I need do chrome a key- which kit to buy?

[cduluk]

Hey guys, i'm new to the forum.

I recently purchased a key that is made of black plastic and chrome. The chrome pieces are really scratched up, and i'd like to re-finish the metal to look brand new again.

Here's a picture of the key:


I had purchased another one of these keys a few weeks ago and attempted to wetsand and polish the finish to remove the scratches, but found out that it wouldn't be as simple.

I first wet-sanded with 800 grit sandpaper to remove the scratches. I then wet-sanded with 1500 to get it smoother, then high-speed polished with a buffing wheel and rouge to get it to a perfect shine. It got it nice and smooth and shiny, but the finish had a yellow/goldish 'hue' to it, sort of like a white gold color vs a true white/blue chrome color.

I decided to wetsand some more and polish again, but apparently i went through THIS coat, and discovered a copper layer under that. I wet-sanded and polished some more, and got to a soft, chrome colored base metal.

So i had to throw that key away... But now i've purchased this one and want to do it RIGHT and get a nice chrome finish.

Based on my experimentation with the last key, i can assume the plating process starts with a soft base metal, with a layer of copper, with a layer of that yellow-ish metal (maybe nickel?) followed by a layer of chrome.

My plan for this key is to wetsand and polish the scratches out of the factory chrome, until i get to that yellow-ish layer of what i think is nickel. I then want to chrome plate this layer to get a nice bright white chrome finish, but am not sure which kit to buy from Caswell.

Should i get the "copy chrome" kit? I don't really have the $600 for the real chrome kit... but i could pull off $200 or so.

Any help is greatly appreciated!
Chris

[lcaswell]

I would get a Plug N Plate Copy Chrome and Copper Kit, with a bottle of chrome stripper. See Caswell Inc. - Plug N' Plate® Brush Plating Systems

Use the stripper to take the chrome off. Polish up the nickel as best as you can. Plate a nice thick layer of copper over the nickel. Polish again, then use the PNP Copy Chrome kit to put the final finish on.

Good luck.

[cduluk]

The thing is, i already have the nickel one. I tried it and it just turned black and blotchy. I'm really afraid of the wand- application. I wanted to go with a dip application so the finish might be better?

So what would i buy? The $33 copper one followed by....?

Thanks

[lcaswell]

If you already have the PNP Nickel Kit, you just need a bottle of Copy Chrome, bottle of copper and a copper wand.

The wand method is ideal for your part...using the immersion method would be much harder and would not give you a good finish.

Describe what you mean by "turned it black and blotchy". What did you plate the nickel over?

[cduluk]

I actually do have the copy chrome, not nickel- my mistake. It's red. I have the wand and everything.

Anything i try to copy chrome turns black and gross. Copper, nickel, anything. If i leave it in a bath it just gets gross and 'crystals' up sort of. I can't get a good finish on anything.

Granted i did buy the kit from here maybe...4-5 years ago.

[lcaswell]

Sounds like the connection maybe backwards.