Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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Avoiding electroplating; buying pre-plated tubing

Hello all, as a hobby, I do metal machining for some other hobbies (music instruments for one). While I find the many articles on electroplating intriguing, I would like to avoid going down that path. I would like to obtain some steel tubing (roughly 3/4" OD by 4' long) which is plated. Ideally, I'd like chrome and shiny, but just nickel or zinc chromate would be adequate too. As the tubes will live in protected requirements, flash plating would be fine.

I was surprised that I couldn't find stock plated tubing in hardware stores or online (e.g., McMaster). Taking unplated tubing to a plating shop is more expensive than I can afford (for just a hobby). I see plated shower rods and similar things selling for pennies; where can I purchase tubing of a size I'd like, but just as cheaply plated?

Chip Bishofberg
buyer - Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
2007

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In small quantities it may be practical to use stainless steel tubing - and, you'll have a superior product.

Jeffrey Holmes, CEF
Spartanburg, South Carolina
2007