Letter 33645

Chrome-Plating PVC pipe [California]  

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I am wanting to know if it possible to chrome plate over the counter PVC pipe (schedule 80 to be specific)? If so, where would I look for a source for this process?

Thanks.

Ted Gillebaard
Swimming Pool Maker - Santa Ana, CA, USA

Hi Ted,

Re chroming your pipe, sorry, but I can't help you but surely this could be easily done... by plating experts.

But I wonder why you want to do this ... and if you chrome it successfully, heck, you won't be able to cement it to anything.

If, if, if you have a mega business, then why not go to the extruding Company and ask them if it's possible to mix in some 'silver' or whathaveyou additions to the Banbury mixer before extruding. PVC pipe in Ye Olden Days was coloured blue in (France), green (England), white (Italy) and red in Krautland ... and the German Trovidur red is still available.

Anyhow, food for thought.

Freeman Newton
- White Rock, B.C. Canada

Thanks for the information. The chroming is for the look. I am using the pipe as part of a soft-sided above ground swimming pool frame. They attach using a 1.9OD metal pipe. Chroming would give the frame a more finished and "richer" look.

I have learned from an extruder that I can either extrude with a plate-able ABS or have a powder coater paint a metallic paint over it, then chrome plate it (I am waiting to see price-cost comparisons before choosing). If no further feedback comes from here, I will try one of those options. Thanks again.

Ted Gillebaard
- Santa Ana, California, USA

The plateable grade ABS is an excellent and robust solution! That is the construction method of the majority of brightwork on automobiles. PVC is not directly plateable, and painting PVC and then plating it is asking for troublesome non-adherent deposits. Good luck.

 
Ted Mooney, P.E.
finishing.com Inc. - Brick, NJ

Hi Ted,

Well,you did ask about PVC .... but as others have pointed out, ABS lends itself better to plating or painting, for that matter.

Further, ABS has improved impact properties over PVC.

If your 'tubes' or pipes were fairly long and tended to bulge or deflect, heck, fill them with something to keep them rigid.

Freeman Newton
- White Rock, B.C. Canada

If you ask around you can find out who does the bright plating for plastic caps such as aftershave lotion. They are familiar with the processing and will probably save you a lot of headaches.

Kirk McLoren
- Hermiston, Oregon, USA

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