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  for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Chrome Plating Steel

I would like to chrome plate mild steel tubing. In order for the finished product to be perfect, I know the raw steel needs to be finished smooth. I would like to know what the best method of applying copper to the raw material is, the best cleaning method before applying the copper, and how to buff the copper before chroming.

Thank you.

Ronald S [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
machine shop - Monroeville, Ohio
2003

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You've picked up some of it, Ronald, but not all of it. Please see our Chrome Plating Tutorial for a start, and then see the Metal Finishing Guidebook or the Electroplating Engineering Handbook [on AbeBooks or eBay or Amazon affil links] .

For perfection it is best to start with copper plating as you say, but it can't be acid copper plating directly on steel, it must be cyanide copper plating. After that you can do acid copper plating. You didn't mention nickel but it is not possible to do decorative chrome plating without nickel plating. Best to do at least duplex nickel (semi-bright followed by bright). Then the chrome plating.

It is illegal for you to do plating on anything you are building for sale, or selling as a service, until you register with and comply with a bunch of OSHA, EPA, and local POTW requirements. It is almost always far better to farm out the plating. You'll find that all the big companies like GM, Ford, GE, etc. got out of plating ten to twenty years ago because of this and instead utilize job plating services.

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