[ROVERNET - UK] Nickel plating

[Gundry, Kenneth]

Many thanks, Vern and Gianni.  I am relieved that removal of the remnants of old nickel plating is easy (for the experts) and will not damage the underlying brass.  I think the best way forward is to take the car to the platers, rather than dismantle it, take the pieces, and be told they cannot do it.  I'll have to take half a day off work.  In fact, that will also let me discuss hub-caps.  The caps are aluminum, but look as if they once had nickel plate (can you plate aluminum?).  Polishing them up would be a major task, involved taking significant amounts of metal off.  

If I get one of those nickel plating kits, I think I shall use it only for small pieces (nuts, bolt-heads, small brackets) that are easily cleaned up and where polish isn't an issue.

Ken G, 1925 Rover 16/50 (San Francisco)

-----Original Message-----
From: rovernet-bounces at lyris.ccdata.com
[mailto:rovernet-bounces at lyris.ccdata.com]On Behalf Of Gianni D'Ortenzio
Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2004 11:29 PM
To: rovernet at lyris.ccdata.com
Subject: Re: [ROVERNET - UK] Nickel plating


I am in the process of rebuilding my P3 engine. the side plates are is
surprisingly good condition. How were they kept that way? It looks like they
were just painted, but with what? there was a little rust, but once that
wire brushed away, most of the plate is still painted and it looks like
steel without any coating.. Has anyone recoated them and what did you use??
Cheers Gianni
1949 Rover 75, P3 six light
1971 P6B 3500
1974 P6B 3500S
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Vern Klukas" <vern at inkspotco.com>
To: <rovernet at lyris.ccdata.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 12, 2004 9:23 AM
Subject: Re: [ROVERNET - UK] Nickel plating


> >A restoration question.
> >
> >There are many nickel-plated bits and pieces on my Rover.  Some are
> >in good order (door handles), others not.  In particular the large
> >number of brass pieces making up the frame of the windshield have
> >lost most of their plating; it remains immaculate only underneath
> >the bracket for the mirror, showing what it was like.  I found when
> >I tried to clean them up that what little plating remained came off.
> >I would like to have them (and probably various little brackets and
> >fancy nuts) replated, but cleaning down to smooth brass would/will
> >be a major task.  It is complicated by the fact that not all the
> >pieces can be separated, so there are lots of little corners; they
> >are held together by metal (steel, I imagine) tapered pins that were
> >then filed smooth before the plating.  At least, that's how I
> >interpret what I see.  I know of a company specializing in replating
> >(they did the resilvering of the lights), but hate to think what
> >they would charge to prepare and plate the windshield surround.
> >
> >Has anyone experience of the home "electro-less nickel plating" kits
> >that you can buy?  Do they work satisfactorily?  If so, what is the
> >best way to prepare the brass pieces?  I think a wire brush in a
> >drill press might do the job given enough time, but I am afraid of
> >damaging the brass with deep scratches in teasing off the remains of
> >the nickel, since nickel is so much harder than brass. I also
> >suspect that sand-blasting would erode the brass before it removed
> >the old nickel ... and in any case I haven't got a sand-blasting
> >chamber.  Any ideas?
> >
> >Ken G, 1925 Rover 16/50 (San Francisco)
> >
>
> Ken, in as much as 99% of the quality you get from plating come from
> the prep work (i.e. the polishing) I doubt very much you would
> appreciate the job the home kits do.
>
> As for removing the old plating, a plater uses a reverse bath to
> strip all the old plating away, so it is not really extra work for
> them, but part of the process.
>
> Ass for the assembly, if the parts were plated and then assembled,
> you would have to disassemble to get a decent job. If, on the other
> hand, the brass was assembled and then plated, that's the way to go
> this time.
>
> The best thing you could do is take the frame top a plater and ask
> their expert advice.
>
> Yours
> Vern

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