Metal plating.
 

A while ago I saw an episode of American Hotrod (or the bike one,
can't remember which) where one guy suggested instead of plating the
trim in chrome, they should try another metal which has a shiny black
finish. I can't remember what the metal he suggested was, does anyone
here have any idea?

Thanks in advance,

David Paste.

Metal plating.
 

"David Paste" wrote in message
...
A while ago I saw an episode of American Hotrod (or the bike one,
can't remember which) where one guy suggested instead of plating the
trim in chrome, they should try another metal which has a shiny black
finish. I can't remember what the metal he suggested was, does anyone
here have any idea?

Thanks in advance,

David Paste.

I would imagine they were talking about 'black chrome':
http://www.finishing.com/118/10.shtml

Plenty more hits on google.
Actually from my own schoolboy efforts at plating, the real art was in
making any process *not* come out powdery black!

I did manage to make - by pot luck I have to say - a nice dark green marbled
finish on some small pieces of aluminium alloy that I experimentally
anodised, though. (The home user being severely limited by the amps per sq
metre required, and, of course, the chemicals: many very nasty.). You could
get a black anodised aluminium trim, commercially I would expect. Other
metals such as niobium can also be anodised black (but generally in
jewellery: not cars!)

S

S

Metal plating.
 

"David Paste" wrote in message
...
A while ago I saw an episode of American Hotrod (or the bike one,
can't remember which) where one guy suggested instead of plating the
trim in chrome, they should try another metal which has a shiny black
finish. I can't remember what the metal he suggested was, does anyone
here have any idea?

Thanks in advance,

David Paste.

I think this is 'black chrome', but AIUI, not an easy process. My neighbour
owns a metal plating works, and I remember him telling me about the black
chroming that they used to do on the wheel nuts for a major UK car
manufacturer. I seem to recall him saying that it was a very tricky process
to get right, involving some very nasty chemicals like arsenic, and that his
company was one of only a couple or three in the country, with the necessary
equipment and expertise to carry out the process.

Arfa