How to restore the chrome on motorcycle parts

[@CornwallGBF]

I don't think people appreciate how much work goes into restoring these parts. Brilliant

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

I hope they do now.

[@GaryMcNeel]

Completely agree! I will never toss an old, rusty chrome bumper away again without thanking the people who made it.

[@maine9319]

Wow did not realize how much work & detailed attention was put into a quality chrome restoration. Props to your team. 💓

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Much appreciated!

[@sailorgerard]

Don't forget this is in the UK....I doubt that in the US and Canada the same careful procedure is followed, as it is always about time and money here, not quality.

[@davidfrank2824]

I was thinking the same thing.​@@sailorgerard

[@lundyracing]

@@sailorgerardthere’s plenty of good chrome platers in the USA. Just have to find them and be willing to pay.

[@JB-NZ]

You can see why it costs what it does, its such a big job with all the stages! Great video, I learnt alot

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Happy you liked the video

[@taunteratwill1787]

Thanks to this guy we all know now how to use the chroming equipment we all have at home! 😎

[@IanBradley-ns1bg]

This video took me back many years to the 70s when I ran a plating shop. Most of our degreasing was done with Trichloroethylene, but you would,nt get away with that these days. Copper flashing the parts mekes all the difference to the finish,and longevity. I never ceased to be amazed, and amused by the number of people who would present me with a component which was totally pitted and thought that just dipping it in a tank would restore it to its former glory. Pleasant memories of a former life. I must commend you for showing the public How It Should Be Done.

[@jasonhughes760]

VERY true,,,,,,just shows how we take some trades or jobs for granted

[@Bowen20011]

A seemingly simple job. But it actually requires years of experience to acquire such excellent skills and control over details throughout the process.👍

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

You are absolutely right

[@paulypaulypauly8011]

Beautiful work! I hope you can continue to run your business and maintain the quality of this work in the face of increasing environmental regulations.

[@summerforever6736]

Regulations my arse

[@bikefarmtaiwan1800]

One of those skills which covers many bases-you gotta know the chemistry , and the timing , then the sequences then trouble shooting when things soot up or don't come out right , then there is the polishing - potentially disastrously dangerous if a part gets caught or if you wind though a clients part !!!! If all that goes well the patience involved in getting a good finish and being bothered to take all the steps necessary- it is a wonder this ever got done on such a large scale in the automotive industry for decades . Great informative video and a credit to the team that works in the shop - well done - no mean feat !

[@RRED2]

Never knew that there were so many processes involved for Chroming but I have to say that I very much appreciated how much work went into making it possible to turn a somewhat rusty bike parts into a brilliant beautiful work of art. Thank you 🤩

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Our pleasure!

[@stevemahrer7097]

Fascinating, informative, educational and very well done, takes me back 48 years to my Honda 550F1...

[@normmcrae1140]

I do a little bit of metal polishing, myself - mostly aluminum, but brass and copper, as well..... and it can be HARD work - Kudos to your crew for the spectacular results!

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Well said!

[@lelandlewis7207]

Me too. I make pens and even polishing them is a chore. I also polish my aluminium motorcycle parts after removing the silver powder coating. I am getting into casting and polishing the copper and brass takes lots of time.

[@favourites96]

One thing's a certainty, no robot or AI is ever going to put you guys out of a job. I, like many others commenting, never realised just how much prep work was needed before the chroming process even starts. Well done on a fantastic very informative video.

[@sirretsnom3329]

Am I the only one that thought the copper look would have been badass? Still an amazing process I never thought it was that extensive.

[@nobeard1978dh]

i was thinking exactly that

[@brazoon1]

I thought the same but I think the problem is that the copper would tarnish quite quickly and eventually turn green. Maybe that would also look cool, I don't know.

[@joso5554]

@@brazoon1 ingestion of green copper oxide is toxic, though.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

@joso5554 Don't lick it then!

[@jasonhughes760]

Pity there is no clear coat electroplating to weather proof the copper

[@blerg]

Very well edited and narrated without any fluff - fantastic to see the process in such detail! Thanks for sharing.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thanks

[@Ukuleleal]

Outstanding work. So satisfying to watch. Would have loved to see the owner's face when he saw these. 🙏

[@jamiestanley8774]

I'm wondering your price , I'm in newzealand and it's crazy what they want . I see it's a very time consuming and repetitive process. But there is now one else to go to whose near me. I understand if you dont give out the price. Cheers thanks.

[@kimkeam2094]

Very impressive, I wish you were based in Australia! Not only is the work breathtakingly detailed but your documentation is great, something that can be lacking in other businesses. I can see why the cost of restoration is so high.

[@johnhaydon4055]

That was one of the best YT vids I have seen in a long while, I wish I could click the like button a dozen times. I am restoring a 65 year old Matchless, I will be contacting you at some stage, hopefully you can help. Thanks

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Glad you liked it. Looking forward to hearing from you.

[@fransue56]

That was also a learning experience for me, what a lot of work, care and experience to do this sort of work! Wow! Wish you guys were a little closer to me in Australia!

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thank you! I wish I was too. My dad was a £10 pomm and lived in Moonee Ponds for a few years. He always wanted to go back.

[@TheUlrikkaul]

This is craftmanship! I own a Spitfire Mk III and have searching for a dent free frontbumper for a long time. They are not available anymore as new. I was lucky to find a bumper, but the chrome is nackerd. No wonder it is so expensive to get a new layer of chrome, with all that manual work that has to be done. Cheers from Denmark.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thanks for the comments

[@raymondsmith6504]

Fascinating process, and well-documented in this video.

[@michaelreeves8164]

Very educational for me. I hadn't realized what labor intensive work was involved in this type of testoration.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Yes, it is a whole different ball game to chroming new parts (and they are restored to a better finish than new).

[@rejej200c]

Oh my thanks for sharing I had no idea it was such a labour intensive operation

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Our pleasure!

[@Valko67]

it is amazing and also very understandable how it gets so expensive when you see all de procedure steps and hand work applications until it is ready for the finely results , people sometimes don't have it in mind all that stuff , great job , i enjoyed a lot , i am dutch from Belgium 😉✌

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

I totally agree!

[@randygerman2176]

Beautiful! No mucking about but with all of the skill and proper equipment it’s still so time consuming! No wonder it’s so costly! I have several project bikes that will need a bit of this😬

[@gurpartapsingh9820]

That's how the work should be done in every industry Brilliant Just loved this❤❤

[@transmitterguy478]

That was a really cool video, I subscribed! I love seeing parts restored especially chrome parts. You really showed the whole process and how much labor was involved to make the parts look new again. 40 years ago my wife looked as good as the finished parts but now she looks like the rusty ones, I still love her though.🤣🤣Great job!

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thanks for the sub!😂

[@andrzej3511]

I am convinced that these details have never looked like this. Even immediately after leaving the factory in Japan, from the hands of careful and precise Japanese workers!!! Your work is more than just a simple restoration. This is an undisputed work of art!!!! I am extremely impressed with the quality of work and the results You achieved!

[@Naptime1953]

Amazing! The team members are true craftsmen, and I am guessing they have been there for many years. I imagine it would be hard to find such conscientious people with attention to detail these days.

[@jamesaldridge6899]

Absolutely stunning work as usual!! The attention to detail is overwhelming! I love it!

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thank you so much!

[@utopiajj]

Man there's like 200 steps involved with this! Insane amount of meticulousness!

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

It is a lot of work and attention to detail

[@WaynePearson-db8ig]

Thank u for such a detailed video .since ive been watching electroplating on u tube im dying to start with small projects . U video has been totally the best one i have seen. A great thank u from Wayne South Africa.

[@alexwilsonpottery3733]

Those beautiful freshly chromed parts hopefully won’t put the rest of the bike to shame.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Hopefully not

[@stephencrummett3037]

That's craftsmanship that is! 😁 Fantastic.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thank you very much!

[@trebor2831]

Great Job now i know how it works thank 4 the Video!!!

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

No problem!

[@hallstrr]

Gorgeous work, truly a rare craftsman trade!

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thank you very much!

[@Homested_Happenings]

Thumbs up for the fountain pen 👍

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thanks

[@tompeter7326]

Very well done, the correct way to make superior chroming. Like always here in Germany many galvanics had to shut down due to extreme environmental requirements.

[@hamborg2]

The copper parts before crome, looks so awesome 💥🎶😍😍. I just want the copper look👍🏍

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

You and me both!

[@tomquinn5437]

True craftsmanship!

[@bruceyoung1343]

Simply Marvelous. Thank You 🙏

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thank you too!

[@anilkankonkar8957]

You are genius.Perfect Restoration.❤❤❤

[@mobilfone2234]

nice job! yes, chrome protects nickel and nickel protects the steel as chrome has micro cracks...

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Yes they do

[@drevill7827]

Great job guys!!!…👍… so much work for quality results!!!… I wish I could be there to enjoy the results!!!…👍… rock on!!…🤘

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thank you very much!

[@CitizenSmith50]

Having been involved in motorcycle restoration and customisation for over half a Century, something I am well aware of is the difference between British and Japanese chroming. Some of my British Chrome work has lasted a hundred years or so in good condition. However, I have always had problems with rust occurring on Japanese chrome, and now some of the junk coming out of China eg bars, mirrors, headlamp shells and the like start showing rust through the chrome within a year ! Old School way is certainly the best, but unfortunately the ( justified ) resultant cost due to all the time and effort involved has put restoring out of reach for me these days ! Great to see this video !

[@musawergulzar]

Brilliant ! . . . This Cured my OCD . . . Thankyou

[@IngOehman]

You’re putting in some serious work there!

[@michaelfraser8137]

Thanks

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Many thanks to you. Yours is the first Super Thanks I have received, very generous of you.

[@furyckenbass4349]

Je n'imaginais pas la quantité de travail pour arriver à ce résultat, je suis impressionné. C'est splendide !

[@Weazelmania]

Fantastic to see this still being donem

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Not many of us left.

[@Weazelmania]

@@ChromeandCarRestoration get the apprentices in 💪 the future is artisan

[@susandavis5833]

Wow! Lot of work!

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Yes it was!

[@JuanVega-b8g]

Outstanding work very nice.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thank you very much!

[@insaneAlchemyOfeviI]

incredible work ..... - such expertise.....Thanks for a very educational demonstration ...!!

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

My pleasure!

[@deanedeane4318]

Holly shit i never knew how seriously big this process is !!! WoW the before and after .... Thankyou for sharing and Love from New Zealand 🙃😉😎

[@rmax2]

great video and fantastic looking work! 👍

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thank you very much!

[@mattquigley4340]

What an outstanding & exceptionally well presented video or should I say documentary. I would allow you to rechrome my custom bike parts in a heart beat & I have mil spec ocd

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thanks

[@ThePetalesharo]

Fantastic quality work!

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thanks a lot!

[@speedtrip1647]

Brilliant, love the attention to detail 👍👍

[@MAsWorld1]

Great amazing work thanks for showing all the steps! So factory didn’t use nickel obviously, these are WAY better than the oem parts!

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

They did use nickel. How you put it on makes a massive difference. Iill get an explainer video made about it, as it is not straightforward.

[@MAsWorld1]

@@ChromeandCarRestoration thx, so In triple chrome plating in what order are the three metals plated?

[@Price-qd1cd]

Absolutely beautiful,wish I could ship my parts to you from here in the US

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

You can

[@hughschwartz6438]

Outstanding workmanship!

[@robedmunds7163]

That is better chrome than it ever had on a CX originally

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Correct

[@billfurlong9998]

Great job, not many chromes do such a good job as you do. Well done. Take care of your health! It looks like it could be a health hazard if not kept in check.

[@jimflood6550]

Great video, always wonder all that's involved in chroming parts. Thanks for such a great video.

[@jcmusco]

Perferfection, my 28 year old kawasaki Vulcan crome still looks great

[@papatorr3669]

Loved the video. I wanted two small parts re-chromed here in Virginia USA and was quoted $550!

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Ouch that sounds expensive. You could always ship them to us here in England

[@papatorr3669]

@@ChromeandCarRestoration It's actually for the chrome pieces that the turn signals attach to on a 2000 Triumph Thunderbird Sport...from England! Why don't you guys just chrome it right in the first place? 🙄

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

@papatorr3669 I live 5 miles from the Triumph Factory. They closed down their plating shop over 20 years ago. All their plating is done in Asia. Thailand, I think. Most of their bikes are made there too. Mainly, the design is done in England now.

[@papatorr3669]

@@ChromeandCarRestoration I'm sorry to hear that. Where do I send you pictures?

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

@@papatorr3669 [e-mail]

[@davefrench3608]

Nice to see a CX500Cb getting some love. Where's the chrome water pipe?

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Good question!

[@josephxanthopoulos]

Nice work. BRAVO !!!

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Many thanks!!

[@richardcasey7521]

Great educational video. Good sound track too.

[@swamppifi6186]

I think you may need to do a follow up video on these and explain how they ended up so bad in the first place, and what is the correct method to protect the chrome finish to make them last.

[@ahmadfaizal8345]

Hi, would you like to tell me what brand and type of dynamo driver you are using?

[@philclarke6785]

Really good and informative video!😊

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thank you! 😃

[@howardsmith613]

You sure make a good job well done , and a great video.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@aydinefendi]

Great work. I wonder if Japanese bikes have all the three (copper,nickel and chrome) platings together?

[@nilseckerbom6826]

Very nice video, I think that it is very rare to find such company , making a perfect work, Here in Thailand where I live they do normally not using copper , then crome leaving the metall after 6 month of using the bike

[@trentmozee]

Wow fantastic work great job.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thank you so much 😀

[@Ozarkwoods]

Wow,wow,wow amazing job!

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thank you very much!

[@kevinproctor8743]

That is an incredible transformation

[@elephantman2415]

I had no idea it was all so laborious!

[@CarlosGlatzos976]

Doesn´t 80 grid sandpaper take away too much metal? What paste do you use on the belt sander in the beginning of the process? I would not dare to try this with my motorcycle parts, would sand through...damn fine work, looks amazing.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

80 grit belt in the hands of the inexperienced is a disaster. The paste is actually grease to slow the cut.

[@CarlosGlatzos976]

@@ChromeandCarRestoration lol thanks for the answer. I´m not saying I´m inexperienced with a belt sander but when I tried this the fender still would be reduced to 50% in width after the 180 grid pass and not look round any longer. Your skill on this is really something.

[@patmays7344]

They all look great. Beautiful even? Where are you located?

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Coventry

[@NikMartin-I-am]

Could you replace your first few passes with a soda blaster? Seems like a relatively laborious and destructive process with the courser abrasive

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

No. You have to polish out to the bottom of the corrosion marks. Blasting just follows it.

[@ernestomonge7726]

EXCELLENT JOB👍

[@rainermathoul9063]

First of all, please excuse my bad English. That was a really great and informative post, because I have never seen anything like it done before. May I ask you how much such work costs, possibly for all the parts shown? Best wishes from Germany, Cologne, Rainer

[@khancross]

Why acid bath to remove plating and rust if the sander is used anyway? The sander scrubs of plating and rust in one step

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Rust kills abrasives. Also grinding it off produces ripples and low spots

[@busatrx850]

Are you able to plate exhaust pipes and also hard chrome fork stanchions?

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Yes we can plate exhausts (video being filmed soon). We cannot hard chrome. We often chrome stancheons, but if they are heavily pitted they need hard chroming till over size and grinding back to profile.

[@busatrx850]

@@ChromeandCarRestoration thanks. I’m assuming you couldn’t do the grinding back? Also what is the difference between the cosmetic chrome plating and hard chrome? - Great video by the way. It’s good to see care being taken over speed.

[@gaildimick1831]

What labor, very professional, looks better than factory. I never knew the parts to be plated took that much polishing & cleaning. No wonder it is expensive. Can you salvage the chrome that was taken off? Or is it trashed? Thanks for the video. Happy Easter.

[@rogerthedodger5788]

Can you chrome aluminum mudguards? Amazing restoration!

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Yes

[@IanBradley-ns1bg]

Alloys can be plated, but have to be treated with a Bondal process to prevent the plating acids attacking the alloy

[@johanneswenzl6216]

how much would a job like this be(rougly ofcourse)? i would have a simular "problem"

[@johnbower]

Excellent work, I have an old BSA B31 that needs the chrome re plating. Note : The rotating spindle on that polishing machine is very dangerous for the inexperienced, 50 odd years ago before strict health and safety rules, a long haired guy in our factory polishing stainless steel got his hair wrapped around the spindle and he lost his scalp, you must also be careful with clothing not getting caught,

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

You are correct. Long hair and loose clothing are lethal

[@geraldfitzgibbon7428]

Ther realy is loads of hours put into re plating these parts. All looks very good.

[@sethbaer7567]

So, do you have to start with 80 grit because the item needs to back to its original thickness after the three layers of plating?

[@lelandlewis7207]

That is some mandrel. I use a much smaller version with abrasive rolls when porting and polishing cylinder heads. This is why quality chrome work isn't cheap. I wish you were closer, I have a bunch of parts I want to get rechromed. I know prices vary according to job, but about how much doess a job like this cost?

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Yep, the polishing lathe is quite a beast. This was several hundred pounds worth of chrome

[@Macbetula-yl8wq]

Wow that a lot of possess, excellent job 👍

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Thank you so much 😀

[@johncamilleri6654]

how to keep it shine ? good job man

[@andreasbrunnhofer]

Beautiful! What are this balls for in the hot soap cleaner container?

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

They are insulation

[@IanBradley-ns1bg]

The correct name for the BALLS is Chroffles

[@talontv7010]

what are the compositions for making electro cleaning liquids?

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

There are many, depending on what process and material you are doing.

[@jakemarley5783]

Just out of curiosity, how many hours would be billed to this job. And great work, had no idea that much went into rechroming parts.

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

We dont keep track of the hours. Prices are estimated at the booking in stage.

[@garyb.4080]

Nice job! Here in the states, that would cost around 1000-1500 dollars, for new chrome!!

[@davidmckee2989]

How do you deal with parts that have very fine logos or serial numbers on the part ?. On retro bmx parts over polishing these off would render very expensive parts worthless. Very carefull abrading/ polishing ?

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

It depends how deep they are. If they are very feint it can be impossible to kepp no matter how careful you are. However, we are able to get parts engraved with logos and numbers if needed.

[@davidmckee2989]

@@ChromeandCarRestoration thank you for the reply 🙏

[@noeaguinaga4018]

I fucking love this. I can't believe that shops thought that spray chrome was gone every replace this method! The audacity! If I were a chrome shop I would cut the legs off that bs. This is an art . Sadly an art that I feel is dying. Along with upholstery, painting, glass etching etc. Lord knows I breath this shit for life. Car guy till I D.I.E. !!!😊

[@ChromeandCarRestoration]

Me too. Let them spend their money on fake chrome paint. They will always need proper chrome after it is done because it is garbage.