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Re-Chroming Costs

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Hi, Im slowly getting my Commando Mk2 rebuilt.

I needed to get the left footrest hanger and brake lever re-chromed. Just sent for 1 quote so far which was 150.00 + VAT upwards.

It seems an awful lot to me and was wondering if anyone has similar work done and what the cost was.

The foot rest hanger is a bit scraped from the last time I chucked the bike up the road. Would me grinding it flat help with the price?

And finally, can anyone recommend a re-chromer for work and price?

 

Ta,

Dave

 

 

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The more you can do to prepare the cheaper it SHOULD be, not surface finish but cleaning and  stripping.  They have the polishing equipment so leave it to them. 

I'd suggest you get to the one local to you so you can deliver/pick up and check (and count) your items.  I have used Derby Plating Services in the past with great finish.  They tend to have a minimum charge so a good hand full of pieces is around £50.   

I recently had a quote from Nottingham Plater's for mudguards at around £100 each,  just to put you in the picture.  They use the Trivalent Method with good results on some bars and  levers I had done.

 

 Visit the websites it will give you an insight on what to do/not to do,   

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Affordable Chrome in Brum. It cost me around £300 to have exhaust, silencer, footrest hangers and all the bits and bobs on my ES2 done. They're not quick but the quality is good - I've used them before - and they're happy to do things like wheel rims and exhausts which most won't.

http://www.chromefix.co.uk/

Real old school place with bubbling vats of chemicals everywhere.

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Dave you don't say which county you live in. I have used Nottingham Platers of Vernon Road in Nottingham. Great finish but not cheap Their minimum charge is I believe £75, so £150 for two items may not be that far off. They quoted me 6-8 weeks for the work and it took them that long.

 

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I have tried Ashford Chrome, S and T Bristol and Quality Chrome in Hull all very good quality and all very expensive but be prepared to wait, all will quote six weeks which turns into ten or twelve weeks.

I have added a quote from Quality Chrome the parts have prices on them add vat and postage both ways

 

 

Colin

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Thanks everyone for the information on chroming. I'm from the UK - Forest of Dean now, but Glasgow in an earlier life.

I have to say that the cost of chroming now seems very high. Almost the same as new parts from Andover Norton. I will check out quotes from the people recommended but if they are close to new prices, I'll watch for good second hand parts.

Its all a far cry from the 70s when plating cost a fiver or so. Nostalgia isn't cheap :)

Looking at the prices in Colins scan... 40 quid each for springs and 8.00 for washers :O

Dave

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Hello   Your windging  on the price of british workers hard labour,  its not just the cost of chroming  its the cost of the labour  like shot blasting the buffing  then Nickel plating  for and hour  then  back to the buffers  for more buffing  then to the chromer for chroming for 2 to 3 hour in the bath  then back to the buffer then the polisher  all very hard and skilled work  and the cost of electirc  to do all this,  I be very satisfided I to get  to a Chromer  , were very luck to have  Chromers    Quality Chrome is one of the Best and you can be reesured there chroming will last for years   not like some were it peals  off like  paint  ,   and the waiting times is because  they have a lot of Hard work On    thats the British worker for you,  best quality                                                       yours   Anna  J  

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Dave. As you are in the Forest of Dean, you are not a million miles away from Doug Taylor Metal Finishing Co. near Weston Super Mare.

You could combine a ride-out one day and drop your parts in there. You could e-mail pictures to Nick first, so he can give you an idea of price. Or, post them. I am sure it will be nothing like the prices mentioned elsewhere in this thread. They have done loads for me over the years, including 3 petrol tanks, as well as a mass of small parts for my RE Constellation etc. 01934 820454.

See below my Norton petrol tank which they triple chromed in 2012. They charged £180. It is still perfect.

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... I agree with Anna. I used the place I recommended to mirror polish a set of stainless exhausts and silencers for the Guzzi and it was nearly as much as having them chromed - £180 IIRC.

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If you bought new components, what would be the prices for the replacement items?

Mike

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Thanks for all the replies. I didnt realise I was windging (whinging?) Anna as I am also one of those hard worked british workers whose earnings have to go a very long way these days.

I was just saying that when refurbishment costs are almost as much as new (150+ v 200) I have to question the sense in it.

I will check the chroming place at Weston for prices.

I did look at the services database and found one firm ( S&T Electroplate ) not far from where I work. I'll make enquiries.

 

Thanks again,

Dave

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If your original hanger and lever are good and straight then I suspect that a decent re-chrome will give better results than buying new. I bought replacements for my Mk3 some years back and the general shape and quality of polishing was not equivalent to the originals.

S&T have long had a good name. I have no idea how long they take but they've had the same half-finished car bumper on their show stand for about the last thirty-five years so maybe not a bad idea to ask :-)

The best work that I've had done in the slightly recent past was by Collins Chemical Blacking in South London.  Beaulieu is coming up. That's probably the top moment of the year to talk to lots of chromers in one place.

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Has anyone had any re-chroming done on the continent?

Maybe it would be cheaper to pop over to France or Holland to get it done???

Mike

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As a Belgian, I can say that many of us pop over to Blighty to get chroming done...There was a period before Poland came up to speed on EU rules relating to hexavalent chrome that it was quite inexpensive to get quality work done there, but that time has passed....This is also probably not the moment to be sending parts you care about over national borders. Apart from anything else, who knows what the £ will be worth in six weeks time ?

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Back in the 70s, we could get chroming done at a couple of places for very little. The guys would put our stuff in with bigger orders. Costs were a few beers or packs of cigarettes. I guess everything is much more expensive now. 

I've been modding the commando for 46 years now and will make do until I can afford new or find a good second hand part. Chromed or painted, the footrest and brake will still work as designed.

 

 


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