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Chrome Plate an iMac (plastic)

 

Hi,

I am a seinor in high school and want to chrome plate my Imac. You may see this as a waste of time but I am curious as to how I would go about chrome plating plastic. All I want it to do is shine like it was chrome plated so if there is another way, please do tell. Instructions or a link to a site with instructions would be fantastic. Would any of the baths used in plating hurt the plastic?

Thanks,

Will Austin
TLV - Atlanta, Georgia

To be perfectly honest, you'd be way ahead to go get the best silvery/chrome paint you can find and paint it. Electroplating to plastic is often an indifferent art even with professional materials. If you really want to get technical, get several different silvery paints and try their adhesion and appearance first on an old soda bottle.

Dave Fitz
- Ogallala, Nebraska, USA
 

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Your advice as it applies to a high school student is good, Dave. Thanks.

But we certainly wouldn't call industrial electroplating on plastic an indifferent art. Tens of millions of automobiles have chrome plated plastic grills, headlamp bezels, taillight surrounds, etc. Properly plated plastic looks great and lasts for decades even in outdoor automotive exposure. But, yes, this is indeed a complicated industrial process, not something a high schooler would do at home.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey