The Steel Guitar Forum

Posted: **21 May 2005 4:12 pm**

I know Rick Aiello can re-nickel plate, but I was wondering if there's a layman's way of re-plating my plates, they're pretty worn and scratched. I figure metal spray painting them will just wear off . . . Or maybe I should just take 'em to an auto body repair shop? Would chrome-ing them be too jarring to the eye? Any thoughts or help is much appreciated, Tanx!

Posted: **21 May 2005 4:40 pm**

I would go with the nickle. Nickle has a softer look than chrome. To my eye it has a more lush and rich look compared to chrome's harsh bright look.

Posted: **23 May 2005 2:28 pm**

As a car guy, I can say that auto shops don't do plating, they send it too specialized companies that only do plating. "Chrome" plating, if done right, is actually done in three layers, copper, nickel, and chrome. Chrome is glossy and transparent, very thin and hard, and functions like the clear coat on new car paint, tough, wear resistant, and shiny, but the silver color is actually the nickel underneath.

Quality instruments are usually nickel plated rather than chrome. It has a softer look and the hard, shiny chrome isn't usually needed to protect the nickel from rain, salt, rock chips, etc.

Look under "plating" or "industrial plating" in the yellow pages (My local plating shop does everything BUT chrome because they don't have the proper environmental controls for chrome). The biggest cost is in preparing the metal, the plating is very thin and hides nothing so the metal must be shiny and scratch free before plating. Plating shops prep the metal, but anything you can do will help, like, say, wash the pieces thoroughly and strip paint, gunk, etc. I let them do sanding and polishing, however, as they are better at it than I am. I don't want to pay them to remove a deep scratch that I put in it!

Howie[This message was edited by Howard Clark on 23 May 2005 at 03:43 PM.]

Posted: **23 May 2005 2:57 pm**

Here's a MRI I just finished for a forum member ... it's nickel.

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Aiello's House of Gauss


My wife and I don't think alike. She donates money to the homeless and I donate money to the topless! ... R. Dangerfield

Posted: **23 May 2005 3:44 pm**

I don't know how thick those metal panels are but you'll want to bear some things in mind. If it's just a matter of de-chroming, and the underlying nickel is in good shape that's not a problem, but removing nickel down to bare metal (which would need to be done if they are rusted etc) can be pretty harsh. The metal will need to be repolished afterward and that can remove a lot of material.

I always like to add (even though I'll probably get flamed again for it

) that re-finishing can severly harm the value of a vintage instrument. I know that some people don't see ratty old guitars in the same light as I do, I guess I have 'mojo-colored' glasses when it comes to vintage guitars.

Good luck.

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Half-assed bottleneck and lap slide player. Full-assed Builder of resonator instruments.

Posted: **23 May 2005 4:37 pm**

The B6 plates I've done for folks were thick enough to remove all the existing plating ... with plenty left over to refinish and plate 'em.

I've done several sets ... they are much easier to do than rusted horseshoe magnets.

Man ... now thats a job ...

The pitting from the rust ... combined with the incredible "hardness" of that old cobalt steel ... made these jobs real tough ...

I had to "loop off" a lot of steel to get everything uniform and level.

As far as "vintage" stuff looking "vintage" ...

I usually recommend a good cleaning and polishing ... and not do anything that isn't really needed for "apperance sake" ...

But in the case of some of these magnets ... it is truly a "preservation" thing ...

That oxidation ... left unchecked ... will ultimately ruin them.

Heres a complete "redo" I did for a forum member ... all 5 plates ... and a pretty bad set of rusted horseshoes ...

I'm not "spammin' here" ... I really don't like messin' with this too much ... especially the magnets ...

But I hate to see these beauties degrade ...

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Aiello's House of Gauss


My wife and I don't think alike. She donates money to the homeless and I donate money to the topless! ... R. Dangerfield

[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 23 May 2005 at 05:39 PM.]

Posted: **23 May 2005 6:12 pm**

Hey Rick,
That New MRI and the Rick pickup plating jobs sure do look nice and shiney.

Posted: **23 May 2005 6:25 pm**

Does Eastwood Automotive (or someone else) have a home-shop replating set-up that will work for small parts like B6 plates ...and what would be involved with the prep? Can the prep be done with acid & wax-masking bare metal spots?

Thank You,
Aloha,
DT~

Posted: **23 May 2005 7:23 pm**

Caswell

The electroless nickel is cool and easy.

I'm thinkin' about gettin' it ... cause platin' "live" magnets with nickel ...

Well, lets just say the nickel electrodes have a mind of their own

Their wand kits are cool too ... but only for little stuff.

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Aiello's House of Gauss


My wife and I don't think alike. She donates money to the homeless and I donate money to the topless! ... R. Dangerfield

Posted: **24 May 2005 6:04 am**

and what would be involved with the prep?

Sorry, ...

The removal of the existing plating is a problem.

The chrome layer can be chemically stripped pretty easily ... but the underlying nickel is a different story.

It can be done with abrasives or by "reverse plating".

Both are "health hazards" ...

I wear a respirator and use abrasives ... outside.

Reverse plating is easier ... but it produces a waste solution that is a major environmental/health hazard.

Big fines are levied for improper disposal ...

Once the original plating is gone ... the rust must be removed ... then sanded, polished and buffed to a mirror shine.

Then it gets re-plated.

I've tried to "spot plate" ... just work on the rusted areas ... but it never worked out well ... for me anyway.

The continuity wasn't there ... didn't look good ... just a waste of time.

Using Caswell stuff to plate bare metal ... is easy and fun (I'm easily amused) ...

But re-doing stuff thats already chromed ... no fun there ... best left to "Pro Shops" .

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Aiello's House of Gauss


My wife and I don't think alike. She donates money to the homeless and I donate money to the topless! ... R. Dangerfield

Posted: **24 May 2005 7:07 am**

Ha! Thanks gents . . .and thanks Rick for that link, it's proly out of my league, to do it myself that is, but it's nice to know it's out there for the do it yourself-er . . . But when you say 'abrasives' to clean off the existing plate and gunk etc. do you mean like 'mex' or 'comet' sumthin' like that?

Posted: **24 May 2005 7:48 am**

Nope ... I mean sand blasting or sanding.

For the B6 plates I have done ... I used 220 grit belts on my belt sander .. with very little pressure ... as to not eat into the piece.

Then with an orbital sander ... 220, 320, 400, 600 grits ...

Then to the wheel ... sisal/emery up to canton/jewelers ...

Copper plate ... then Nickel Plate ...

Then canton/jewelers again to bring out the nickel.

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Aiello's House of Gauss


My wife and I don't think alike. She donates money to the homeless and I donate money to the topless! ... R. Dangerfield
[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 24 May 2005 at 08:57 AM.]

Posted: **24 May 2005 8:56 am**

hmmmmmmmm, I was afraid of that . . . sheesh these plates ain't looking too bad, ruk-ruk-ruk!. . . (doh! but in truth they are)

Posted: **24 May 2005 1:42 pm**

Joel , just look in your yellow pages for a plating shop. They will abrasively buff off the old plating and rechrome them for you. When I was in Hawaii a few weeks ago, we removed the plates from Derrick Mau's old bakelite and had them chromed and put them back on...end of story, no big deal. His were not all that bad, but he wanted them like new. He also had the plates chromed from his late bakelite, which were originally painted white.
BILL

Posted: **25 May 2005 1:38 pm**

Tanx Bill,
When I get the scratch I'll probably do just what you say . . though Rick's mini chemical kit idea is intriguing and tempting, I think I'll let the pro's handle this.

The Steel Guitar Forum

Ric B6 plate re-plating . . .

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