cad plating service

Onder · Dec 17, 2012

Well Im back to looking for a cad plater to do my bolts nuts and small bits.
Sent out all my hardware to the guy in Salt Lake and it was not expensive
but the plating was so thick not one bolt and nut would go together without
chasing. Way too thick.
I have another lot to go for another bike, anybody point me to a good plater?
Locals will not do small indie guy lots.

BillT · Dec 17, 2012

There's got to be somebody near you somewhere who'll do decent cad plating. I take mine down to a place by Miami Airport called Airco Plating. They charge by the pound - typically around $100 for everything on a Norton, including spindles and brake disc.

Cad plating is under increasingly strict oversight, so usually you'll only find platers near airports, due to the need for cad plating in the aero industry.

Between Albany Airport, all the GE stuff around Albany, and the metallurgy research done at RPI in Troy you should find somebody. I can't tell you where to go, I haven't lived in that area since '78.

Onder · Dec 17, 2012

Thx none the less, prob seems to be nobody wants to do small size
lots for a non-biz customer.
I have a few emails out to others nationwide, Ill let you know.

bwolfie · Dec 17, 2012

It's not cad but zinc, I'm thinking of giving it a shot. All the feedback is good,

http://www.ebay.com/itm/150914092289?ss ... 1423.l2649

OldBalz · Dec 17, 2012

bwolfie said:
It's not cad but zinc, I'm thinking of giving it a shot. All the feedback is good,

http://www.ebay.com/itm/150914092289?ss ... 1423.l2649

I had all of the appropriate hardware, on my recently completed Commando, zinc plated at an industrial plater in Flint, MI.
They turned out like new and look great. I cleaned every nut, bolt and bracket myself on a wire wheel or glass bead blaster after a thorough degreasing in my parts cleaning tank. The prep work is very important if you want a nice plating job.
And it wasn't very expensive....around $45.00.

I also had all of the non-chrome and non-aluminum parts done by the same company on my 1975 Honda CB550K1 two years ago and it still looks great!

Onder · Dec 17, 2012

Cad is better than zinc and it was what was original so that is what Im after.
Will admit that the cost sure is attractive on the zinc though.
If anybody has a good reliable lead, please holler.

Lorenzo · Dec 17, 2012

a quick question:
how was the front brake disc finished? (I mean the area close to the hub)
Was it silver painted as the triple trees, or cad plated?
Thank you for helping!

BillT · Dec 18, 2012

Onder said:
Cad is better than zinc and it was what was original so that is what Im after.
Will admit that the cost sure is attractive on the zinc though.
If anybody has a good reliable lead, please holler.

If no one in your area will deal with a private customer, do you know anybody with a business, where you could send in your stuff through them? Another option is to check Hemmings Motor News, or just run over to Bennington and talk to them. Hemmings is the bible for old car stuff, and I'm sure you'll find a plater in NY or northwest NE who'll take care of you.

First time I did my stuff, I went through my local Norton guy, Wes Scott. He let me plate my stuff if I brought down a bucket for him, too. Now that the guys down there know me, I can just bring stuff there. I'll bring a bucket down for Wes every so often, as I go in that area at least once a month.

I learned most nickel and chrome platers won't do cad or zinc - not enough money in it.

Also, if you want the cad or zinc plating to look really good, clean your stuff first. The plater will wash everything first, but it won't take off paint. If you've got a nut or bolt with a slightly rounded head, or a screw with a burred slot, clean it up with a file. Also chase any dodgey threads and straighten out any bent plates or brackets. If you do that, the parts will be indistinguishable from new.

AND, you want to specify CLEAR plating. Otherwise you might get yellow back.