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  for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Chrome repair on new bathroom faucet

1995

I'm a Electrical contractor in Sacramento, CA. I nicked a 500-dollar chrome bathroom faucet (approximately 1/16th deep by 1/16th wide). It won't polish out, can it be repaired by being filled and polished? Would replating it be the way to go, or am I going to have to buy a new one. I would appreciate any help to take the sting out of my mistake.
Thank you,

David Klingenfuss
- Sacramento, California

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First of three simultaneous responses --

1/16th X 1/16th is deep and wide.
Your chrome and nickel are surely gone.
Polishing it out is not possible.
Assuming being an expensive piece, that the substrate is brass or bronze, a repair and re-chrome shouldn't be too awful expensive.
The fact that you don't mention a different color metal in the substrate leads me to suspect it is potmetal.
Much harder to work with and not normally used for expensive pieces especially where water is involved as it deteriorates fairly quickly when exposed to salts, even in mild form.

Steve Clark
polishing and plating - Belfast, Maine
1995

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Second of three simultaneous responses --

If you can live with a slightly yellowish shade around the nick area, brush plating will do the trick. If you absolutely need a uniform bluish-white chrome color, a chrome strip followed by brush plating repair or argon welding, polishing and subsequent immersion nickel-chrome plating will be required. None of these are few-dollar options.

Guillermo Marrufo
Monterrey, NL, Mexico
1995

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Third of three simultaneous responses --

You might look in the phone book for plating companies that specialize in automotive restoration. They frequently restore old zinc die cast parts that have corroded and are pitted. Some also advertise in automotive magazines ("Hot Rod") or antique car magazines). Many of the newer faucet components are made with plastic, and would be difficult to repair.

Good Luck!

Daryl Spindler, CEF
decorative nickel-chrome plating - Greenbrier, Tennessee
1995

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2006

David

adv.
We can replate the faucet if it is brass, steel, ABS or ABS/PC. If I can be of any assistance feel free to call.

Regards,

Rob Coffie
Warren, Michigan, USA

The quickest, least painful and probably the cheapest is to contact the manufacturer for a replacement part and not the entire faucet.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
2006