Would like your opinion on this Cad plating job

[Michael L.]

Guys,

I've attached a couple of pics of my hood hinges and latches that I recently had Cad plated. I used a new plater for these pieces and I'm not sure I like the result. I included a pic of my z-bar which was plated by my old plater. The z-bar has a more "zinc-ish" appearance but is clearly cad plated. The hinges and latches have a scaly almost milky appearance to them, much more whiter than anything else I've had cad plated. I'm wondering if this is the result of changing platers of if its because of the metal used in the hinges and latches. If needed I can just have them replated but only if it is going to change how they look. Appreciate your thoughts.

Mike

[Russ S.]

Re: Would like your opinion on this Cad plating job

Did you wire brush them to a shine before having them plated? They come out better if wire brushed.

[John J.]

Re: Would like your opinion on this Cad plating job



Here's a before and after from when I had my hood support plated. Not sure that milky look is what you're after.
May be worth taking a piece to another plater......although I know those guys can be difficult to find.

[John J.]

Re: Would like your opinion on this Cad plating job

You're absolutely right Russ.

[Patrick B.]

Re: Would like your opinion on this Cad plating job

You can probably shine them up with fine Scotch Bright. Test on an inconspicuous spot first.

[Allen N.]

Re: Would like your opinion on this Cad plating job

You can probably shine them up with fine Scotch Bright. Test on an inconspicuous spot first.

I agree that a Scotch Bright pad should make them shine more.

When I Copy Cad/Zinc plate parts they come out dull. I lightly buff them with a wire wheel, and they shine right up.

Depending on how shiny you want them, start with the Scotch Bright. If you want it shinier, use a wire wheel.

[Jim S.]

Re: Would like your opinion on this Cad plating job

Did you wire brush them to a shine before having them plated? They come out better if wire brushed.

I agree, use one of these brass wire wheels on the parts before you have them cad plated. It makes a world of difference.

[John D.]

Re: Would like your opinion on this Cad plating job

Michael, I feel for your friend. Lousy plating job. In my fuel injection restoration business if I got plating back like that I would return it to the plater.
He isn't using enough brightner(sp) in his chemicals. The white milky stuff is more proof.
Scotch brite pad-well if I had to do this I would quit. hahaha
Not to make fun of my pals here though. John
By the way if you just glass bead a part with course media you won't be happy

[Ed S.]

Re: Would like your opinion on this Cad plating job

I zinc plate small hardware and fasteners at home - easy to do and safe too. I've learned that the cleaner and more shiny the part is before I plate it the brighter the plating will be. All my stuff comes out milky white - I just use a soft wire brush on it or if it is easy to apply I put some aluminum polish applied with XXXX steel wool. Parts look almost like they are chrome plated after that final clean up.

[Troy P.]

Re: Would like your opinion on this Cad plating job

I've been zinc plating bolts and parts that don't show for years. To me there is an obvious difference between zinc and cad. Cad has a "sparkle" to it that zinc does not. Sparkle = a thousand points of light?

[Gene M.]

Re: Would like your opinion on this Cad plating job

Hood prop s/b zinc, why are you using cad?

Do you know cad is toxic to even handle?

Zinc is safe.

[Michael L.]

Re: Would like your opinion on this Cad plating job

The JG 5th edition says the hood hinges are cad plated. It does say the latch is either cad or zinc but given that the hinges are identical to the latch and that all three have not rusted a bit I think there's no way they were zinc plated, so I cad plated them for correctness and because it is a much more durable plating. The zinc will rust in a few months, at least all of my stuff I've had zinc plated does.

[Michael L.]

Re: Would like your opinion on this Cad plating job

I did not wire brush them I simply send them off to be plated as is. I will try to buff them into shape with a scotch brite or wire wheel but if that doesn't work I'll send them out to get replated by my regular guy.

[Gene M.]

Re: Would like your opinion on this Cad plating job

NCRS published material seems to use zinc and cad interchangeably. To the average person not an issue unless one wants parts plated to replicate the original as manufactured assembly line parts GM used.

Commercial platers should be of good quality and endurance. Keep in mind the preparation is 90% of the finished out come. Most pieces on the mid year Corvette that were plated were zinc. Both cad and zinc are sacraficial platings. The better the environment the better they last. The practice of cad plated was pretty well gone prior to the 60’s. About the only area you will find cad is military and even that has changed. The plating durability is mostly controlled by the thickness applicationas well as preparation, smoother mil polish is better. So if you glass bead follow up with wire polishing to eliminate porosity. Store with oil prior to plating. Plater’s do a wash as routine process.

A bit more appealing is a clear chromate secondary treatment. But was not exercised very much by GM to avoid extra cost. If you do elect the chromate treatment after a environmental year’s age the appearance will closer replicate the plain zinc finish. Fresh new chromated parts are too brite.

Most of the reproduction hardware available is zinc w/chromate and ends up looking different than assembly line parts. Even NOS stuff differs from assembly line parts finish in some cases.

[John D.]

Re: Would like your opinion on this Cad plating job

My plater does a lot of government contracts for cadmium plating. They specify cad as it's more durable as Mike Leonard said.
Once the government stops using cad look for it to disappear.
I recently got a fuel injection in that was a re-restoration. The former restorer used ugly blue zinc on the whole unit. Whew!!! Ruined it.

Here's one for the future gang when some of us are gone and so is the cad plating. Pass this down to the younger crowd.
If you want the cad look and it's not available get the parts zinc plated. If the zinc has a bluish tint to it like the big box store hardware here's how to quickly remove the blue.
I just did this to two ID Tag rivets an hour ago. Rivets were blue.
I use twin-etch from NAPA. Too expensive though today. So use phospheric acid watered down big time. To one quart of water I add 1/2 tsp or less of phospheric acid. Swish it around. Dip the blue part in it for TEN seconds. Remove with a magnet and rinse under water. Blow it dry.
Decent looking cheater cad. If you want it to last a little longer spray it with Pledge. Wipe it off with a towel.

Another tip. Say you get your plating (zincad) and it's got the workers finger prints on it from his plastic gloves. Or its got some stains on it.Dip
it in you phosphoric acid for a few seconds. Rinse it and towel dry it. Defects typically gone.
Ohio is loaded with cad platers. John