SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE
Love chrome but not the maintenance? Got a part to plate that looks beyond repair? Fear not, Chromefast in Essex might just have the answer…
Classic American cars and chrome go together like apple pie and root beer, but it’s often a tense relationship. Acres of chrome look great at the show or club meet, but the time spent cleaning before and after can often be a chore – and that’s assuming you’ve managed to get parts plated in the first place. Dealing with parts that are 50 or 60 years old is far from straightforward when plating’s involved. If the surface isn’t perfect every blemish will be magnified and many platers can’t physically accommodate larger components such as bumpers. Fortunately, there’s an answer and the man bringing it to the UK is Darren Rapley of Chromefast in Rayleigh, Essex.
With more than 30 years’ experience in the world of automotive refinishing, Darren’s fully aware of the problems facing enthusiasts trying to get the perfect plated look. “I’ve been watching a process that’s been used in the States for a while,” he began. “This is neither painting, nor plating. It uses a silver nitrate formula to give the sheen; basically it’s similar to the way mirrors are produced, but adapted for automotive use. We’ve looked at the way the Americans do it and improved the recipe. I’m proud to say that the product we’re using was developed here in the UK and I think it gives a much more convincing finish to the previous system.”
The science part
Explaining the process of chrome plating would take an article of its own, but in basic terms a combination of chemicals and electricity are used to ‘bind’ metal particles to the surface of a component. It’s been around for decades, is well understood, durable and looks fantastic. However, it has its limitations and that’s not just in ever-increasing environmental controls over the types of chemicals that can be used in the process. Purists may not want to admit it, but it’s a fact that today’s chrome is a different product from that of the Fifties and Sixties. The process requires a perfect finish to the component being plated; any burrs, pitting or welded repairs need to be perfect and using filler is out of the question. As Darren explains, that’s not the case with his product.
“We start by preparing the component just as we would for paint. That can involve welding, fibreglass, filler, anything that would normally go into creating a perfect finish for primer. It doesn’t matter what’s been used for repairs, if it’s stable enough to prime, we can spray chrome it. Next comes a base coat which is an ultra-high gloss black finish of our own composition. The final application is the silver nitrate solution. To apply this we use a special two-nozzle gun. The silver nitrate solution emerges from one nozzle while the second nozzle sprays another mixture of chemicals that harden and bind the silver to the component’s surface.”
The final part of the process is a coat of lacquer and final polish and this is where another advantage of the process comes into play. “The lacquer can be tinted any colour,” said Darren. “The only limit is the customer’s imagination. Unlike chrome its surface will accept sign writing or further detailing. If someone wants to apply a mural over our finish, that’s not a problem.”
As with any product there are limitations, mainly because it’s a decorative finish. As such it can’t replace hard chrome in engineering applications such as hydraulics and as it is sealed by lacquer it’s only suitable for use at temperatures where normal paint can survive. Although it’s cheaper than chrome, it’s also not a budget option; after all, it does use real silver. “As with any paint finish the cost is determined by the amount of preparation that’s needed,” said Darren, “but as a rule of thumb the cost of our process usually sits somewhere between that of a good paint job and the price of traditional chroming.”
Keeping up appearances
Of course, the $1000 question is: what does it look like? We’ve all tried the ‘chrome paint’ from Halfords with disappointing results and anyone who’s made a plastic model car kit will know that faux chrome can look extremely tacky. I can say no more than when I arrived at Darren’s office there was a bumper from what looked like a Mini sat on an oil drum. When Darren picked it up and tossed it towards me, I wasn’t prepared to catch something so light. “Fibreglass,” laughed Darren. Only on close inspection was it obvious that this wasn’t chrome and even from a few feet away I’d been completely taken in.
There’s also the not-so-small matter of size. As many builders have discovered, even when a quality plater can be found there are some components that they’re reluctant to tackle due to size. As Chromefast is part of Darren’s established spraying business that’s not a problem. He has spray booths capable of accommodating heavy commercials. Not only can he spray-chrome your frame, if you’ve got the budget he can spray the van you brought it in! There’s also a mail order service so even if the company’s Essex base isn’t on your doorstep Darren’s able to help.
Being honest, if the aim of a restoration is 100% concours factory finish this probably isn’t the most suitable process. However, when there’s no alternative than to restore battered components, for custom projects or simply for use on scooters that are going to be ridden, the advantages are obvious. To all appearances this is chrome, just without the heartache.