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Chroming classic hubcaps

I have just been told that a chrome plater CANNOT get the plating to stick to the hubcaps of a Chevy SS conv. He told me that the caps are "dead metal" and the plating process will NOT work. Will painting with a chrome spray paint have the same effect and NOT adhere to the metal?

Dennis Kelley
Car restorer - Walton, Kentucky, USA
October 1, 2010

Dead metal? Wow..I've never heard that one before. I can assure you that your hubcaps are not "dead metal." What he probably doesn't have is a process known as "Woods Nickel Strike" which is a highly acidic nickel process that Stainless Steel must be processed through to ensure good adhesion. There are plenty of good platers in Kentucky and Tennessee who can overcome "Dead Metal Syndrome." Good luck.

Daryl Spindler, CEF
decorative nickel-chrome plating - Greenbrier, Tennessee
October 8, 2010

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