The process for renovating partially chromed forks

[RobC]

I'm renovating an old Grubb tandem from the 30s. Originally the forks were nickel plated (I think) and then the crown and ends were chromed with the rest enamelled. The chrome is mostly gone and needs to be redone. Not much pitting at all though, and being tandem forks they're blooming hefty.

Which way do I do things? Is it:

a) Get whole fork rechromed, then ask sprayer to mask the crown and ends
b) Get fork partially rechromed on the crown and ends (before or after respray?)
c) Get whole fork resprayed and then chrome the crown and ends.

Thanks!
Rob

[ferrit worrier]

I'm no expert but I'd say B and before respray.

[robgul]

I have no suggestions but would be interested to know how you get with finding a supplier for chrome work and the cost. I have a project ongoing that needs chrome on some components and prices so far are enormous.

Rob

[Brucey]

if the crown and the ends were originally chromed and on show, the whole fork would have been chromed originally, probably up to some point part way up the steerer. The difference between the parts that are on show and the parts that are painted would be (if the platers were informed beforehand) the degree to which the surface was polished before the plating was done. The plated fork is then painted where necessary. You can't really plate painted or part-painted parts.

Ni plate is part of the normal chrome plating process. If the Ni plate is top quality the chrome layer on top (which is very thin) can wear/weather off leaving the Ni plate behind.

If you send the forks for replating they will chemically strip the old plating off entirely, repolish, then replate. The ultimate quality of the new plating will almost certainly be inferior to the old plate, because the process is now different, as it is not permitted to use the same (very toxic) chemicals as were used originally. In addition any tiny blemish in the 'show' areas will cause the platers to go into a frenzy of polishing until there is no blemish. The reason they do this is that the blemishes show up ten times worse once you have plated over them and if there is an unpassivated pit, the new plate won't cover it anyway.

The net result of all this is that any small blemish can cause them to polish the thickness down to something that isn't really thick enough any more and the new plate is not likely to be that much good anyway. In addition there is a known risk of hydrogen cracking. It also costs a small fortune to have done.

Thus overall, if it were my bike I'd be inclined to leave the Ni plate on there, and paint over it.

cheers

[RobC]

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll take a closer look at the forks and consider my options!

[1942alexander]

Hi,
I recently had an old 531 frame rechromed before I painted it but although it is a 1952/3 frame it is the best one I've ever seen. Hardly a spot of rust anywhere and rustproofed from new by Holdsworth. It cost £270 at Ellis Briggs but about £30 was for other work on it. It's not going to be used on a daily basis but taken out only on sunny days. I sent the frame to them in its' original condition and they stripped and polished it before plating. It was plated far enough up the fork to give me the option of painting the lamp boss or leaving it chrome. It is an expensive process but I think the end result is worth it.

[Si]

Looks lovely! Ive a fred williams that needs a similar rechroming but I'm finding the thought of the cost daunting. May have to just get it stripped and powder coated

[Brucey]

that does look nice; no good as a winter bike or anything but that isn't the point of bikes like that.

BTW there is another trick that the platers sometimes use; the first plated layer is always copper, without which the Nickel won't stick. Some platers will - as well as polishing the wotsits out of the steel before any plating is done- put on an extra thick layer of copper, which is then polished to a mirror finish before the Nickel and the Chrome layers are added. This can help to mask imperfections in the steel, if the copper is thick enough.

cheers

[Gattonero]

I'm renovating an old Grubb tandem from the 30s. Originally the forks were nickel plated (I think) and then the crown and ends were chromed with the rest enamelled. The chrome is mostly gone and needs to be redone. Not much pitting at all though, and being tandem forks they're blooming hefty.

Which way do I do things? Is it:

a) Get whole fork rechromed, then ask sprayer to mask the crown and ends
b) Get fork partially rechromed on the crown and ends (before or after respray?)
c) Get whole fork resprayed and then chrome the crown and ends.

Thanks!
Rob

Before proceeding is best to check the conditions of the forks, both cosmetic and structural.
As said above, re-chroming is expensive and is not as good as could be done BITD, still you can get a decent work done (at cost) depending on your needs.
Bear in mind that painting over chrome makes the enamel to chip easy, it is also expensive depending on how many panels/ends you have to do: usually the panels or paint ends are masked, then trimmed with a knife. Needless to say, to do such job on a good level requires time and experience, which translates in higher cost.

If the forks are still good, try to buff the original finish, otherwise go for a restoration. I like chrome frame details when are well done