Decent plater in Minneapolis area?

[jps]

I am looking for a decent plater in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area that someone else has used and recommends.  I don't need a top-notch job done - my car is a driver and it is gar from perfect - but I bought a rear-seat footrest that should be re-plated to look better.  This will probably need to be done in chrome, but in the future I might want to do some nickel plating on other parts, so I am looking for a plater that can do both and doesn't mind taking small jobs.

 

Any recommendations?

 

Thanks.

 

John

[KongaMan]

Can't answer your specific question, but I can make some general comments about plating.

 

First, anyone who does chrome also does nickel.

 

Second, do you want a part to be just plated, or does it require some restoration work first?  If you need pits filled, etc. that's a different proposition than a simple strip and plate.  A lot of places will strip a part for free (or next to nothing) if you want to do the prep work yourself.  If you opt to go that route, remember that plating does not fill scratches or pits.  You will get back what you give them, only shinier.

 

Third, the best thing to do is visit local shops and ask to see some samples of their work.  They should have some finished pieces to show you.  If they don't, you might wonder why they don't seem to be busy.

 

Your point about small jobs is well taken.  Some jobs charge by the piece; some charge by the job (or have a job minimum).  Generally speaking, you're much better off to take several parts at once than to run through them one at a time.

[Thriller]

Gopher State Chapter - http://gopherstatebuick.org/club/ - of the BCA meets Tuesday evening. Local Buick folk on the ground would be able to provide recommendations. If you go, tell them I sent you. If you can't make it, there's contact info to get in touch with locals who may have experience with local shops.