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Chrome Plating - Electro Plating - Best Rates for Aussie Arcade Members


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Hi there to all. I'm new to Aussies Arcade as an active member but have been a follower and mad about Pinballs for many years.

 

Looking to give back to the community by offering the highest quality Chrome Plating and Electro Plating services available.

 

Chrome plating is very labor intensive and involves extremely hazardous chemicals. I can assist Aussie Arcade members in achieving the highest quality results available. Restore or improve your machine to pristine. Whether it's Legs, side rails, lockdown bars, hinges or the various shooter guns, etc.

 

I can offer serious savings, provided you understand - I don't rush jobs - Quality takes a certain amount of time - Also, I can offer genuine savings to you by including your needs amongst larger commercial plating runs and jobs.

 

Contact me for details if you are interested.

 

Cheers, Carl.

 

 

884546332_ChromePlating.jpg.cf168abe156d10e992590d5ad9bcd808.jpg

 

 

 

4335fa99ee8afc3d6b37b8bf3309a46a.jpg.6baf6942ccfa57b179d62a5bc68de0a6.jpg

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Hi Carl,

I think there will be a bit of demand for good chrome plating, but you really need to put a price on any item or service for sale in this section.

Can you list a price to plate the items in the pic above, for example:

 

1) Set of 4 legs.

2) Backbox hinges

3) standard lock-down bar

4) Widebody lock-down bar

5) Pair of side rails

 

I don't expect a price for every possible item but we need something more than you have at the moment.

Thanks,

Dave

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looking at those nice flat/no ripple finishes you must have a top polisher/s as that's the tough and dirty part and determines the end result.

 

..........and you do stainless steel also.

 

looking closely at the colour, and it maybe the picture, and please correct me if I'm wrong, and it's not a criticism, just and observation, but they appear to nickel plated.

 

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looking at those nice flat/no ripple finishes you must have a top polisher/s as that's the tough and dirty part and determines the end result.

 

..........and you do stainless steel also.

 

looking closely at the colour, and it maybe the picture, and please correct me if I'm wrong, and it's not a criticism, just and observation, but they appear to nickel plated.

 

Hmmm ... I don't see any colour there.

 

Looks Very nice!!

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Hmmm ... I don't see any colour there.

 

Looks Very nice!!

 

Chrome has a blue colour to it as opposed to the yellow of nickel.

If you get a set of legs chrome plated or anything in fact that has recesses, without an auxiliary anode you will see where the chrome doesn't 'throw'/reach, this is where you will see a contrast of colour.

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Hi Carl,

I think there will be a bit of demand for good chrome plating, but you really need to put a price on any item or service for sale in this section.

Can you list a price to plate the items in the pic above, for example:

 

1) Set of 4 legs.

2) Backbox hinges

3) standard lock-down bar

4) Widebody lock-down bar

5) Pair of side rails

 

I don't expect a price for every possible item but we need something more than you have at the moment.

Thanks,

Dave

 

 

This post is a good illustration as to how people make it impossible for you to take on a 'project' and to be fair to them re pricing and the service they receive.

 

How can anyone expect itemized prices across the board without giving me any information about what I am expected to do for you?

 

Just to be fair - If I was a dentist, how would you expect me to answer this phone call question - "Hi Carl, I have a toothache and I need a filling. How much will you charge me?

 

 

O.k. - I will. "Hi Dave, (Best Case) if your parts are literally pristine and in perfect condition AND you let me help you 'cost wise' re the overall job by doing a combined package deal - I can do the parts to an extremely high standard for $450." (Worst Case) If your parts aren't as described, yes I can work miracles, I will hammer, grind, metal form and polish them, I will scrub off the dirt and glue that the customer couldn't be bothered doing. I will wash them and strip off other residue in chemical baths, I will treat any rust and corrosion. Additionally, I will give them multiple copper plating coats in order to fill all the pits and rust marks. I will duplicate all the prep work polishing the copper coat to perfection. $900."

 

Here are some things you really should expect me to ask you before just throwing a dreamed up figure at you. These are the things I NEED from you Dave.

 

- How big is your order / how many pieces are going to comprise your hypothetical order?

- What material are the individual parts made from and how are they currently finished.

- What condition are all the parts in (individually)

- Have they been plated, painted or powder coated before?

- Have you cleaned "all" the glue, rubber backing, dirt and surface rust off your pieces?

- Is there any surface corrosion on any of the parts? (any whatsoever)

- Are any of the pieces damaged? - I need to know the slightest dents, bending or marks as it will be my job to fix them all, at my expense in terms of labour.

- Who is responsible if the parts are genuinely sub standard and simply can't be resurrected?

- How are the parts getting to me and back to you? Would you like them collected and delivered?

- How soon do you need them? Are you able to work with me and save some money if the job takes a few weeks?

- Yes I can certainly do them and have them done by the end of the week, but I'm bumping an urgent $8000 job plating parts for an industrial microscope. How much were you paying again?

 

I'm not making fun of anyone or being rude.

 

Come to me when you you know exactly what you want - what it is and I'll give you a fair quote and a great result.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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This post is a good illustration as to how people make it impossible for you to take on a 'project' and to be fair to them re pricing and the service they receive.

 

How can anyone expect itemized prices across the board without giving me any information about what I am expected to do for you?

 

Just to be fair - If I was a dentist, how would you expect me to answer this phone call question - "Hi Carl, I have a toothache and I need a filling. How much will you charge me?

 

 

O.k. - I will. "Hi Dave, (Best Case) if your parts are literally pristine and in perfect condition AND you let me help you 'cost wise' re the overall job by doing a combined package deal - I can do the parts to an extremely high standard for $450." (Worst Case) If your parts aren't as described, yes I can work miracles, I will hammer, grind, metal form and polish them, I will scrub off the dirt and glue that the customer couldn't be bothered doing. I will wash them and strip off other residue in chemical baths, I will treat any rust and corrosion. Additionally, I will give them multiple copper plating coats in order to fill all the pits and rust marks. I will duplicate all the prep work polishing the copper coat to perfection. $900."

 

Here are some things you really should expect me to ask you before just throwing a dreamed up figure at you. These are the things I NEED from you Dave.

 

- How big is your order / how many pieces are going to comprise your hypothetical order?

- What material are the individual parts made from and how are they currently finished.

- What condition are all the parts in (individually)

- Have they been plated, painted or powder coated before?

- Have you cleaned "all" the glue, rubber backing, dirt and surface rust off your pieces?

- Is there any surface corrosion on any of the parts? (any whatsoever)

- Are any of the pieces damaged? - I need to know the slightest dents, bending or marks as it will be my job to fix them all, at my expense in terms of labour.

- Who is responsible if the parts are genuinely sub standard and simply can't be resurrected?

- How are the parts getting to me and back to you? Would you like them collected and delivered?

- How soon do you need them? Are you able to work with me and save some money if the job takes a few weeks?

- Yes I can certainly do them and have them done by the end of the week, but I'm bumping an urgent $8000 job plating parts for an industrial microscope. How much were you paying again?

 

I'm not making fun of anyone or being rude.

 

Come to me when you you know exactly what you want - what it is and I'll give you a fair quote and a great result.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dave wasn't trying to be rude, you posted in the For Sale section in which if you had read the rules requires items to be priced. It's one of the few rules on this site we enforce to make transactions easier for all parties, this is the reason I moved your post to the pinball section.

 

At the end of the day no harm done.

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Yeah nope, we must have different eyes. Never seen an obvious blue coloured Natural chromed finish. It has fairly equal reflectance much like polished stainless. I assume you are refering to a technical blue tinge that can't actually be noticed with the naked eye? ... Unlike the yellow of nickel which is comparatively very obvious.

 

I do agree nickel is very yellowish, but to be fair man, those pictures look absolutely nothing like a nickle colour, which would stand out like dogs nads!. I don't get your curious "nickel" question at all, from those pictures that look exactly like perfect bright chrome. Lol

 

Nor do I see it looking in any way like some kind of blue tinted chrome, at all. But of course, cameras distort colours and things, hey.

 

The bumpers on my XA reflect All colurs, Equally, and not discriminating towards blue. Smurfs are treated Equally here!! Lol

 

These pinball parts look just the same as that from where I'm looking ;)

 

It's also prety obvious it is an even coat, which suggests a well prepared bath. You'll tend to get your described poor coverage lazy quality partial chrome coat over the nickel middle layer, as a result of sloppy cheap surface preparation, as well.

 

I must say as far as I'm concerned this Chrome Plating absolutely looks the business!! . Bravo!

 

I have some car parts need doing more than any pinball stuff though right now, really :p

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looking at those nice flat/no ripple finishes you must have a top polisher/s as that's the tough and dirty part and determines the end result.

 

..........and you do stainless steel also.

 

looking closely at the colour, and it maybe the picture, and please correct me if I'm wrong, and it's not a criticism, just and observation, but they appear to nickel plated.

 

 

Hi Rich,

 

I'll take the question as asked.

 

All chrome plated items are in fact nickel plated. Nickel is in fact THE expensive part of the process. Nickel is actually the 'chromy bright silver' colour and finish that the average person erroneously calls "Chrome". Chromic acid is the last plating step in Chrome Plating and is in fact orange in colour. The actual chrome material that it bonds to the nickel plating is in fact effectively transparent - colour wise.

 

I assume you intended to ask - were these parts finished using "electroless nickel plating". That is a different process entirely and no they weren't.

 

Dozens of explanations on the Web. Here's a user friendly one. https://www.pfiinc.com/hard-chrome-plating-vs-electroless-nickel-plating-the-differences-explained/

 

 

Your question was undoubtedly influenced by the fact that the photo was taken under artificial lighting and it is too 'warm' - too much yellow in the LED lighting. Here's a better version.

 

Carl.

 

 

1897608975_ChromePlating2.jpg.ae498e4970d92473353b4cdcf91233f8.jpg

 

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Hi Rich,

 

I'll take the question as asked.

 

All chrome plated items are in fact nickel plated. Nickel is in fact THE expensive part of the process. Nickel is actually the 'chromy bright silver' colour and finish that the average person erroneously calls "Chrome". Chromic acid is the last plating step in Chrome Plating and is in fact orange in colour. The actual chrome material that it bonds to the nickel plating is in fact effectively transparent - colour wise.

 

I assume you intended to ask - were these parts finished using "electroless nickel plating". That is a different process entirely and no they weren't.

 

Dozens of explanations on the Web. Here's a user friendly one. https://www.pfiinc.com/hard-chrome-plating-vs-electroless-nickel-plating-the-differences-explained/

 

 

Your question was undoubtedly influenced by the fact that the photo was taken under artificial lighting and it is too 'warm' - too much yellow in the LED lighting. Here's a better version.

 

Carl.

 

 

[ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"large","data-attachmentid":2187221}[/ATTACH]

 

Well clearly I had it slightly wrong also...

 

Thanks for the clarification there!!

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Carl,

The post above is actually a pretty good start to get people an idea of whether your service is for them or not. Thanks for posting.

I am certain that you are correct that most people have no idea that 90% of your work is preparation before the items even get close to the plating process.

I do not doubt that you get people who expect you to do a perfect job on a rusty old POS for next to nothing.

The old saying applies (for the most part), "You cannot make a silk purse out of a sows ear".

 

I will be interested to see your results in person once someone takes the plunge, they look the goods from the pics.

 

Dave

 

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Yeah nope, we must have different eyes. Never seen an obvious blue coloured Natural chromed finish. It has fairly equal reflectance much like polished stainless. I assume you are refering to a technical blue tinge that can't actually be noticed with the naked eye? ... Unlike the yellow of nickel which is comparatively very obvious.

 

I do agree nickel is very yellowish, but to be fair man, those pictures look absolutely nothing like a nickle colour, which would stand out like dogs nads!. I don't get your curious "nickel" question at all, from those pictures that look exactly like perfect bright chrome. Lol

 

Nor do I see it looking in any way like some kind of blue tinted chrome, at all. But of course, cameras distort colours and things, hey.

 

The bumpers on my XA reflect All colurs, Equally, and not discriminating towards blue. Smurfs are treated Equally here!! Lol

 

These pinball parts look just the same as that from where I'm looking ;)

 

It's also prety obvious it is an even coat, which suggests a well prepared bath. You'll tend to get your described poor coverage lazy quality partial chrome coat over the nickel middle layer, as a result of sloppy cheap surface preparation, as well.

 

I must say as far as I'm concerned this Chrome Plating absolutely looks the business!! . Bravo!

 

I have some car parts need doing more than any pinball stuff though right now, really :p

 

Not turning this into an argument at all, and not intentionally hijacking Carl's thread, just that surface preparation has nothing to do with where the plating will 'throw'.....

what is an even coat due to a well prepared bath? the thickness of the plating has nothing to do with the plating solution.

and I'm not doubting the beautiful finish, I'm talking about contrast between where chrome and nickel meet, where the chrome hasn't thrown.

what caught my eye in the first pic was the ball shooter surround, definitely looked nickel plated to me, until the second post of the parts.

 

It's when posts are put up that have comments in them that can mislead others that prompted this post.

 

an excellent example is when someone gets say a Gottlieb EM pin door chrome plated and you can see the nickel around any holes, where the chrome hasn't thrown.

 

try reading this link https://www.materialstoday.com/metal-finishing/features/the-challenge-of-thickness-variation-in-plating/

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Hi Carl,

 

Just wanted to ask the same question as Peter as it might have been skipped.

 

Is the name also the suburb?

 

As in Donvale, Vic?

 

Thank you in advance Carl,

 

Cheers

 

Hi there,

 

Can't see any relevance in the question. Not intending to be rude, but I'm not inviting you around to sleep with my missus.

 

If you have some enquiry that is relevant to what I posted, I will be glad to address any peripheral issues.

 

Regards, Carl.

 

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Most are nickel Plated as in all the new legs we sell are

 

in the past the expensive part is polishing not the plating, and the more parts you supply the cheaper it is, Brass is cleared to protect from tarnish

 

 

I can't find any fault in a post by a legitimate supplier and a sponsor. I have bought and/or dealt with quite a number of 'new' leg sets in particular from various sources. Across the board, they have all been good quality items, straight and (as you would expect) entirely fit for purpose. Clearly there is absolutely nothing 'wrong' with new OEM legs.

 

My part in the whole equation is that most individuals are well aware of and have seen Pinball Machines with 'custom' Chrome Plated refinishing of various parts. It is largely irrelevant whether the legs that are refinished are new OEM items, or used. I certainly prefer reworking 'new' stock items over used items as there is less expense to the customer in preparation (which is where a lot of it is) and the end results can't help but be the best possible as the items themselves were 'good' to start with.

 

The service I am promoting is a reworking of the item by starting from scratch and replating the item in Chrome Plating. Yes, it is an additional expense, it is a 'luxury' and there is quite a considerable amount of work and material costs involved in the process. The end results are just in a whole new realm of finish. (visually and functionally) The Chrome Plating is also more durable than electroless nickel plating and provided you aren't negligent, the finish is extremely resilient. (Moisture and failure to clean are the enemy of nearly everything we come into contact with.)

 

Cheers all, Carl.

 

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you might want to check that attitude

 

I currently have a bucket of pieces that i would like to get nickel plated

I am in Ballarat, while I am willing to drive to geelong or the western suburbs to get a fair quote and pay a deposit, I am less willing to drive to Frankston

 

 

I don't have any attitude. I'm just a bit 'old school' and would appreciate a slightly more informative question or post than "Location?"

 

Anyhow, moving past that - I don't have a retail presence which is available for general enquiries. I normally collect and deliver consignments (no charge) after discussing the overall job and requirements with an individual. I can generally give you a quite reliable quote (price range), based upon a set of good photos. I always quote a 'range' on the basis, that I have to cover my judgement and your expectations. If the parts are as expected and depicted, I do the job for the lowest end of the quote.

 

I prefer not to deal with small intricate parts such as ball tracks and wire frames, etc. The simple, polite and honest truth is that there is just too much work involved (with those items) producing the results you deserve and I would demand. It is just not cost effective to have such work commissioned. I can do it, but I wouldn't even waste your time talking about the project unless you understand that it will be expensive -

 

Multiple intricate parts = Greatly increased costs due to labour and difficulty to get the desired coverage/result

 

Multiple large parts = Generally increased savings all round, mainly as you only get charged for the 'one' lot of overheads.

 

Plus - I don't do generic Nickel plating for 'appearance' as it will corrode/oxidize and deteriorate in fairly quick fashion. It would be unethical and unprofessional to take your money for a result that ultimately will not give you good service and happiness.

 

Case in point :

 

I chrome plated a set of legs/side rails/lockdown bar/side hinges and handgun shooter for a well known Bayswater retailer recently. (Admittedly his parts were mostly pristine to start with) He was thrilled to pay me $550 for the final result as he had been quoted firstly $1250 by a large electroplater in Moorabbin and finally $1100 after haggling. (that's just rude!)

 

I made net to nothing on that job, but it's all goodwill and Karma.

 

Cheers all, Carl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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