Please Re-Chrome this part!!!

[Lorne]

All my research has shown, 2 well respected "chrome" facilitators are left to assist us in our hobby??!! THANK YOU for hanging in there to make our modelling illusions come to life!! For those of us who haven't been able to simulate the shine we desire ,....again THANK YOU  for allowing us to send the part(s) we need to make our project(s) better than our last build!

 

I recently purchased forks, spoons and knives for a simple picnic with my family, YUP!! the chrome (on plastic tableware) was PERFECT!!! What are my thoughts???,.....Man-o-Man, you imagine if they would give us the "formula" to achieve "their perfect chrome"!!!??? we would all take our illusions to the next level !!!! Yes!, persistence will pay off but,.....PLEASE "plastic chrome" companies,.... WHAT IS YOUR SECRET?????    Just saying,....?

[peteski]

No secret Lorne - the most often used process for "chroming" plastic parts (like model parts or plastic spoons) is vacuum metal deposition (or vacuum metalizing).   It isn't actually chromium, but a very thin layer of aluminum. You can do it yourself - all you need is the equipment.  

Here is some info - you are more than welcome to start your own business catering to model builders - we sure could use another facilitator.

https://www.vacuum-metalizing.com/what-is-vacuum-metalizing/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_Metal_Deposition

There are many companies out there which perform vacuum metalizing, but they usually do not want to deal with small orders (they do this on a large scale for model kit companies or plastic spoon manufacturers),

 

I believe that ChromeTech USA was only a middle-man - he would gather bunch of orders then hire one of those industrial metalizing companies to do the work for him.

Edited March 12, 2020 by peteski

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, peteski said:

I believe that ChromeTech USA was only a middle-man - he would gather bunch of orders then hire one of those industrial metalizing companies to do the work for him.

George at Kustom Krome operates the same way.

 

 

 

Steve

[Lorne]

Thank you peteski for the reply!! This is an art and a necessity that 1:1 scale users and the hobby folk need! God-Dog-it!!! Automotive 1:1, Scale Auto, Antique, Memorabilia and the list goes on,.... petski?, .... sounds like a business to get into?? "IF" the dollar could prevail she is a no brainer!! Is there anyone,... OUT THERE??

[peteski]

Unfortunately I really don't think there is high enough demand for small metalizing jobs to justify opening bunch of profit-making vacuum metalizing businesses. If there was money in it, someone would have jumped at the opportunity.  Like I said, there are plenty of vacuum metalizing business out there that do this on a large scale.

Greg Wann expressed interest in this business.  Finances are the usual obstacle.

 

Here is a related thread (and 2 more inside it)

 

[89AKurt]

9 hours ago, peteski said:

Unfortunately I really don't think there is high enough demand for small metalizing jobs to justify opening bunch of profit-making vacuum metalizing businesses. If there was money in it, someone would have jumped at the opportunity.  Like I said, there are plenty of vacuum metalizing business out there that do this on a large scale.

Greg Wann expressed interest in this business.  Finances are the usual obstacle.

 

Here is a related thread (and 2 more inside it)

 

?What Peter said.  The more the word gets out, the more likely someone will take the plunge.

[Pete J.]

I know they are not quite the same but there are some paints out there that do an increadibly close job, if you take the time to learn how to do them.  My favorite is Easy chrome by Alsa.  I have been playing with it for a while now and know for sure that "dipped" parts are spot on.  I am still working to get airbrushed results to the same level.  Easy chrome is also very durable as it is designed for 1:1 autos and rims.  The downside is that it is stupid expensive but if you have to have something, that is what you need.

[Lorne]

Thanks for that Pete J. I will search out Easy Chrome!! Your right gotta start experimenting with different products 

[bigdrag1]

Here Lorne, try this... https://www.futurechrome.com/

[Greg Wann]

Yes, I am interested in doing this.  It seems there are a lot of equipment choices and companies that build equipment.

[Pete J.]

6 hours ago, Greg Wann said:

Yes, I am interested in doing this.  It seems there are a lot of equipment choices and companies that build equipment.

Most of them require a large investment in equipment.  Alsa easy chrome is the only one that I am aware of you can do with or without an air brush .https://alsacorp.com/product/easy-chrome/   As I mentioned I have been playing with it a while and have had the best results dipping small parts.  I have not quite mastered the airbrush with it yet. Like anything I have seen threads about this stuff that said it doesn't work, but the painter rarely followed the  exact instructions.  To many "I've been doing this for 30 years and know what I am doing" attitudes.  Follow the directions, get good results.    Granted the starter kit is $140 plus shipping but that is a lot cheaper than $5,000 for a commercial chroming setup. Not to mention the cost of their chemicals.  

[peteski]

5 hours ago, Pete J. said:

Most of them require a large investment in equipment.  Alsa easy chrome is the only one that I am aware of you can do with or without an air brush .https://alsacorp.com/product/easy-chrome/   

. . .

   Granted the starter kit is $140 plus shipping but that is a lot cheaper than $5,000 for a commercial chroming setup. Not to mention the cost of their chemicals. 

Pete,  are you proposing to for individual modelers using this system for their own models, or as a business venture to provide "chroming"service for modelers (like ChromeTech USA or Little Motor Kar Company)?

I think that as a business venture, vacuum metalizing would be much better process. Except for the clear lacquer I don't think there are any chemical involved in vacuum metalizing.  Just a vacuum chamber, electricity, and strips of aluminum to vaporize in the chamber.  Then as I mentioned a coat of clear lacquer before and after metalizing. No nasty chemicals (which are used in electroplating). Seems much simpler (and likely cheaper to run) than Alsa.  I would love for someone (like Greg Wann) to jump at the opportunity.

[Bainford]

On 3/12/2020 at 8:51 PM, Pete J. said:

My favorite is Easy chrome by Alsa.  I have been playing with it for a while now and know for sure that "dipped" parts are spot on.  I am still working to get airbrushed results to the same level.  Easy chrome is also very durable as it is designed for 1:1 autos and rims.  The downside is that it is stupid expensive but if you have to have something, that is what you need.

How is this stuff for maintaining/revealing the fine engraved detail of a part being chromed? 
Can you mask a part so only one section of a part of it is chromed?

[Pete J.]

4 hours ago, peteski said:

Pete,  are you proposing to for individual modelers using this system for their own models, or as a business venture to provide "chroming"service for modelers (like ChromeTech USA or Little Motor Kar Company)?

I think that as a business venture, vacuum metalizing would be much better process. Except for the clear lacquer I don't think there are any chemical involved in vacuum metalizing.  Just a vacuum chamber, electricity, and strips of aluminum to vaporize in the chamber.  Then as I mentioned a coat of clear lacquer before and after metalizing. No nasty chemicals (which are used in electroplating). Seems much simpler (and likely cheaper to run) than Alsa.  I would love for someone (like Greg Wann) to jump at the opportunity.

No, I am talking about the spray on silver nitrate system that involves multiple chemicals and an ionized water spray that is common in many comercial body shops. 

[Pete J.]

2 hours ago, Bainford said:

How is this stuff for maintaining/revealing the fine engraved detail of a part being chromed? 
Can you mask a part so only one section of a part of it is chromed?

It's really up to your skill with an airbrush.  The coat is very thin so it doesn't hide the details like regular paint even when you dip it or brush it.  As to masking, same as any other paint.  Oh, and by the way once it is dry,  you can mask over it to spray other colors like flat stripes or a blacked out hood.  Done to manufactures specs, making paint will not damage the chrome finish. The base coat is clear so you can chrome over anything.  It is also water based. 

[peteski]

37 minutes ago, Pete J. said:

No, I am talking about the spray on silver nitrate system that involves multiple chemicals and an ionized water spray that is common in many comercial body shops. 

OK, but the "chroming" process most (almost all) model companies, and "platers" that cater to model markets use is vacuum metalizing, using aluminum and clear lacquer.  No silver nitrate is involved in the process.   I provided info about this process in my initial post on this thread (second post from the top).  It is a fairly simple, and widely used process which does not use liquid chemicals.

As for other processes used by model companies, only Trumpeter strayed from the norm and used actual electroplating process on their kit's.  The "chrome"was actually relatively thick layer of metal, impossible to strip using the typical caustic chemicals, and even difficult to scrape mechanically.  I'm sure that process used some nasty toxic chemicals.

Edited March 14, 2020 by peteski

[Pete J.]

9 hours ago, peteski said:

OK, but the "chroming" process most (almost all) model companies, and "platers" that cater to model markets use is vacuum metalizing, using aluminum and clear lacquer.  No silver nitrate is involved in the process.   I provided info about this process in my initial post on this thread (second post from the top).  It is a fairly simple, and widely used process which does not use liquid chemicals.

As for other processes used by model companies, only Trumpeter strayed from the norm and used actual electroplating process on their kit's.  The "chrome"was actually relatively thick layer of metal, impossible to strip using the typical caustic chemicals, and even difficult to scrape mechanically.  I'm sure that process used some nasty toxic chemicals.

Peter, I get the process for vacuum plating and it is something that anyone could do if they invested in the equipment.  Problem is I haven't found one for less that several thousand dollars.  I don't think that is in the realm of what the average modeler would spend on such equipment unless they were going into business.  My suggestion is expensive for most modelers.  $140 kit of specialty paint that gets very close to the same result, and can be done with normal modeling tools(an airbrush).  Most could master this paint and  avoid the cost of the plating equipment.  It would be nice if there were a lot of small batch vacuum platers around but they all seem to have gone out of business.