Chrome repair....

[andym]

I'll post pictures later.... but is there a way to repair chrome plated plastic without getting the whole thing rechromed?

[stirlinggaz]

isnt "chrome plated plastic" actually just plastic covered with a shiney film, making it look like chrome?
some of the stuff i've seen are covered with , what looks like a type of tin foil,lol & its been cheaper & easier to just replace said item.
if it was just light scratches, "chrome''' paint? (ie. touch it up with a small brush? or mask off the good bit & respray the scratched bit?)
i bought an aerosol of chrome type paint from b&q (iirc) & i was actually quite impressed with it, although nowhere near as good as actual plating......
cheers,
GAZ
ps : what is the bit thats damaged/needed re-chromed?

[Dazbo666]

The Plastikote chrome paint produces quite a good finish if that's what you're after.
I've used "Brilliant Metallic" on plastic (and metal) surfaces in the past with some good results
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[ZRX61]

[Nexus Icon]

You can electroplate plastic, no problem, so some chromed plastics will actually be chrome. It appears to be a film because it's probably less than 0.1mm thick at it's thickest anyway.

Obviously the best result would be achieved by removing the old chrome and replating but that's not easy. The cheapest way to renew it is probably to replace it.
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[Ichy]

We use a lot of chromed plastics at work https://www.qppltd.co.uk/theplatingprocess.asp.

No such thing as an easy repair, best you can hope for is a slightly reflective. I tried the plasticote paint and its disappointing at best and very easy to scratch.

[Teflon-Mike]

Plastic will chrome, but not by traditional process used for metal. I think it has to be electrostatically charged first, or something.

What's the artifact? whats the purpose of re-chroming?

Chrome effect paint can be quite good, for something like a rear lamp reflector, but on a switch cluster, it wears dull, and its very sensitive to solvents, and often wont take laquer.

If you google 'Copy-Chrome' you can get home chroming kits. Its not 'propper' chromium plating, becouse there's a couple of anomolies in the process, one of which is the actual chrome, and it has to be hot plated or something, other is one of the chemicals used in preparing or plating thats a controlled substance.

the 'home-chrome' kits then use I think its a high chrome content nickle, which ios a colder, more easily controlled process, that doesn't need such exotic solutions, but its not as 'hard' or long lasting as proppe chrome, and really only suitable for cosmetic parts, like nuts and bolts and fittings, I dont think that it would be practical to try and home-chrome a wheel-rim, or pair of handle-bars, or exhaust. while 'hard-chrome' for forks is another kettle of pickle al together, using an even harder form of chromium alloy, applied much more thickly, and then 'ground' to finish. Thats more than even 'custom' chromers often do.

One thing about Home-Chrome kits though, I spotted not long ago, was a 'Plating wand, for doing small areas of plating, using an electrode in a sponge pad soaked in electrolyte, you wipe around the artifact, rather than dipping it in a tank. That might be the sort of thing you are looking for, but its not particularly 'cheap' to get the kits, and pretty sure its a two-shot process, laying up in coppa before applyng copy-chrome.
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[Codemonkey]

How about using some chrome vinyl wrap ?

[Damon]

Tin foil?

https://nextround.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/tinfoil_bike.jpg

[DrDonnyBrago]

[ZRX61]