Barber Chair Restoration - Nickel Re-Plating in Chicago

I cannot explain the process (not familiar with it) but here are some links to a forum and a local shop.

Here is a Chicago firm: http://www.gattoplaters.com/

I found these on Google by searching "Nickel Re-Plating in Chicago", give it a try, there are a few more local shops listed and a large amount of other sites with info that should explain (or provide resources to) the re-plating process.

Based on the pictures you posted, it looks like your going to have a beauty there when your done.

It would be nice if you posted some before/after photos when you complete your project.

Good Luck

Maybe some of these could help: http://www.google.com/search?q=nickel+replating+chicago&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=

You could call a few of these, direct them here to see the pictures, and ask for a quotation with a description of the procedure they would recommend.

Talk to people who restore antique cars. They usually have plating to be done, and cars older than about 1927 would have been nickel. There was an AACA Chapter in the Chicago area when I left there circa 1970.

Also talk to the plater to see what needs to be done. Be sure to ask what you can do yourself to cut the cost and so you can take greater care with the parts--they might polish important features off. I'm guessing that your present plating will have to be removed--but be sure you know your substrate metals! I have heard a story about a steel fire engine pressure chamber with a bronze flange for attaching to the pump--the flange "went away" during the stripping process.

I think the process is to polish the substrate, because every flaw will show thru. Then copper plate followed by the nickel plate. They will have "fun" getting adequate plating in depressions, grooves, penetrations, etc. I think I have heard the term "hard nickel" used for a plate that doesn't tarnish as easily.

Many years ago when I was young we plated chrome this way.

A copper flash was plated first on clean parts, then a nickel plate was added and the parts were buffed and cleaned, and finally chrome was added.

This provided a very bright clear chrome finish.

The most important thing to consider when re-chroming is to get the parts perfectly clean. No rust dirt or pits can be present or the re-chromed finish will look like a cheese grater and the parts will be ruined.

As mentioned earlier people who restore cars will most certainly know where reputable chrome platers are located.

Good Luck

Got a Harley dealer nearby...or, better yet, an independent shop who services Harleys?

As noted previously, the surface prep is everything is this activity. The stripped components need to be painstakingly cleaned and polished before the copper and nickel immersions are done. If it were me, I would have all of the surface prep done by the plater...but I would certainly soeak with them in advance about your concerns / expectations for the surface prep work to be done. Otherwise then might just go directly from stripping to cleaning / plating with no visual inspection / polishing done.

Although there are not as many platers around as there were 30 years ago, there are still companies in the Chicago market who do this type of barrel plating...Let your fingers do the walking...

I've had some some auto related parts rechromed. It is like going on a date: sometimes things work out other times it's a disaster. The auto guy's are the best bet as they do this all the time.

The normal idea is to strip to bare metal, do what ever repairs are needed then copper plate and buff. at this time any imperfections, pits, scratches, etc. are examined and if necessary re copper plate and buff, until the copper is as nice as can be (or as nice as you can afford). The nickle plate is the show stuff and in the early days it was left as nickle, buffed and constantly polished to keep the shine. Today the nickle is "flash chromed" which is what you see on show cars. It is reasonably durable with little polish and rework needed, but is very thin to allow the nickle to show thru and will abrade with foot traffic, gritty abuse, over aggressive polish etc.

Good luck in your project.