Thread: Project $ 3 K Is Underway

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Part of what makes chroming so expensive is the cost of the chemicals and the permits to use them. The chemicals are VERY expensive because the suppliers have to pay some big licensing fees to the EPA, etc. Also, plating shops are under constant scrutiny.., but check this out:
http://www.alsacorp.com/products/chr...x_prodinfo.htm
Has anybody seen anything done with this product? The video is impressive... If I had the $8,000 to invest in the system, I might consider setting up a business... IF it looks as good in person. It is apparently no more harmful than ordinary automotive finishes. If you browse the site a little, you'll see that they also have a product that can be applied with ordinary HVLP spray equipment and they also have it in spray cans! I'm very tempted to try some of this stuff...

Just a few outdated comments about chrome plating. In my college industrial training I worked at two plating shops but maybe a few things have been developed since then? First, a good finish requires thorough buffing, no part ever came out of the plating process any smoother than it went in and that is a labor intensive, dirty job to buff irregular shapes. Second, the chemicals used in chrome plating are very dangerous in terms of disposal and that is a real problem for any shop (check with Erin Brockavich!). In a large commercial shop the waste either has to be trucked out to treatment or sent to a treatment "pond" near the shop. Thus the overall costs to a plating shop include waste treatment and I suspect that has become more costly in the last 20 years. That new paint treatment looks pretty good but bumpers take a beating and paint can rub off more easily than electroplated coatings. While the tubing/round bar nerf bars are really neat, I opted for STAINLESS stock Model A bumpers. I note that these (heavy) twin bars come as two separate bars with a spacer so a single bar could be used to be bent into some other shape and/or welded with stainless rod and polished. Stainless bar stock could be buffed/polished if welded with stainless rod but the bottom line is that there seems to be no really cheap way to get a smooth shiny coating on bumpers.

Don Shillady
Retired scientist/teen rodder

Don Shillady- what color is that model A and do you have more pictures of it?

sorry to get off topic..wait...is there a topic anymore?? the car is done...

Yep, now it's just a bunch of us sitting around chewing the fat.

Don

35fordcoupe, Glad you like the color. It is a GM combination put together from color charts at Haskins Body Shop in Ashland Va. They called it "Haskins Merlot". I could get you the exact formula if you want but these days they have literally hundreds of color charts. They warned me to not choose a coarse metalflake and the fine metal flake seems to take slightly different colors depending on the ambient light. I have had several parts made up since the body was painted and their paint formula machine has made perfect matches so the color is reproducible. Centerville can't be that far from Ashland so if you get a chance stop in for a visit; I need the inspiration. I have lots of pictures but I don't want to clog up the forum and at present the rear of the car is near finished but the front needs a lot of work. Here is a picture DennyW massaged to remove the glare from the windshield.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

35fordcoupe, here is a picture right out of the paint shop which shows I went a little overboard on the downhill look with large 15" rear wheels and 14" front wheels. I am not overly happy about this and may switch to 15" front wheels with low profile tires. I have been stuck with various excuses for over a year but hope to focus on the car soon. Really, if you want a short trip over the summer, give me a warning and stop in, believe me I need encouragement! The door handle really does line up straight when fully latched.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

wow in that front shot the color just pops. I have been looking at monterey maroon metallic tincoat from the corvette, but without direct sunlight it looks too much like an everyday maroon. In sunlight it's close to what I want. I saw a Lexus ( ) today and I think the color was ruby red metallic...at first glance that looked nice. I thought for a while I wanted candy apple, but I think I want a darker red/maroon with a "glow" and something cheaper than a candy color would be nice too . I wouldn't want to steal your color, but maybe when it gets warm out I could go for a drive and get some ideas...I want to say Ashland would only be 2-3 hours. I have no excuses and have gotten next to nothing done in the last year I can't wait til it warms up...I'm ready to go full steam ahead.

I am no where near body and paint, but I want to be absolutely sure I have the right color