[Paul Wilson]

Has anyone in the UK recently ( i.e. in the last couple of years ) had a petrol Tube Chassis rechromed ?

If so, who did it ?

I have approached several firms who are generally positive over the telephone, but then get cold feet when they see the actual size and weight of the thing...... I am getting fed up with carting it around the countryside.

Any information gratefully received ......

Paul Wilson

[dave clark]

Spot on,no one wants to touch the things.
reason 1, physical size,it is an awful lot of work
reason 2, modern health & saftey regulations
reason 3, well if any of the interior content, which is almost certainly grotty, gets out it can ruin a vat of costly plating solution.
reason 3a,My plater does medical components,& imagine his lawsuit if some of his plating comes off inside somebody, all because he generously agreed as a favour to do your tube.

the only way I can think of would be to make a new tube chassis,in component sections, get the ends plated & then weld the lot up.

[Paul Wilson]

I have had a slight variation on that idea suggested by London Chroming, which is to cut the tube at just before the points required for chroming and have the front and rear section rechromed.

Then, using 4 heavy slug inserts the same size as the inner diameter of the tube, place and weld the slugs so 50% of the slug is in the main section, slide the front and rear newly chromed sections on the remaining 50% of the slug, weld in place.

This way there is extra strength spread along a section of tube along with the strength of the weld.

If the slugs are drilled to a reasonable bore, it will even be possible to retain the tube for it's intended use......If not, it will become a simple dummy.

Not my preferred option to take a saw to a original Pet' Tube, but it may be the only option, short of trying the ' Chrome Paint ' which is v. expensive and not as good as real chrome.

[Ray Cook]

Have you tried Prestige Electroplating? I didn't bother with mine, had it stove enamelled in silver instead. May not look the part to purists but suits me fine and you don't have to cut the tube to bits!!
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Ray