Chrome Plating small brass parts

[up148]

A friend asked me this question and I sure don't know the answer, but does anybody offer chrome plating for small brass details and is it even possible?

[up148]

I got a response from a modeler on the other forum and he suggested these paint pens. When I looked them up they do look pretty remarkable and I'll bet they are used a lot in the model car hobby. Everyone seems to be selling them from Dick Blick to Amazon.

https://www.dickblick.com/products/molo ... r-EALw_wcB

[Jay Criswell]

Butch,

I'll repeat the question here, does you friend want shiny chrome or something that looks like steel?

Jay

[Norton]

Caswell plating has chrome plating kits but does he actually want chrome or just shiny chrome like finish?
Caswell has brush plating kits for most all metals. I have used tin to restore the finish on rods and valve gear on steam engines.

This is tin plating on the top rod. Sheen is dependent on how polished the base metal is.



http://members.localnet.com/~serrinop/2046_2.jpg

Pete

[up148]

Jay, I don't know. I do know it's for parts to go on or coming off of some KEY CB&Q (stainless steel) E-6's he bought at the last Stout Auction. I'll ask what parts he wants to be chromed.

[Norton]

Here is Caswell’s website. They have kits that will give professional results. A friend has taken first place trophies for motorcycles he has restored using their products but may be overkill for train parts.

https://caswellplating.com/?srsltid=Afm ... P7m4WfD6qU

Pete

[bob turner]

I would bet that the CB&Q model originally was bright nickel plated. That kind of nickel plating far better represents stainless than chrome. Nickel is the second step in chrome plating, and ought to be lots easier. And cheaper.

Agree on the Caswell - didn't Eastland have some plating kits as well?

[up148]

I'm amazed at the products that are available........I had no idea they existed......never needed them so never looked.

[Jay Criswell]

Butch,

In this case, what i was going to offer up probably won't help. I was hoping you were looking to plate something small, like a detail part for your FEF project, to make it look like steel.

Just to get it out there, I will take a small part, let's say side or main rods made of brass. I first clean the parts so there's absolutely no dirt, grime, oil, flux, whatever. Next I take an old can, say a coffee can with tin plating on it's interior and I add a mixture of water and a small amount of cream of tartar. Mix it all up, toss your parts into the can and place it on a heat source that allows you to bring it to a boil. As the mixture boils down the plating on the inside of the can will be removed and deposited on your part(s).

I've done this maybe a dozen times and it works pretty well.

What I don't care for on out models are shiny Nickel/chrome parts that are supposed to represent steel. Too damned shiny but for what your friend is doing it's probably closer to accurate than my little trick.

Our resident chemist can probably elaborate on how this all happens.

Jay

[up148]

Wow Jay, that is great information and I've never heard it before. I have needed to brighten or ??? smaller parts that were steel or nickel and your idea sounds like this would be a great idea for these ideas as well as the side rods as you mentioned. I love old school fixes.

I think this might actually work for my buddies requirement as well. Do you have any photos showing the results. You can email them to me and I'll post if you don't want to. I know posting photos here is not nearly as simple as the other forum.

[Jay Criswell]

Hey Butch,

I don't think I have any photos. I'll look around in my Photobucket account and see what I can find.

I believe the last time I did this procedure was back when I was building some Kemtron Moguls and all the rods, cross heads, and cross head guides were cast in yellow brass. What I like is the very thin coating. Much thinner than any paint.

Jay

[bob turner]

Over on OGR a poster has mentioned an eBay deal for bright nickel plating.

Got my attention - we did some plating in a lab, I think in some college classroom. Straightforward, but unimpressive finish. It was copper -

I sort of wanted to plate the ATSF PAs, but the cost was prohibitive, considering what the results might be - casting flaws, solder joints, etc.

But for $40 I can risk it. If you can, post some links to this neat solution with anode for cheap. I was going to spray Molotow, but this might be more fun. I am happy with the Alclad (that might not be correct - the paint, not the aluminum) sides on most, but it is only marginally better than silver rattle can.

[Norton]

Caswell plug and plate kits for nickel or tin are 56 bucks and include a power supply. You only need one kit and can order plating solutions separately for about 25 bucks for nickel or tin. Other metals like gold or silver are of course higher.
I have used molotow chrome to make headlight reflectors and it works great but for brass details, plating would be more durable.

I posted a repair of a 3rd Rail Hudson here. The PSC Baker Valve gear was plated with Caswell tin.

If you only see one photo, hit the “see more” above that photo.

https://www.modeltrainforum.com/threads ... son.62737/

Pete

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Seems to be a fair number of options available; good info.

[bob turner]

Was this the eBay product?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/186690805355?_ ... SN98C3G43T