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Q&As since 1989


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Chrome Plating Chrome

I am trying to find out weather or not it is possible to plate engine parts for my radio controlled fuel powered cars. The engines are over $100.00 to replace and all that wears out is mostly the piston which is some kind of aluminium alloy. I would like to try electroplating either the piston or the cylinder sleeve (which is brass with a chrome plating on the inside. Is it at all possible to plate the chrome with nickel?

Eric Miller
hobbyist - Cincinnati, Ohio
2004

Unless you have access to a good machine shop, I seriously doubt if you could hold your bores to a tight enough tolerance after chrome plating as it is very hard and will not plate evenly. An ID anode will not be easy as your bore should be rather small. An alternative used by a model boat person that I knew, was to use electroless nickel one or two times and throw it away. He had access to legal disposal and was very good at it. There are a couple of companies that sell "kit" EN. It is not cheap and your disposal will very probably be illegal. Control of plating solutions for optimum product is beyond most home platers unless they are good and lucky, or are into it enough to have things like temperature controllers and mini labs.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
2004