Mad prof,
I purchased a five gallon triple chrome kit a couple of months ago and am pretty happy with it as a beginner kit. Once I get over the learning curve and start putting out the quality that I want I am already positioned to make a lot of $$$. Like you I want to move on to bigger and better, though. Although a great start and excellent way to learn, the five gallon kit just doesn't have the size tanks you need to do wheels. You could get tanks that were the diameter that you need and transfer chemicals, though. Not sure what they would cost. I believe Caswell offers tanks through another company on their site. If they are aluminum wheels you will also need the aluminum plating solution. You have to order a separate tank to plate aluminum because of the properties of the metal.
I live in a town of about 20,000 with no plating shop for 70 miles. The closest shop charges up to $375 per sq. ft. So like I said once you get through the learning curve, this trade has a lot of potential.
I strongly recommend buying from Caswell. The support and products are outstanding. This forum is also a great way to talk to other platers about the business and pick up helpful tips. You may have seen the posts about hobbyplating.com. I have seen both ends of the spectrum on this and Caswell is a very solid and reputable company.
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