Chroming, rechroming and chrome plating process.

Plated and Painted parts are chemically stripped back to reveal bare, corroded metal.

After stripping we take a careful look at your item ensure that the process we have estimated for will achieve the desired finish. Sometimes the stripping process can uncover areas of heavy pitting rust or even holes (usually in the ends of bumpers) that need to be repaired, anything nasty uncovered that wasn't expected we report back to you to discuss the best solution to move forward.

This is a process where abrasives are used to cut away at the metal service to remove all the corrosion, scratches and pits to create a clean flat, smooth surface. This can encompass a number of processes using course grits through to finer grits (100-320 or higher). This is carried out using a variety of methods from the Linishing machine to dressed mops, tiny abrasive wheels to get into all those awkward areas and all sorts of hand sanders and sometimes even abrasive papers.

Any agreed repairs are carried out such as the welding of holes. Sometimes we need to fabricate new ends on bumpers or other parts that are two eroded to polish or weld up. After the repairs are carried out, its back to the finishing process to flatten, smooth and reshape all those repairs to leave a clean tidy finish.

The mopping process uses a number of mops and compounds to take the linished work from around 400 grit to a scratch less, smooth, shiny finish. At this stage the item is starting to look as good as new.

We clean your item down using a sprayer and soft brushes removing all the compound build ups and then check for any scratches that have been left behind from the finishing process.

The item is either flash copper plated or heavy copper plated. Heavy copper plate is used like a "high build primer" in car body repairs, It self levels and fills small pits that can not be removed by finishing. The decision to heady copper plate may be made at the time of estimation, after stripping or during stripping. After the copper plating process the item is re-polished. The flash copper is used for its conductivity and by the nature of the process of electroplating, will help draw the nickel to your item in the next stage.

Nickel is what makes chrome silver like in appearance. Nickel was the chrome of old and only in recent years has chrome been used to protect the nickel and create the luster we all love and know. A good heavy coat of nickel will help protect your item from the outside elements and corrosion in later life. After the nickel plating process we give the nickel a good polish to really get the shine up.

This is the final plating stage the item is chromed bringing out a strong luster and shine from the nickel below, and then we polish.

it's time to hand over your item to you, fill our hands with a few notes and head home for a good nights rest, before we start all over again tomorrow. And you thought custom chrome plating was just a quick dip in a tank full of shiny, mercury like fluid.