Pot Metal Plating questions

[Dave]

Sorry, I'm just getting started and this is a long one.

I have some pot metal pieces I'd like to restore for my auto restoration project.
Of course after 30 years there is some pitting ranging from light to exploded type.
Whats the best way to remove the old chrome/nickel and prep the surface? Whats best to fill pitted areas that need to be drilled? Does every pit need drilling or just black areas? Also during an immersion replate do all other types of metal (steel hardware etc) need to be removed - will damage result if they arent? If so can they be coated for protection during plating?

Finally I'd like a show chrome finish. Would Electroless nickel followed by copy chrome work? Pot metal primer? Flash Zinc? Whats the most trouble free system to plate pot metal parts swithout going through too many steps but that will also address hard to plate parts?

Was also looking for 1/4" hole buffs but couldnt find any on your site (which is great by the way). Do you have em in 1/4"
for use with my die grinder or drill?

Thanks in advance.
Dave

[mcaswell]

Best way to remove old plate:
1. Use chrome/nickel plate stripping solution. It's basically battery/muriatic acid. Formulas are in our plating manual.
2. You can also sandblast, grind, buff etc.

Fill pitted areas:
1. Lead free solder or similar products work well.

Every pit?
1. It would be best to drill them all. You wouldn't want to plate the whole part, then have one pit you didn't drill cause problems.

Remove other metals?
1. Generally the plating will plate any other conductive metal in the bath at the time.

Show chrome?
1. Are you judges going to want a real chrome finish. If so, pot metal primer, followed by triple chrome is your only choice.
2. If it doesn't matter, pot metal primer followed by Copy Chrome would work.
3. In extreme cases, you may need to zinc plate before pot metal primer plating.

We can custom make 1/4" holes on our wheels if you need that. Just give us a call.