Copy Chrome on engine parts and plastic, alot of can I's

[cgworth]

i just bought a copy chrome kit and have a few questions. I will be abreviatting copychrome with cc


1. Can I cc parts that have bolts or screws in them? i know this sounds lazy but a few parts i want to do are made of aluminum and were put together at the factory with some sort of epoxy and then screwed together. i will end up damageing the part by taking it apart.

2. can i cc parts that have to differant metals on them , Like above these parts were done at the factory and it is aluminum and had what looks like a brass fitting.

3. can i cc a part with out it getting inside the part. Do i just tape off the part i dont want chrome. an example is a set of valve covers they are flat unlike the olderones that were 2 inchs or so tall, and the bottom of the valve cover has a recessed grove that is just big enough for the gasket and im afraid that if i crome it the gasket will no longer fit. also this part is never going to be seen and will be covered with hot oil in the first 5 minutes. how do i plug the holes, cracks etc while im am cc'ing? will tape etc come off in the process?

4. Like above i have a plastic intake manifold that i want to cc but i dont want it to get to the intake runners or ressed gasket grooves. I bought silva spray to do the plastic by the way. <--- any advice on cc plastic would be helpful here

5. can i do nuts and bolts or should i just do the heads? will this change the thread size? and can i just throw them all in a basket and and dip them in?

6. Can i cc moving parts. I have a few parts they move like belt tensioners that are spring loaded and cannot be takin apart can i cc them and then exercise the part and break the cc where it covered the moving section or will this look like ****?

7. can i cc one side of an object and the flip it around and do the other side without leaving a seam?

8. does it matter what container i use to copy chrome i was thinking of useing like a square rubbermaid container so i can get some awkward parts in

Please do not flame me i am new and have yet to do any of this. I really need these questions answered before i proceed so i do not mess up some expensive parts. any advise would be helpful

[cgworth]

ttt...

[jimcarry]

Re: Copy Chrome on engine parts and plastic, alot of can I's

Cg
Lets see if I can help you here.
All aluminum parts will have to have zincate . The plastic will have to have silva spray or conductive paint also after you zincate these parts you will have to use a strike coat of flash copper or nickle the acid copper to build up the surface this will make it smooth then lightly polish and Copy Chrome can be plated on to the item . Because the plastic is nonconductive the plate will only go where the silva spay is .
When doing parts that will receive high temp I recommend using copper to help disperse heat
as far as plating different metals together I have not tried this .
When I plate nuts or bolt I usually place them in with the larger parts .
I have had a great deal of success with the Copy Chrome plating at between 95 and 110 degrees.
i have done many parts that had to be flipped and they come out fine
I hope this helps good luck

[fxstcguy98]

Re: Copy Chrome on engine parts and plastic, alot of can I's

BEFORE YOU ATTEMPT TO DO YOUR CAR PARTS, PRACTICE ON S**** PIECES. Especially with the aluminum and plastic, they are harder to do, I would start with scap steel. Don't worry about gasket grooves and thread tolerences, it doesn't go on that thick. If you want to mask certain areas, you will need a special electroplating tape, I think Caswells sells it. For holes you can use plastic or rubber plugs. I wouldn't put in any part that I couldn't take apart like the tensioner, there is going to be grease and dirt inside it that will contaminate your plating solutions and you wont be able to rinse it well enough to prevent drag in. You can use any container that is hdpe or pp or even glass. To plate bolts ect. in a basket, the basket needs to be conductive and all the parts need to touch it.