VL Plating Information

[harleytoprock]

I can achieve any brightness of electroless nickel depending on the prep work I give it. When I give the plater a sandblasted part it come back dull nickel. If it's polished it comes back like chrome. The look I like is a low sheen on carb bodies. So I blast it and then with a low rpm soft wire wheel, I give it just a little shine.

[T. Cotten]

My problem then, Harleytoprock,...

Is that I have no plater I can trust!

....Cotten
PS: FedEx just dropped off a DLX57 molested with super-bright plating.
Every ding and knick of time that would otherwise be "character", is 'telegraphed': magnified to the point of tragedy.

Makes me want to puke.

[harleytoprock]

That's a shame. I hate when a plater ruins a part because of incompetence.

[T. Cotten]

The blame starts before the plater, Harleytoprock!

The hammermarks on the bowl (at least) should have been removed, and then re-textured.
Platers just plate, and all they know is 'bling'. They usually don't know what the originals looked like, or even care.

But this HX on my bench has no excuse.
(I re-textured it, and the 'enthusiast' owner even admitted he had a Watts tank...)

It makes me want to puke too.

....Cotten
PS: My reputation is sullied by fixing the internals, but returning them with an obviously molested appearance.
I have been refusing chromed or polished Linkerts and manifolds, unless I can punish them thoroughly.

PPS: The DLX that just arrived appears to be electro-plate, not electroless process.
This means that resurfacing many of the gasket decks risks chipping and peeling of the plating.

Gotta raise my flat-rate..

[T. Cotten]

Where are the judges?

WHERE ARE THE JUDGES???

.....Cotten

[pan620]

Good question,they never seem to be active around here, or do not respond.

[T. Cotten]

Good question,they never seem to be active around here, or do not respond.

My best guess, Pan620,...

Is that they have locked themselves in their Ivory Tower.

....Cotten

[pan620]

You are probably right...........

[Steve Slocombe]

Dear Tom, raise this on the Judging section of this Forum if you want a considered reply. When I'm judging I have been known to dock a quarter point for nickel too shiny on a carburettor body, but have sometimes made it a comment with no deduction. However, I don't deduct for 'wrong shade of cadmium' or 'wrong shade of parkerizing' because I think that's going too far.

[T. Cotten]

Thanks for your reply, Steve!

.....Cotten