strip chrome down to nickel?

[blueshadow]

Seems I remember someone saying chrome hoops can be stripped leaving nickel underneath? Diy?

 

[Pounder]

No, chrome plating typically has no nickel plating underneath it. Nickel used to be a common plating metal material, but it would either be nickel-plated or chrome-plated, with the other not underneath.

 

[Hop]

Chroming will have succesive layers of

• copper (Parts are copper plated and then buffed to a brilliant shine. Copper offers an added layer of corrosion protection and helps to fill-in polishing lines and pits).
• nickel (the nickel which provides the deep luster of a chromed part)
• chrome (is actually a protective coating over the shiny nickel which prevents the nickel from tarnishing)

As the layers are really thin I'm not sure how you could remove just the chrome plate layer. The re-chroming requires stripping, polishing, cleaning steps prior to the plating process.

Don't see why you couldn't take your item to a plater and just have them stop at the Ni step.

 

[blueshadow]

Cool will just keep my eye out for some nob triple flanges. I have a snare with old singles

 

[K.O.]

I saw this set at NAMM in the Truth booth. The hardware all looked like it had been de-chromed back to nickel. All the hardware (including the RIMS style mount) had kind of a tarnished or etched look to it. As far as I know these parts are not available in nickel...and if they were they'd look like new nickel not like this. I didn't ask how it was done though. It was a neat effect however they did it.

 

[mlayton]

mike curotto has mentioned several times that many of the vintage chrome items can be dipped and have the chrome removed down to the nickel. ive never had to done. just read about it.

on a recent project, I did sand down some lugs past the chrome to get to the nickel. worked like a charm.

nob triple flange hoops come up from time to time..sometimes cheap and sometimes not..

mike

 

[Pounder]

Oooh I stand corrected. I knew there was a copper layer but didn't know a nickel layer as well... Here's a link to a discussion on the Les Paul forums about it that explains more, (confuses me more, possibly tho)

http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/luthiers-corner/172566-remove-chrome-leave-nickel.html

 

[mlayton]

john-maybe not all are tripled plated like that. I know ive run across some things that weren't on Harley parts...

mike

 

[Bunnyman]

I used to expose an LP tail piece to Muriatic acid to quickly reveal the nickel. ymmv

 

[K.O.]

I used to expose an LP tail piece to Muriatic acid to quickly reveal the nickel. ymmv

That might be what Trick did since the parts look etched to a degree, also if you look close you can see exposed brass along one of the hoop flanges.

 

[blueshadow]

There's also Satin Chrome hardware available. Only 8 lugger hoops I found though were from Ego and $75 a pair, could probably get some vintage NOB for that. Going to rock out the single flange for now.... did some horse trading with Ludwigfire and have a 1937 Luddy single ply snare I'm finishing up.