Buy a zinc plating kit or use commercial plater?

[vmxrider]

Got some spokes and bits and pieces for zinc plating.
I'm tossing up between using a commercial plater or buying a Jane kit and doing it at home.
Jane kits are now around $250 plus postage with cleaners another $15 on top. For that money I'd probably get a fair bit of work done at a plater.
Had 70 odd spokes and nipples plated at Blue Chrome in Sydney for $60 a few years ago and came up like new. From what I've read here and other forums plating at home can have mixed results. Still, the convinience of being able to do it at home would be nice.
Any thoughts?

[mx250]

Hmmmm, I'd be tempted but probably the most off-putting consideration for me is space and dangerous chemicals.

Also be aware it is a trade for a reason; what is simple in principle can be more complex in practice. I know of one person who spent shit loads of time and effort to produce these nice shiny nuts and bolts which flaked off as soon as a spanner was put to them.

But if resto'ing is a hobby and a challenge then these thing are part and parcel and all part of the interest and rationale. Cost wise I don't think there is a lot in it. You would have to do a fair amount of plating before you got your money back. But doing small items immediately would be an attraction.

Ciao, good luck.

[steveo247]

I bought a jane kit, and it has been a mixed bag of results.
For me they definately dont come out show/resto quality. But are fine for the race bikes.

The instructions with the jane kits are a bit hard to read, and not that clear.
My biggest problem is i keep getting cloudy plated items. The guy who sells the kits is very helpfull and suggested lots of things to help, but so far hasnt fixed my cloudy items. I think it comes down to the preparation, like everything!

So i would suggest that if you are going for mint, resto items to get it done by the pros.
The jane kits are good, but not just set up and plate away as easy as it sounds. The amount of preparation needed on the items to be plated is very very time consuming.

Hope that helps mate
steve

[DR]

I've been using the Jane kit for about 4 years and I'm very happy with the results and the low costs involved. I've done many many parts and also parts for others and have only had to renew the electrolyte once ($60). Still using the original anodes and to be able to plate only 1 or 2 small parts if need be was another drawcard . Try taking just a handfull of bolts to an electroplater and see what it's worth. Most won't even do such small amounts. With the kit it doesn't matter if it's just 1 part or 20 and it doesn't take long if you multitask and do other things whilst the plating is happening. You don't have to leave home and it can be done at any time of the day or night, this convienience is a big factor for me.

 As mentioned the most important thing for good plating results is keep everything clean and be well prepared in advance. I use a small cabinet type sand blaster for heavier rust removal and cleaning inside places like chain adjuster but I also use a simple hydrochloric acid bath for everything else. ($10 per 4l at pool supplies) The acid bath was the best thing I ever did as it makes incredibly short work of the otherwise time consuming prep work. Spokes I don't/won't do anymore due to the shear numbers involved and the affordability of new replacements which for me cost about the equivalent of a single lawn mow when I put things into relativity and perspective but, for everything else I swear by the kits and the satisfaction of knowing you did near everything is also very gratifying  

[vmxrider]

I've been using the Jane kit for about 4 years and I'm very happy with the results 

Doc, do your bits come out bright or cloudy as mentioned by stevo247. I'm not after a concourse finish and with zinc will dull a bit in time anyway, just like it to look sort of newish if that makes sense. 
I noticed on the Jane website there is an electroless nickel kit starting at $40 which is recommended for spokes and nipples. Might give that a shot first.   

[monaro308]

VMXrider.......i agree 100 % with Doc. I have the jane kit and it does a good job and if you just want to do 1 part its a piece of piss and can be done any time.
I did my RM125C and the cloudiness came and went.
I worked it out by putting the least amount of parts you can in the tub as the power supply is regulated.
The more i put in the cloudier it got.
The less parts i put in,the quicker and shinier the result....try it out.
Thick heavier parts i pumped  up the voltage (they don't recommed it) but i did anyway and it worked for me.
As with Doc....spokes buy em new...very time consuming and i gave up after 4 or 5.
For the hobby man at home it works fine.
Hydro bath as well...but watch that pesky suzuki big chain adjuster outer locking nut (where the axle goes through)...eats it 

[AdamN]

Just last week I sent 72 spokes and 72 nipples + all the nuts and bolts, footpegs, exhaust flange etc. There was at least 250 pieces maybe more. I sent them to Elite Plating at Smithfield in Sydney. Dropped them off Monday morning and picked them up Friday morning, all for their minimum charge of $85 + GST. They did a top job. I would highly recommend them. I had tossed up whether to get a Jane Kit too, but at this price I can do 2 nearly 3 bikes for the cost of the kit and they will do it a lot quicker than I could.

Adam

[vmxrider]

I used Elite many years ago and you are right, a good job at a good price. Hard to justify the price of a kit. Just have to be organised to do a whole bike rather than bits and pieces. I've just spoken to John at Jane kits and I'm getting an electroless nickle kit sent down, might be the thing for those odd bits and pieces, and use the commercial guys for the bulk stuff. 

[oldfart]

Horses for courses......small bits - nuts bolts etc are done by  kit , but large items are better sent off as it is cheaper in the long run.   It is easy to make your own kit up as discussed in an other thread 

[DR]

Mario, those big adjuster nuts, TS ones are mostly chromed, but also the brake adjusting nut and pin..I've vaporized a few of those too Never mentioned this but for me it's all an education in many differing fields

[monaro308]

Ha ha Doc,yeah i found out the same way.
All part of the fun

[vmxrider]

Bought one of the Jane electroless nickel kits (just a 1 litre bottle of concentrate) and have just finished plating a set of spokes, nipples and washers. Must say I'm impressed with results. The nipples and washers have a nice sheen to them and although the spokes are a bit dull where there once was corrosion they have a nice sheen near the bends. The concentrate make 5 litres of solution mixed with demineralised water.
I bought a 10 litre enamelled pot from vinnies for $5. Used acid a wire buff and acetone to clean.
Just stuck it on the stove and heated to 90 deg c and more or less threw the spokes in for about 20 mins. The instruction said to hang from copper wire but as its not an electroplating process and relies on heat to transfer the nickel thought it take a chance. (saves a lot of work)
Time will tell what the anticorrosion properties are but as I said I impressed so far.

[wmc83]

Anyone know of a plater that does small lots (8 to 10 bolts and brackets) in Gold coast/ Brissy (apart from the guy opposite sundale tip he's a pain to deal with) most charge a min of $70 

[oldfart]

He has the market cornered and charges like a wounded bull and hates small job lots.
 
Try "Custom Chrome " of Nerang  4/20 Brendan Drive  ... ring first he have  closed up shop.

[wmc83]

Yep thats him alright!  We use custom chrome at work a fair bit but they only do chrome no zinc. I was talking to them the other day about platers they said most of it is moving off shore because of the pounding they get from counsels/ EPA and power costs so we might all need to by plating kits