Chrome plating an enclosure

[Fret Wire]

Fretwire - but how does satch's guitar get chrome plated...

I _really_ wanna do that.  Its too cool.

Probably something similar to this:
http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/silvaspray.html
Isn't the Satch guitar you're talking about Lucite?

Caswell also has decent prices on powder coating equipment:
http://www.caswellplating.com/powder/powder_coat.htm
http://www.caswellplating.com/powder/powder_kit.html

Anodizing:
http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/aluminum.htm

[zachary vex]

you don't have to plate to get a pretty chrome-like look with aluminum.  just sand with varying grits until you work your way down to very fine, then laquer.  this is a box prepared for me by the company that makes my enclosures.  their laquer process is proprietary, so even i don't know how it's done, but it can be painted on with our enamels and does well when clear-coated with automotive 2-part epoxy clear.

[Hal]

Im pretty sure its wood....if it was lucite, that would be lame.

I read somewhere its actually "dipped in chrome"   weird.  

He has some problems with it sticking, and says it sharp where it peels up.  But man-oh-man that thing looked hot on stage shining spot-lights into my eyes at the G3 show :-D

Fretwire - but how does satch's guitar get chrome plated...

I _really_ wanna do that.  Its too cool.

Probably something similar to this:
http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/silvaspray.html
Isn't the Satch guitar you're talking about Lucite?

Caswell also has decent prices on powder coating equipment:
http://www.caswellplating.com/powder/powder_coat.htm
http://www.caswellplating.com/powder/powder_kit.html

Anodizing:
http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/aluminum.htm

[Fret Wire]

Wood or Lucite, you could coat it with the Silvaspray, then chrome plate. Way beyond the realm of home kits, though. Not enough voltage to do such a large area properly.

[Fret Wire]

you don't have to plate to get a pretty chrome-like look with aluminum.  just sand with varying grits until you work your way down to very fine, then laquer.  this is a box prepared for me by the company that makes my enclosures.  their laquer process is proprietary, so even i don't know how it's done, but it can be painted on with our enamels and does well when clear-coated with automotive 2-part epoxy clear.

Very nice Zac.  For a "chrome" look, that's all you have to do. Polish the aluminum to a high degree of gloss. Then clearcoat (I use epoxy aerosol) to prevent oxidation. Then apply your graghics using paint or decals, then clearcoat again to protect the graphics.

And that's the rub. I haven't done a box yet because other than chrome, the other platings must be clearcoated to prevent tarnish. So you get a slightly painted look anyhow. I used to carry  nickel and gold plated pennies around to sell plating jobs, and they would wear through the plate bouncing around in my pocket with the other change. The clearcoat helps prevent wear also.

So is it worth the effort for all the prep work to plate a box, then clearcoat over, and end up with a look that some aerosol gold and chromes might duplicate? Depends on the design, plating metal, and graphics.

What I'll probably try is a gold plated box, and tape off the graphics, so the graphics are nickel and copper. Top it off with chrome Tele type knobs, and chrome LED betzel, and that should look sharp. I have the Zincate on order, so soon....

Might be a nice idea for a "Special Edition Nano Head".

[Marcus Dahl]

Im pretty sure its wood....if it was lucite, that would be lame.

[/quote]

If I remember correctly, it's Lucite. I sold 2 to one guy and one to another. They actually chromed them, and most of them look like crap up close. The chrome comes off really easy. Under the chrome it looked milky egg white like. I remember having to send one back because the chrome started coming off in the case just from rubbing in the case during shipping. It's the worst finish job I've ever seen on any guitar ever. The worst finish I've ever seen Ibanez do.  :cry:

[keninverse]

Can you use these techiques to tin plate boards?  I've used tinnit and liquid tin but the stuff always oxidizes.  but it seems like all of my professionally made boards almost never oxidize...

[Fret Wire]

Yes, you can tin plate boards with the home Plug N' Plate kits. Copper is usually the base for all other platings. They sell a tin kit.

http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/plugnplate.htm

[Hal]

I just looked it up online....the origional ones were basswood...they were made in '92-'93.  And they had problems...They were made only for Satch. Ibanez started making a "production" line in '98.  Very few were made, but they were sold to the public.  Those were lucite.  Apparently it still had problems.

Im pretty sure its wood....if it was lucite, that would be lame.

If I remember correctly, it's Lucite. I sold 2 to one guy and one to another. They actually chromed them, and most of them look like crap up close. The chrome comes off really easy. Under the chrome it looked milky egg white like. I remember having to send one back because the chrome started coming off in the case just from rubbing in the case during shipping. It's the worst finish job I've ever seen on any guitar ever. The worst finish I've ever seen Ibanez do.  :cry:[/quote]

[knealebrown]

im thinking about going for a chrome finish on my voxv847 wah, i was just thinking about buying some chrome spray paint.

do you think that it would work?