[sldan]

I will soon be nickle plating some items on my 1925 Stutz 693 and would appreciate comments on nickle platers.

Thanks,

Dan

[Restorer32]

Any good chrome plater would by definition also be a good nickle plater.

[Mike Cullen]

There are only 3 major concerns with platers: metal prep, metal preparation, and preparation of the metal! The process involves cleaning, etching, filing if necessary to remove any corrosion, then copper plate, polishing and repeating the copper plating until all pits and marks are smooth, highly polish, then nickel plate and polish some more. Chrome plating just adds a layer of chromium on top of the nickel for a more durable finish. Good plating work is labor intensive and hence, expensive.
Industrial grade plating is cheap, but it doesn't belong on a car's brightwork. Industrial (bulk) plating with cadmium, copper (or whatever may be correct for your application) for fasteners, hidden parts, suspension parts, etc. is usually fine. (that's how small parts were originally done, in bulk.) Don't try to get away with "good enough" when having decorative type parts plated. It's amazing how small imperfections jump out at you from under the finish on newly plated parts.
Take photos of all your parts before you send them off, send copies with the parts with notes for any special requirements or concerns.
If you want a specific recommendation: Paul's (near Philadelphia) is one of the best. I used to send bike parts to Brown's (in Nashville if I remember correctly) they were also very good, but had a longer lead time than most.

I have a lot of small interior and dash parts to have plated for my Lincoln, I'm going to try a new local shop that just changed hands and needs to get some of it's work out in view of the car nuts. I suspect that the first few jobs that the new owner puts out will be perfect and priced on the low side to get the word of mouth advertising going. I think that taking the parts in personally and reviewing exactly what needs to be done up front will eliminate some of the problems that you hear about with chrome shops.

Good Luck with it and let us know how it works out.

[AmerMidChrome]

Please visit our website...we discribe the process. We have done car work for years...the secret is in the experience of the plater or polisher. We have experienced platers and polishers at our shop...we are located in Chicago...I am certain you will not be disappointed. Thanks
www.americanmidwestchrome.com
773-918-1606
chrome2300@sbcglobal.net

[sldan]

Thanks for the great reply.

There is not much bright work on this roadster but you are correct in your comment that it must the best it can be. I am told that 1924/1925 auto's had nickle plating rather than chrome.

I can see that plating is the same as painting when it come to preparation.

I find myself being concerned about the issue of having a plater loosing or damaging a part!!

Dan

[Mike Cullen]

The process is the same, for nickel you dust don't put the last layer of chromium over the nickel. The link to the plater's website describes the processes very well. in re: losing parts, photos and inventory will reduce it, but sometimes chit happens, especially with small parts photos and inventory will help the plater be sure that one of your impossible to find parts isn't laying in the bottom of one of his chemical tanks. Also do as much disassembly as you can, especially for parts that move. That way when they are finished you can fit and re-assemble them, even the best plating shops can't be expected to recognize the thousands of different parts, and then be able to fit them to function properly. Whatever you do, don't just ship your parts off and say "plate these" call the shop before you ship, and when the parts arrive to go over each part as they unpack and label them. It's not being a pest they want to do the best possible job for you and any assistance you can provide enables them to do better work.

[AmerMidChrome]

We have chromed parts from some very elite autos. What we find makes our customer happy is taking photos of the parts when the parts arrive. We then make certain our plater has the picture for the job so that we can ensure you have all the parts returned to you. It is an extra step, but we do know how important originality is.

[odyssey]

One of the most important things that people miss when nickel plating on a car of this vintage is the fact that today's nickels have far more brighteners in them than were used originally. Brighteners do two things - they make it come out of the plating tanks nice and shiny, and they change the color to a bit more yellow, while adding brittlness. The brittle aspect is o.k. for most folks, but comes into play when plating trim that needs to flex for some reason, like an instrument bezel with a crimped lip, or an engine line that needs to be shaped a bit.

Original nickel finishes were, what we today call, Sulfamate or Watts nickel. They are softer, a bit less yellow and come out of the tanks dull and gray, They require polising after plating, which gives them a rich, yet slightly softer appearance over teh harsh modern bright nickel. They also tend to hold up better, are easier to polish after tarnishing and look far more authentic.

I greatly prefer the beautiful soft, elegant look of original nickel and also the ease of upkeep. There are few platers that use it. I use Frankford Plating in Philadelphia. I am currently also restoring a Stutz and will use sulfamate nickel on all parts originally nickeled. It really looks great and is worth the effort to find on a great car like your Stutz.

Tom Rasmussen

[AmerMidChrome]

www.americanmidwestchrome.com
773-918-1606
chrome2300@sbcglobal.net

[sldan]

Tim,

Thank you for the information on Nickle Plating. Do you have a contact name and number for Franklin Plating?

What model Stutz are you restoring and how far along are you.

This is my first pre war car project and I have a steep learning curve to get over.

Dan