zinc vs cadmium plateing color

[ckahler]

I'm restoring a 57 Thunderbird and some of the fasteners are zinc plating and some of them are cadmium plating. What is the difference in the appearance of zinc vs cadmium?

Thanks Chuck

[mcaswell]

Zinc is bright and shiny. Cad is usually darker and a flat finish.

[ckahler]

Do you have any pictures of zinc and cad plated parts that I could see?

What is the finish that produces a gold color?

[mcaswell]

Yep, lots in our restoration gallery at http://www.caswellplating.com/restgal

The gold color is a yellow chromated zinc or cad plate.

See http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/zinc.htm

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ckahler,
I have tons of pics from my Mercedes restoration, let me know what you need, buy a kit or send the parts over and I will help you in getting it to look right.
Andrew, mail me at: [email protected].

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Rick,
I am unable to respond to your mail, so there is the text:
Hi Rick.
Yes, tons of parts went through my Yellow Chromate tank. A thing to remember is not to handle the part right away, I leave them alone overnight usually. Do not wash in running water right after chromating. Also, I double my zinc plating time for the parts that need chromating. Yellow Chromate is just Chromic acid and like any other acid, it eats some of the zinc plate away. Also, in the first couple of weeks any strong solvent like brake cleaner or acetone will wash the "yellow" away. Hope this helps.
Andrew.