'66 Air Cleaner Lid Re-Chroming

[Dan B.]

Re: '66 Air Cleaner Lid Re-Chroming

Mike,
Here's my lid that Dick's guy did for me. The top had light pitting before. I had asked to preserve the original silk screening on the underside which you can see remains untouched. It was done some time ago, but the result is hard to argue with.


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[Mike B.]

Re: '66 Air Cleaner Lid Re-Chroming

Thanks Tim,

I like your idea of using automotive wax to clean the underside. Here's a previous thread from a couple of years ago started by Richard Edquist. It got a handful of posts by fellow members. I especially liked Leif Anderson's suggestions there.

Mike
Cleaning Carbon Deposits Thread.jpg

[Mike B.]

Re: '66 Air Cleaner Lid Re-Chroming

Hi Dan,

Your lid looks nice. If you ever remember the actual plater's name would you share it with me please? An email would be much appreciated. Send it via my profile here.

Thanks,
Mike

[Dan B.]

Re: '66 Air Cleaner Lid Re-Chroming

Sent it to Dick at VA Vettes, I have no idea who he used to do the job back then. Got it back in about 2 weeks as I remember.

[Richard M.]

Re: '66 Air Cleaner Lid Re-Chroming

Thanks Tim,

I like your idea of using automotive wax to clean the underside. Here's a previous thread from a couple of years ago started by Richard Edquist. It got a handful of posts by fellow members. I especially liked Leif Anderson's suggestions there.

Mike
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Here is the link to Richard's thread....

https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthre...ir-cleaner-lid

[Steven B.]

Re: '66 Air Cleaner Lid Re-Chroming

I am interested to know how top side is plated without disturbing the bottom. I am familiar with the plating process of dipping the parts but all was submerged without one side "protected". I have had many parts plated over the years and have some now I would like to protect the back side. Thanks!!! Steve

[Howell J.]

Re: '66 Air Cleaner Lid Re-Chroming

Footnote: I had my 68 air cleaner lid pretty much ruined by a plater. They used a buffing wheel on it and the heat of the buffing process warped the surfaces of the lid. In the search for a competent plater, I've recently used Advanced Plating, Tennessee, so far they've done great work but are pricey.

[Patrick B.]

Re: '66 Air Cleaner Lid Re-Chroming

You would think that the back side of the lid could be coated with candle wax or even clear lacquer or RTV to prevent the chrome plating occurring on that side. This does not seem to be an unsolvable problem.

[Terry M.]

Re: '66 Air Cleaner Lid Re-Chroming

There is a product that can be used to coat the areas that one does not want to be plated. When I worked in a metallurgy lab in the 1960s, we used to have parts of our metal forming equipment "hard chrome" plated to build up worn places. Those platers used this product to prevent plating areas that were not worn.

More recently I had a close friend who worked in the plating industry. He worked for a company that built the racks that held parts for commercial plating. These racks are called armatures. They are coated with a product that resists the acids and other chemicals used in the plating process, but the ends of the armature have to be exposed so the armature can contact the electrodes and the parts to be plated. Sadly, he passed a little over a year ago, so I can't ask him the name of the product. Finding a company that makes armatures will lead you to the product. I know it is a heated vicious product, but beyond that and the battery tray in my driver car I don't have any clue.

The short of all of this is it can be done, so we all have to keep digging. I suppose this product may require specialized equipment that most platers don't have, but that is a guess on my part.

[Mike B.]

Re: '66 Air Cleaner Lid Re-Chroming

Terry,

Thanks for the information that you've provided us all. I was pretty sure I'd heard chrome plating could be done on isolated surfaces and not other areas of re-chromed parts. Like Dan attests to in this thread about having the upper side only of his air cleaner lid re-chromed. I've also noticed after re-chroming that there is usually a blemish either at the lid's stud hole area or on the flat side of the lid typically where the horsepower decal is placed. I assume this is where the electrode is placed during the chroming process?

Pat,

I guess you've noticed that this thread's subject '66 425HP air cleaner lid is the original one that I bought from you. Thanks again for releasing an excellent part that you'd had for so long. I'm hoping that there's someone among us here in NCRS who will read this thread and respond with a name and contact of a plater that can re-chrome the upper side of these lids. By the way, I will not destroy this lid's original instruction decal. If anything, I'll use it as a survivor after cleaning & polishing.

Mike

[Mike B.]

Re: '66 Air Cleaner Lid Re-Chroming

A couple of days ago I posted a thread about this subject of upper air cleaner lid surface re-chroming with the Supercar Registry guys. Good responses with one solid hit from a guy who says he had it done at Badger Industries in Milwaukee. He says they were able to do the top side only while preserving the lower side with silk screen intact.

I haven't checked into this plater yet and the guy with that lead said he had it done decades ago through them. I'm hoping the guys on that site will post more leads. I'll let you know any new info I find through them.

Mike

[Tim G.]

Re: '66 Air Cleaner Lid Re-Chroming

Mike, there's a nice air cleaner lid for sale in the Classified section. I'm tempted to buy it for my car, but I don't need it.

[Mike B.]

Re: '66 Air Cleaner Lid Re-Chroming

Tim,

I've sent you a PM

Mike

[Tim G.]

Re: '66 Air Cleaner Lid Re-Chroming

I sent you a link, Mike.

[James G.]

Re: '66 Air Cleaner Lid Re-Chroming

x2 on Advanced... they will also "flash" chrome VS fully polished "SHOW" chrome.