Two chrome platers left - which do you prefer?

[peteski]

14 hours ago, Greg Wann said:

Yes, that is one of the reasons I did not go for it.  Mostly it was about staying focused on the resin casting.  Unfortunately, I have too many interests!  I know I can't do it all, but if I had some equipment it might create a reasonably nice job for someone who has some sort of interest in model parts.  Once the equipment is operational other things can be metalized too.  There are color tints that can be mixed in as well.  I have some red and blue items that Louis Bernier sent to me from Canada some time ago.  He could do the chrome, red, blue, copper, gold and I think a black chrome as well.

In my experience with vacuum metalized plastic parts, the process is to first coat the parts with a glossy clear lacquer.  Then it goes into the metalizing chamber where a very thin layer of aluminum gets deposited on the glossy clear.  That results in a chrome-like silver finish.  Sometimes at that point the parts are considered ready, but the metallic finish is rather fragile.  So, in most cases there is another clear lacquer coat applied overt the shiny metallic surface.  That makes the "chrome' a bit more durable.  That final coat can also be tinted with a color dye which gives the final color. It can be any color like gold, red, blue, etc.  That is how the colored metallic finishes are produced.  And you're right - lots of items can be vacuum metalized not just plastic model parts.

[Greg Wann]

https://svc.org/

Here is a link to The Society of Vacuum Coaters.  I found a helpful guy who gave me this professors information.  Since I work there, meeting this guy in his laboratory might be very easy.

Kevin Hilgers

Arizona State University

Phoenix, AZ,

Phone: 480-727-7142

E-mail: kevin.hilgers@asu.edu

 

http://www.semicore.com/sputtering-systems

 

The SC450 is $120,000.00

Edited February 8, 2019 by Greg Wann

[peteski]

On 2/8/2019 at 5:42 PM, Greg Wann said:

https://svc.org/

Here is a link to The Society of Vacuum Coaters.  I found a helpful guy who gave me this professors information.  Since I work there, meeting this guy in his laboratory might be very easy.

Kevin Hilgers

Arizona State University

Phoenix, AZ,

Phone: 480-727-7142

E-mail: kevin.hilgers@asu.edu

 

http://www.semicore.com/sputtering-systems

 

The SC450 is $120,000.00

I believe the $120k equipment you linked to is not what is used for "plating" styrene parts.  Looking at the FAQ's from that website, I quote:

Physical Vapor Deposition - also known as PVD Coating - refers to a variety of thin film deposition techniques where solid metal is vaporized in a high vacuum environment and deposited on electrically conductive materials as a pure metal or alloy coating.

The vacuum deposition systems used by the model manufacturers (and 3rd party platers) do not require the materials to be electrically conductive.  Our model parts are polystyrene and while they do apply clear glossy lacquer to those parts before the vacuum deposition process, I don't believe that the lacquer is conductive.  But then again, I'm not an expert here - just a hobbyist who, like the saying goes,  knows just enough to be dangerous.

[DukeE]

Any updates on chrome possibilities? Not necessarily Greg,  but anyone?

Saw elsewhere GT Kustom Khrome not responding to EM's, haven't used them. 

Thought I'd bump thread. 

[Rocking Rodney Rat]

Little Motor Kar Co is up and running. I sent him a tree of parts to plate within the last 8-10 weeks, got parts back within two to three weeks, done up very well. I can post pix of his instructions and order form if you'd like. I haven't used GT Kustom Khrome so can't comment on their operation. -RRR

[ChrisBcritter]

7 hours ago, Rocking Rodney Rat said:

 I can post pix of his instructions and order form if you'd like.

I'd like - please do!

[MrObsessive]

I can vouch for the good work that Dale does. He lives not far from me in Reading, PA and I've sent things to him to be plated years ago and they came back super nice! ?

As Dale mentioned in his letter a while back though.........everyone now is on a first come-first served basis. He's not a young man by any means and I can't blame him for not wanting to be overwhelmed at this point. I will have some things that need to be plated down the road........I may just write him and ask if I can simply drop them off instead of using the USPS. However long it takes is how long it takes...........the way I build, I'm certainly in no big hurry!

[Rocking Rodney Rat]

[Can-Con]

I have a tree of parts out with Dale right now. Should be back in the next week or two.

[StevenGuthmiller]

4 hours ago, Rocking Rodney Rat said:

So is there some place that a person can get the order forms?

 

 

 

Steve

[Can-Con]

8 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

So is there some place that a person can get the order forms?

 

 

 

Steve

I didn't use the forms when I sent mine. I just wrote down the pertinent info on a sheet of paper and put it in the zip-loc baggy with the parts tree.

[StevenGuthmiller]

12 minutes ago, Can-Con said:

I didn't use the forms when I sent mine. I just wrote down the pertinent info on a sheet of paper and put it in the zip-loc baggy with the parts tree.

Perfect!

I have never used LMK, but now that I have the information, I just might give him a try.

 

Do you pay with a personal check, credit card, cash?

 

 

 

Steve

[Can-Con]

2 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Perfect!

I have never used LMK, but now that I have the information, I just might give him a try.

 

Do you pay with a personal check, credit card, cash?

 

 

 

Steve

From an e-mail he sent me,,

"We only accept personal or bank checks, money orders, or cash."

He let me pay with Paypal because he had a problem cashing my bank cheque and Canadian money order last time, he usually won't take Paypal. 

[Can-Con]

Here's what my last batch looked like when I got it back.

[crazyjim]

Chrome looks excellent. How did you attach the parts to the tree?

[StevenGuthmiller]

38 minutes ago, Can-Con said:

From an e-mail he sent me,,

"We only accept personal or bank checks, money orders, or cash."

He let me pay with Paypal because he had a problem cashing my bank cheque and Canadian money order last time, he usually won't take Paypal. 

Perfect!

Thanks Steve!

 

 

Steve

[Can-Con]

57 minutes ago, crazyjim said:

Chrome looks excellent. How did you attach the parts to the tree?

silicone caulk.

[Rocking Rodney Rat]

8 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

So is there some place that a person can get the order forms?

 

 

 

Steve

Right click on the form above, save image (suggests .jpg, which is fine), save it and then print it...viola, an order form! 

[StevenGuthmiller]

2 hours ago, Rocking Rodney Rat said:

Right click on the form above, save image (suggests .jpg, which is fine), save it and then print it...viola, an order form! 

I suppose that would work just fine.

 

 

 

 

Steve

[89AKurt]

~bump~ DUH