Chrome Plating FAQ's

This page is intended for those many callers who
ask something like: "I need information on chrome
plating". It gives a quick introduction for the
layperson.

What's the difference between "Chrome Plating"
and "Chromium Plating"?

Nothing. Chromium is an element, chrome is just
sort of a slang name for it.

So all chrome plating is about the same, then?

No. There are two different general types of chrome
plating: "hard chrome plating " (sometimes called
"engineering chrome plating") and "decorative
chrome plating".

Hard Chrome Plating

Hard chromium plating is just chrome plating, but
it is applied as a fairly heavy coating (usually
measured in thousandths of an inch) for wear
resistance, lubricity, oil retention, and other
'wear' purposes. Some examples would be hydraulic
cylinder rods, rollers, piston rings, mold surfaces,
thread guides, etc. It is called hard chromium
because it is thick enough that when a hardness
measurement is performed the chrome hardness can
actually be measured. It is almost always applied
to items that are made of steel. It is not really
shiny or decorative.There are variations even
within hard chrome plating, with some of the
coatings optimized to be especially porous for
oil retention, etc. Many shops who do hard chromium
plating do no other kind of plating at all, because
their business is designed to serve only engineered,
wear-type, needs.

Decorative Chrome Plating

Decorative chrome plating is sometimes called
nickel-chrome plating because it always involves
plating nickel before plating the chrome. The
chrome plating in decorative chrome plating is
exceptionally thin, measured in millionths of an
inch rather than in thousandths. It is still a very
hard surface, but simple 'anvil' type hardness
measurements don't detect the hardness because
the anvil just punches through such a thin coating.
When you look at a decorative chromium plated
surface, such as a chrome plated wheel or truck
bumper, most of what you are seeing is actually
the nickel. The chrome adds a bluish cast
(filtering the somewhat yellowish cast of the
nickel), and it protects against tarnish, and
minimizes scratching. But the point is, without
the brilliant leveled nickel undercoating, you
would not have a reflective, decorative surface.
Some metals, like zinc die castings, cannot be
directly nickel plated but must be copper plated
first. Other materials, like aluminum, cannot be
copper plated until they have been zincated.
Chrome plating is hardly a matter of dipping
an article into a tank, it is a long involved
process that often starts with tedious polishing
and buffing, then cleaning and acid dipping,
zincating, and copper plating. This may be followed
by buffing of the copper, cleaning and acid dipping
again, and plating in two or three different types of
nickel plating solution, all before the chrome
plating is done.

Restoration Work

When an items needs "rechroming", understand what
is really involved: stripping the chrome, stripping
the nickel (and copper if applicable), then polishing
out all of the pits and blemishes, then starting the
whole process described above.

Do it yourself ?

Sorry, you absolutely can not do chrome plating at
home, in a garage, or basement. Besides involving
all of the steps listed above, you would be dealing
with hazardous and carcinogenic chemicals. You
need exhaust systems, fume scrubbers, and a waste
water treatment system. Naturally, you need a host
of permits. Even for a very small operation you
would need a budget of $100,000 or more.

The way to chrome plate something is to take it to
a chrome plating shop.