Hi folks

I have a cupid statue that my parents owned for many years. It looks a
lot like this: http://www.italartworld.com/Cupid%201.jpg , but without
the large base at the bottom. It's hollow, but probably weighs 150 to
200 pounds. I've always believed that it's bronze, but I guess it
could be iron instead. It's been outside for the last 50 years. It's
painted with a brownish paint.

I'd like to have this statue stripped and chrome plated, to give it "a
new lease on life", and use it in a modern interior. I took it to a
well regarded local chrome plater, but he says that it is difficult to
chrome plate an object with lots of "nooks and crannies" like my
statue. He really doesn't want to do it, even though his business does
lots of restoration items, and price is not an issue for me.

So, I'd like some independent input from this group. Taking the item
referenced above as an example: could that item be chrome plated? If
so, why would a well-regarded chrome plating business, not want to
take it on, for the right price?

Thanks in anticipation,
TC

On Sat, 20 Jun 2009 04:56:16 -0700 (PDT), TC
wrote:

Hi folks

I have a cupid statue that my parents owned for many years. It looks a
lot like this: http://www.italartworld.com/Cupid%201.jpg , but without
the large base at the bottom. It's hollow, but probably weighs 150 to
200 pounds. I've always believed that it's bronze, but I guess it
could be iron instead. It's been outside for the last 50 years. It's
painted with a brownish paint.

I'd like to have this statue stripped and chrome plated, to give it "a
new lease on life", and use it in a modern interior. I took it to a
well regarded local chrome plater, but he says that it is difficult to
chrome plate an object with lots of "nooks and crannies" like my
statue. He really doesn't want to do it, even though his business does
lots of restoration items, and price is not an issue for me.

So, I'd like some independent input from this group. Taking the item
referenced above as an example: could that item be chrome plated? If
so, why would a well-regarded chrome plating business, not want to
take it on, for the right price?

Thanks in anticipation,
TC


I suspect that the reason that the shop doesn't want to fool with
plating your statue is because unless the entire statue, including all
nooks and crannies are polished it won't look right.
The chrome simply coats the underlying material it doesn't make it
polished and shiny. If the base material isn't polished the chrome
won't be shiny.

You can try going back and explaining that the statue is something
that had belonged to your parents and cost is no objection - however
it is quite possible that the shop would have to purchase special
tooling to do this one off, which might be surprisingly expensive.

You may be talking about an acid dip to remove any old coating,
de-rusting, etc., purchase of, one or two hand buffing motors, a box
of various size buffing wheels and maybe a week's work.

Cheers,

Bruce
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)

TC wrote:
Hi folks

I have a cupid statue that my parents owned for many years. It looks a
lot like this: http://www.italartworld.com/Cupid%201.jpg , but without
the large base at the bottom. It's hollow, but probably weighs 150 to
200 pounds. I've always believed that it's bronze, but I guess it
could be iron instead. It's been outside for the last 50 years. It's
painted with a brownish paint.

I'd like to have this statue stripped and chrome plated, to give it "a
new lease on life", and use it in a modern interior. I took it to a
well regarded local chrome plater, but he says that it is difficult to
chrome plate an object with lots of "nooks and crannies" like my
statue. He really doesn't want to do it, even though his business does
lots of restoration items, and price is not an issue for me.

So, I'd like some independent input from this group. Taking the item
referenced above as an example: could that item be chrome plated? If
so, why would a well-regarded chrome plating business, not want to
take it on, for the right price?

Thanks in anticipation,
TC

You might want to have the statue appraised first to find out its value
before doing something potentially destructive like chrome plating it.
Some years back near me a garden statue was spotted as unusual and on
further investigation it turned out to be a rare marble original of
considerable value that someone painted and placed in their garden.

On Jun 20, 8:45*am, David Billington
wrote:
TC wrote:
Hi folks

I have a cupid statue that my parents owned for many years. It looks a
lot like this:http://www.italartworld.com/Cupid%201.jpg, but without
the large base at the bottom. It's hollow, but probably weighs 150 to
200 pounds. I've always believed that it's bronze, but I guess it
could be iron instead. It's been outside for the last 50 years. It's
painted with a brownish paint.

I'd like to have this statue stripped and chrome plated, to give it "a
new lease on life", and use it in a modern interior. I took it to a
well regarded local chrome plater, but he says that it is difficult to
chrome plate an object with lots of "nooks and crannies" like my
statue. He really doesn't want to do it, even though his business does
lots of restoration items, and price is not an issue for me.

So, I'd like some independent input from this group. Taking the item
referenced above as an example: could that item be chrome plated? If
so, why would a well-regarded chrome plating business, not want to
take it on, for the right price?

Thanks in anticipation,
TC

You might want to have the statue appraised first to find out its value
before doing something potentially destructive like chrome plating it. *
Some years back near me a garden statue was spotted as unusual and on
further investigation it turned out to be a rare marble original of
considerable value that someone painted and placed in their garden.

Check it with a magnet... If it sticks it's cast iron; if not it may
be bronze. Some bronzed were finished with a brownish looking colour.

But get it appraised first... this is excellent advise.

Wolfgang

On Sat, 20 Jun 2009 04:56:16 -0700 (PDT), TC
wrote:

Hi folks

I have a cupid statue that my parents owned for many years. It looks a
lot like this: http://www.italartworld.com/Cupid%201.jpg , but without
the large base at the bottom. It's hollow, but probably weighs 150 to
200 pounds. I've always believed that it's bronze, but I guess it
could be iron instead. It's been outside for the last 50 years. It's
painted with a brownish paint.

I'd like to have this statue stripped and chrome plated, to give it "a
new lease on life", and use it in a modern interior. I took it to a
well regarded local chrome plater, but he says that it is difficult to
chrome plate an object with lots of "nooks and crannies" like my
statue. He really doesn't want to do it, even though his business does
lots of restoration items, and price is not an issue for me.

So, I'd like some independent input from this group. Taking the item
referenced above as an example: could that item be chrome plated? If
so, why would a well-regarded chrome plating business, not want to
take it on, for the right price?

Thanks in anticipation,
TC

One issue might be that chrome doesn't "throw" well, which may be the
source of the plater's comment about nooks and crannies. An
alternative to chrome, which may actually have a more pleasing
appearance, might be electroless nickel. Nickle is a bit warmer in
color than chrome, looks more like "quality" than like "Wal-Mart".
Electroless nickel "throws" even to the roots of inside threads and
the bottoms of deep holes; noooks and crannies would not be an issue
provided that they can be gotten chemically clean prior to plating.

On Sat, 20 Jun 2009 04:56:16 -0700, TC wrote:

Hi folks

I have a cupid statue that my parents owned for many years. It looks a
lot like this: http://www.italartworld.com/Cupid%201.jpg , but without
the large base at the bottom. It's hollow, but probably weighs 150 to
200 pounds. I've always believed that it's bronze, but I guess it could
be iron instead. It's been outside for the last 50 years. It's painted
with a brownish paint.

I'd like to have this statue stripped and chrome plated, to give it "a
new lease on life", and use it in a modern interior. I took it to a well
regarded local chrome plater, but he says that it is difficult to chrome
plate an object with lots of "nooks and crannies" like my statue. He
really doesn't want to do it, even though his business does lots of
restoration items, and price is not an issue for me.

So, I'd like some independent input from this group. Taking the item
referenced above as an example: could that item be chrome plated? If so,
why would a well-regarded chrome plating business, not want to take it
on, for the right price?

Thanks in anticipation,
TC

All of what everyone else said, plus consider that cast material can be a
bitch and a half to plate. Any porosity in the surface will show up as
pinholes in the plating job; if you don't want them to look like a
nightmare you have to braze them up, finish them out, and re-plate.
Granted, this can be done at the copper-plate stage, but it's still a
bitch and a half.

If you can find a fine arts plating house they may be more prepared to do
the work.

--
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Thank you all for good advice. I will take it all on board.

TC