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Chrome Plating bronze for commercial dive hat

I am a Commercial Diver seeking information on Chrome plating my dive hat. I am not sure of the exact alloy make up of the hat, all I know is the main body would appear to be cast from bronze or a bronze alloy with the neck ring either brazed or soldered? to the main body. There are four smooth penetrations through the main body three of which have brass parts bolted over them. The brass parts are all threaded causing concerns that plating might affect the thread tolerances.The plating is mainly for appearance sake with secondary needs for corrosion resistance as diving in salt water causes a fair amount of tarnishing.

Any help that can be provided as to the possibility of chrome plating this piece and the closest competent plating business would be much appreciated. Thank You....

corey albers
Lafayette, Louisiana
1999

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Corey,

The chrome plating of this item will be expensive. Even if it was a new helmet. Yes threaded holes could be plugged during the process to prevent buildup. You would not end up with a chrome appearance over the whole helmet due to various shades of brass or other substrate,i.e. an auto bumper.

Much manual buffing before and after the copper plate step would be required. A conforming anode would more than likely have to be constructed that is a pretty close image of the helmet for chrome plate and maybe the nickel plating step before the chrome.

It may not plate completely where the soldering or welding has taken place.

I recommend you look in the yellow pages for a custom plater in a large city closest to you.

Why do you want to chrome plate it?

Bill Hemp
tech svc. w/ chemical supplier - Grand Rapids, Michigan
1999

You must really love this helmet! Parts shaped as yours made of similar material can be hard chrome - functional- nickel chrome - decorative - plated, cost is the only barrier. In either process the cost would start in the $1,000.00 range and could cost much more. Each piece must be plated separately. Anything is possible.

Stephen C. ward
- Canada
2000