: Plastic plating?

Apparently, colloidal graphite can be used as a base on which to plate, so aquadag or similar might be worth experimenting with.
I believe that most plastic badges and the like are finished using vacuum deposition - not easy at home!
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Old 11th May 2016, 10:20 pm   #14
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Default Re: Plastic plating?

Looks like you could use:
http://www.bare-metal.com/bare-metal-foil.html
It is available from:
Hobbys or Hannants in the UK

There was a company on the Bath Rd just outside Heathrow Airport that did professional
plastic plating (very good) I don't know if they still exist, if they do it will be expensive.

Good luck
Trevor
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Old 11th May 2016, 10:25 pm   #15
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Default Re: Plastic plating?

The website for Hobbys is:
http://hobby.uk.com/finishing-produc...etal-foil.html

Trevor
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Old 12th May 2016, 9:36 pm   #16
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Default Re: Plastic plating?

Thanks Trevor!

This may be the way to go.
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Old 13th May 2016, 10:29 pm   #17
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Default Re: Plastic plating?

Quote:
Originally Posted by merlinmaxwell View Post
Back on topic, electroless nickel is what they use to prime non conducting surfaces for further plating, I have heard it is a tricky process as the container with the solution in can plate its self all of a sudden.
I used to do a lot of electroless nickel plating at work. Wonderful process; I've seen a child's first shoe and Plasticine figures plated. We used a solution called Nifoss made by a company called Cannings, but sadly, they are no longer in business. It may be that their IPR was acquired by an Indian company, who list Nifoss on their website, but have never replied to my enquiries. We usually used a simple (clean) Pyrex beaker as a container and never had a problem with nickel plating out on that.

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