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Chrome plating of spheres

I work for an artist in New York who wants to create perfectly round globes that have a mirror finish. Perhaps chrome plating is the answer. I have two questions: Can chrome plating be performed over any material or must it be metal? Secondly, is plating at least 4 spheres that are each 6-feet in diameter possible and/or cost-prohibitive? Thank you for any insight you can provide.

George Kimmerling
Brooklyn, New York
1999

First of all there are two types of chrome plating. Decorative nickel Chrome and Functional Hard Chrome. Either type is usually electrodeposited on to base metal. Sources are limited for either process. It sounds like you could get away with decorative nickel chrome, which is considerably less costly than hard chrome plating, however, finding a source, anywhere, that can nickel chrome a 6' sphere will be difficult. Sources in Canada and the US can hard chrome plate a part this size made of base metal. However, the cost in hard chrome would be in the $10,000.00 per piece price range. If you require further information regarding hard chrome plating we can help. Regards.

Stephen C. Ward
- CANADA
1999