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Chrome plate a Boat Sink

Q. I have 2 small sinks on my sailboat and I was wondering if I could chrome plate them. Will they rust? Will it be expensive? I am in Miami and I found a few companies that chrome plate. Please advise.

Nelson Santiesteban
- Miami, Florida
2003

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Yes, no, yes.

It is possible to do. If done right they will not rust. Yes, plating is quite expensive in a case like this because it is very labor intensive to custom prepare, jig, and plate the item.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2003

Firstly, most sinks are made of stainless steel, in which case only a polish is required. However, if it is brass, copper or, perish the thought, steel, you will still have to have it bright polished prior to electroplating. Now, the fun begins! The bottom inside and inner corners are what we in the trade call "LOW CURRENT DENSITY AREAS". Getting a decent coating of plate in these places requires the use of special anodes. I can promise you,that without the use of special anodes, it cannot be successfully plated. Also, the price will accurately reflect all this extra effort. If it was my sink, polished stainless would be the way to go.

Mark Gunn
CMF - NSW, Australia
2003

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