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Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ
The authoritative public forum
for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Cost and durability of nickel plating versus chrome plating
Q. Could anyone offer some suggestions as to the cost of chrome plating small objects. I need to have two 8-inch square metal grates, approximately 1/16" thick, plated with nickel chrome. Any help with normal cost and turnaround time would be appreciated.
Thanks.
James Davidson- New York, New York
2001
A. Hi,
I do make chrome my small fishing spoon at a local chrome plating company. My spoon have 1/2" X 3" long and 0.035" thick and they charge me 0.25 $ Canadian Dollar.
I do really think they don't charge what it should cost, but this is the price I do pay at an industrial chrome company around my place.
Normand Daoust- Sherbrooke, QuÈbec, Canada
2001
Multiple threads merged: please forgive chronology errors :-)
Cost of chrome plating on mild steel
i have a problem about chromium plating
my question is that
I want to plate chromium on mild steel or medium carbon steel
because stainless steel is costly for us so please tell me why it is cost effective
and how cr plating is done
hoizon engg. - Pakistan
2005
2005
Janaab Hayaat Sahab
Ni + Cr over mild steel is cost effective because the cost is effectively lower than SS.
Find a job plater to do your plating.
Regards
Asif Nurie [deceased]
- New Delhi, India
With deep regret we sadly advise that Asif passed away on Jan 24, 2016
Multiple threads merged: please forgive chronology errors :-)
Cost of Decorative Chrome Plating
Q. Hi I am studying design and technology and I need to know a general cost to decoratively chrome plate an area of about 510cm cubed of metal or plastic?
I would be grateful for any information that you would be able to give me. Thanks
Student Year 13 - Solihull, West Midlands, United Kingdom
2006
A. I don't really know what you mean by an area of 510 cm cubed, and whether you mean factory cost or final selling price, and whether the cost is supposed to include the mechanical preparation. Further, such costs are very highly dependent on production volume because of the labor savings of automation. But price a chrome plated plastic grill or chrome plated steel bumper at an automobile parts store and figure half of the cost is plating and you'll have a defensible estimate.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
November 2006
A. Your home town is in the centre of the UK plating industry. There are many local companies doing this type of work.
Sketch a part that you would like to plate, Look in Yellow Pages for a chrome plater and ask for a price.
The cost will depend on the design so don't be too adventurous.
Geoff Smith
Hampshire, England
2006
Multiple threads merged: please forgive chronology errors :-)
Cost and durability of nickel plating versus chrome plating
Q. Neat webpage you have here. My question relates to nickel versus chrome plating. I race dirt-track motorcycles and in the 70s and 80s, a popular means of protecting new bare steel custom racing frames was to nickel plate them. I have heard that nickel plating was cheaper than chrome plating and that it was easier on the metal of the frames than chrome (in that regard, I've heard the term "hydrogen embrittlement"). In today's plating world, if I brought you a motorcycle frame and asked for an estimate in both platings, which would you recommend and could you give me a comparison in cost between the two?
Al WebberMotorcycle restorer - Stockton, California, USA
December 25, 2011
A. Hi, Al.
Decorative chrome plating always involves preliminary nickel plating (see our "Intro to Chrome Plating" FAQ). So it just a matter of whether you add a thin flash of chrome on top of the nickel plating or you don't. The chrome plating contributes symbiotically to the corrosion resistance, makes the plating more satisfactory for outdoor use, keeps the plating bright and very slightly blue as opposed to the initially white and eventually slightly yellow color of nickel plating. Chrome is probably the right way to go.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
December 2011
A. Ted is right - the best route is chromium. Nickel is more susceptible to tarnish and chemical attack, whilst chrome gets coated in a thin layer that just gives a slight dullness to the surface. it is also self healing, so it limits the extent to which any corrosion will take place.
Trevor Crichton
R&D practical scientist
Chesham, Bucks, UK
December 28, 2011
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