Chrome...

[notrefined]

I am considering getting an aluminum light chrome plated...and as it's my understanding that plating shops are likely to have a minimum order of $100-200, it may well make sense to do a small batch, even if I have to purchase extra hosts and sell off the extras. What is involved in getting a P60 sized host chromed, and what kind of per-unit cost should I expect for ~10 pieces?
The hosts are likely going to be provided with HA coating, and I have neither the wherewithal nor time to strip and polish them. Are these services typically offered by the plater, or would this be an entirely different step/shop? How much would be saved if I were able to obtain the hosts in raw (unfinished) aluminum?

 

[350xfire]

I am considering getting an aluminum light chrome plated...and as it's my understanding that plating shops are likely to have a minimum order of $100-200, it may well make sense to do a small batch, even if I have to purchase extra hosts and sell off the extras. What is involved in getting a P60 sized host chromed, and what kind of per-unit cost should I expect for ~10 pieces?
The hosts are likely going to be provided with HA coating, and I have neither the wherewithal nor time to strip and polish them. Are these services typically offered by the plater, or would this be an entirely different step/shop? How much would be saved if I were able to obtain the hosts in raw (unfinished) aluminum?

I know the HAIII shop I have used will strip... For additional charge of course!
To remove HAIII soak the aluminum parts in a sodium hydroxide or lye solution. You'll see bubbling and will need to remove the parts when the HAIII is removed to prevent pitting. Then polish the parts.

 

[precisionworks]

My industrial hard chrome shop doesn't strip nor polish, and they do their best work on outside diameter surfaces - hard chrome on a bore (like an AR-16) is specialized work that they don't do. I take worn shafting to them & they build it back to new diameter, especially nice for a Torrington bearing fit where the shaft IS the inner race of the bearing.

Electroless Nickel is an easier, less costly & more forgiving process, and the look is very close to that of hard chrome.

 

[will]

I have used different shops for both chrome and electroless nickel plating. You can send the light to the chrome shop with the work you want done. They will send you a written cost for your approval. They can do the stripping and polishing there. HOWEVER - that part of the work is very labor intensive and most likely will cost a bunch of money. Their minimum charge per job is $45. Add to that any threaded area has to masked off prior to plating.. Most likely - you will exceed the minimum charge with just one light. It must be sent to them completely disassembled.

I don't know if the Electroless shop will strip and polish. I had good results because I did all the preliminary work, all they had to do was plate the work

Both shops have good turnaround time, around 2 weeks or so. part of the quickness may be because I sent them stripped and polished lights. I have used both more that one time. I can send you the information in a PM.

Chrome is brighter that nickel, it is also harder.

sample chrome.

the chrome shop also does 24K gold.

 

[precisionworks]

Chrome is brighter that nickel, it is also harder.

Hard chrome runs 68-72 HRc, while EN hits 46-50 HRc in the as-plated condition. EN is heat treatable at a very low temperature, only 575°F, which raises the hardness to 61-65 HRc. Still a little lower Rockwell number than hard chrome, but not by much.

Also, no matter how hard the plating, the substrate is far more important in determining how a surface will survive impacts. A titanium light plus either HC or EN will do very well, while an aluminum light will dent much more easily, no matter what the plating material.

 

[will]

The other thing I have noticed with nickel is that it will benefit from a polish every now and then, chrome does not seem to need that.

 

[notrefined]

thanks for all the replies! 😀

here's an oddball question...what would happen to an E2e [integral reflector] during the process of stripping, polishing and plating? Is it safe to assume that the answer is "nothing good?"