Hi I am just about to send off parts for plating and have just found out that the guys I used before don't do cad anymore. Can someone recommended a company, or is bright zinc the only option now.
Also were the brake plate arms cad plated along with the fork spring top and bottom mounts. I presume all nuts and bolts were with nickel on brass bit's.
Thanks
Grahame

Grahame

I have used Caswell kits with some success for small parts. see:

http://www.caswellplating.com/electroplating-anodizing/brush-plating-products/plug-n-plate-kits.html#

They have many metals available to electroplate.

The kits are relatively inexpensive, except for gold, and they work well, although the process requires some patience to obtain satisfactory results. Be aware if you plan to plate chrome, that some serious buffing will be required to get the desired mirror finish. I used their chrome kit to redo the headlight reflector on my M20 and it worked out just fine, after polishing with a fine abrasive/small cotton wheel before and after plating. I have also used their gold plating on guitar tuners, again after polishing before and after plating.

Good luck

Dave W.

email (option): dwdiak4@gmail.com

I tried a home plating kit to re-silver my headlight.

I lost patience and sent it off to a plater.

email (option): sacombsashtrees@hotmail.com

You can copy the look of cadmium by tinning the parts.

After cleaning/blasting, apply some flux, heat up part with blowlamp, apply the tin and smear it out over the part with a clean cloth.

Nice, quick, easy, save and cheap. what more can you wish..

Hi folks
Thanks for the input. I have two m20's and all the bit's are being done at once, so there is a bit much to do for the home brew kit's. I too have done some nickle like this and i also had a holiday job at plater's so kind of know my way around it. I just wanted to get an original type finish for parts as it seemed worthwhile.
I have now spoken to a number of plater's and it seems that as the chemicals ran out the companies just didn't continue cadmium due to increasing pressures around the control of poisonous chemical. Apparently it is still used in the aviation industry but i suspect that that is going to prohibitively expensive knowing what the aviation world is like.
Dull Nickle and Bright Zinc have been offered as alternative both with their pros and cons, so i will pick one of these.
The question remains about the Brake plate levers and the spring top and bottoms, are these meant to be plated or painted.
Regards
Grahame