Anyone had plating done?

[Nova_Tek]

In the process of getting a few bits plated like - nuts/bolts/washers, jubilee clips, battery terminals, oil cap & general small detailing bits in 24k gold.

There are approx. 120 pieces that will be plated. I've managed to get a quote from a place near me for £70 all in and a turn around of 3 - 5 working days with a years guarantee against flake and fade.

I've contacted a couple other places that have said turn around of 3 weeks but no quote in price just yet and the other place has said nothing (dunno how they run their business).

I've never got stuff plated, but can we say that the first quote is a very reasonable price?

Anyone able to state what they got plated and how much just as a comparison? I don't wanna wait until the other lot get back to me as reasonable time has passed and no response sent. I don't wanna have to travel further out to get stuff done when these are all local.

:thumb:

[Novasport]

Doesn't sound like too bad a price TBH.

[Nova_Tek]

I was thinking the same, just wanted a comparison of some sort.

[Benn]

I'd say bloody good. My chromer did my shafts for £30... But it's normally £30 a lot, so as much as i can put together for 30, unless its bigger bits.

Do it at that price, guarantee not to flake is bollocks tho. Do a nut up to tight and it will crack.

[Nova_Tek]

Meh... if he's given a guarantee then that's up to him. It's mainly metal bits that will be on a black backing, i.e jubilee clips on hoses, spark plug cover/rocker bolts/oil cap on the black rocker cover, sump bolts etc so all small details. Should look sweet in the bay.

Gonna go see him face to face to discuss things in detail.

[Old man Jimbo]

£70 pretty good price TBH my local plating place wanted £70 to do a plug cover in gold and that was stripped polished and ultrasonically cleaned by myself so all he had to do was dip it. Then again he wanted £120 to do fully prepped cam covers that I could buy ready done for £90 online! lol

Told him to jog on! For 120 bits at £70 that's a little over 50p each! Almost free IMHO.

[Nova_Tek]

Maths always works lol That is an over email quote against my descriptions. I should be visiting to see and discuss things properly tomorrow. Apparently he's done gold plating on iPhones/iPads etc too. He'll probably want me to get the plug cover stripped before he does anything but I've cleaned up to the best of my ability all the bits that need plating.

[Benn]

Alot of places want stuff stripped first, as that's a very dirty job.

[Nova_Tek]

understandably too... if it needs strippin' there's a place just down the road that'll do it (where I got the cam cover powder coated).

[Benn]

Do it your self with a wire brush end on a drill/grinder..

[Nova_Tek]

If the finish is as tough as that on a cam cover then it'll take ages. Is it powder coating or just paint on the metal plug covers?

[L14MNP]

I will be getting some stuff done myself fairly soon. Just black for me though. Was it Dec who had a load of brackets, backing plates, fasteners etc fone for something mad like £40? The company in question are mentioned in his Sport WIP, if it's still about?

As for the £70 quote, do it Tek! Bargain! Even Brian O'Connor had his floorpan fasteners done. lol

[Old man Jimbo]

If the finish is as tough as that on a cam cover then it'll take ages. Is it powder coating or just paint on the metal plug covers?

It's some kind of powder coat on the plug covers. When I used to do the metal polishing I used to send them off to be dipped and even the bloke who did it used to complain about the plug covers lol he said they where a nightmare to strip!

[Southie]

Does sound cheap Tek, has he sent you pictures of his work?

[Nova_Tek]

Sent me a few pictures - he has a couple workshops where he does his work. Spoke to him today & he sounds like a decent guy and had a fair bit of knowledge too. He asked me what type of metal the spark plug cover is made of as that would alter the price slightly. If it's alloy then it needs dipping in various metals before gold will plate correctly. If it's steel then it'll be a straight dip hence cost a tad less to do.

Will have a bash at stripping the paint on the plug cover but if it's a pain then may take it to get blasted.

If he's giving a guarantee on finish then if it looks sh*t he'll have to do it again.

[brainsnova]

My cav plug cover was steel as I used a wire wheel to strip it and it never marked it.

[Nova_Tek]

I'd assume they'd all be the same.

[Mike]

Sounds too cheap IMO.

[Nova_Tek]

It's not the final price, depending on the spark plug cover and an extra few bits going in it'll no doubt go up a bit.

[Old man Jimbo]

My cav plug cover was steel as I used a wire wheel to strip it and it never marked it.

Must of been after market one?


I'd assume they'd all be the same.

The Vauxhall/Opel ones are made from alloy so please FFS don't attack it with a wire wheel lol and sand blasting make a terrible mess of the metal with pitting.

Try some of this http://www.frost.co.uk/automotive-cleaning-tools/eastwood-powder-coat-paint-dissolver-946ml.html


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATOvHYArAS4

[Benn]

Sorry i didn't think about bits being Alloy. And sand blasting is normally ok as its small, dont get anything bead blasted!

[Nova_Tek]

Must of been after market one?



The Vauxhall/Opel ones are made from alloy so please FFS don't attack it with a wire wheel lol and sand blasting make a terrible mess of the metal with pitting.

Try some of this http://www.frost.co.uk/automotive-cleaning-tools/eastwood-powder-coat-paint-dissolver-946ml.html


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATOvHYArAS4

That's pretty awesome stuff ^ If I can get a smaller bottle than I'll buy it as it's probably the same cost to get it blasted and to buy that. Thanks for the recommendation :thumb:

[Nova_Tek]

Sorry i didn't think about bits being Alloy. And sand blasting is normally ok as its small, dont get anything bead blasted!

I've had alloy blated before, ha s avery fine texture to it but nothing serious. This though I want to be as smooth as poss so the plating looks good.

[Benn]

Yes you will, a finish that is good enough to polish is what you need.