Roof Rack Chroming

[David Day]

Hi everyone,

Has anyone had any experiance getting large items chromed?
Ive approached a few chromers as advertised in the Bumper Chroming thread but they have all said they would not be able to chrome my roof rack due to the size/one piece design.

Any advice?

David

[MoggyBlue]

Just cover it in chrome tape

[Boomlander]

I've seen one locally covered with chrome "Radsnaps" - looked pretty good!

[perkinsp3]

Wilko do a chrome paint in a spray can! I've never used it but the can cap looks just like chrome. Might be an alternative if the rack has a sound base to spary on to?
Good luck with sorting the problem.

[RobThomas]

Get a copy made in stainless? Polishes up nicely and would probably not cost more than chroming. This is 15mm OD, 1mm wall steel tube I bent round pieces of bigger tube. All done cold so no need to heat it. Stainless will be harder to bend but I'm sure it can be easily done. Polish it before the bending is done.[frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame]

[don58van]

I suggest that you look into powder coating.
Before you dismiss the idea...
I have seen truly excellent shiny silver powder coating. Step back a couple of metres and you would swear it is chrome.
Don

[David Day]

I suggest that you look into powder coating.
Before you dismiss the idea...
I have seen truly excellent shiny silver powder coating. Step back a couple of metres and you would swear it is chrome.
Don

Ive never seen this done, I dont suppose you have any pictures of how it turns out?
Thanks for the advice!!!

[RobThomas]

I happened to talk to someone who has just been to the local chrome plater and had a look at the tank that stuff gets dipped into and he explained that a roof rack was never going to be able to get dunked in there due to the size of the tank. It would require a larger tank and therefore more chemicals to get the rack in there in one piece. They have a long/thin tank for bumpers.

Whilst I can't give you an answer to your question, might I offer another option? Can the rack not be sectioned so it would fit the tank size? The A7 skeleton in the pic above was made in 15mm x 1mm tube and sleeved with 13mm tube to make a slip-fit and then welded, although in your case you could weld one side in and have the second side of the joint fixed with a screw. Just another option, should you not get an answer that meets the original requirement. There can't be more than 7 metres of tube in a rack so maybe £20 in materials? If so, it might be possible to make a new frame based on your design that can come apart for chroming and for storage, if that would help. Working backwards, what size WILL the local plating company accept?

http://brazilianvwbay.forumotion.com/t1 ... roof-racks

[don58van]

Hi David

Ive never seen this done, I dont suppose you have any pictures of how it turns out?

See here for an example:
http://www.the-polisher.com/id13.html

Regards
Don

[RobThomas]

Oooooooooh. Paint porn!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-b5LJouPys

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6kypid0XG0

[colin addison]

A roof rack is far from ideal for chrome plating, it has an enormous open area and what will happen is lots of metal on the ends of the rack, and probably not much on the inside of curves, if anything. All this assuming he has a plating tank big enough to get your rack in. The plater can make a lot more money processing lots of small parts on a jig which will be of similar size to your rack, so he tends to lose interest in your job. You should look at the other proposals, powder coating or painting or taping. Sorry!
Colin

[RobThomas]

David. Have you got a photo of the roof rack?I built the entire skeleton section of my car for probably less than £15 of materials. Might be possible to form a roof rack for under £50 in stainless that can be polished.

[David Day]

I just have this one saved on my computer, ill try an get some better pics later [frame][/frame]

[RobThomas]

10 metres, approximately?
https://www.metals4u.co.uk/stainless-st ... shed/p2502

[RussLCV]

I just have this one saved on my computer, ill try an get some better pics later [frame][/frame]

David

Responding to your request pm and still no reply