Brass Plating on Top of Steel

[VJoe]

Thought I'd share some photos from a recent classic restoration project we did at the shop. The original pieces were rusted steel for a vintage vehicle. I polished, copper plated, Nickel plated, Brass plated and finally lacquered.

• Chemical strip (to avoid grit blasting damage)
• Heavy copper build for levelling
• Machine polish + hand finishing
• Bright nickel
• Brass Plate
• Lacquer

I hope you like

Photos below – happy to answer any questions about brightwork prep or plating!

Joe – Concours Plating
Birmingham, UK

 

[RWD3M]

Now your other two posts make sense!

Welcome to the madhouse Joe!

 

[voipio]

Never heard of brass plating. Does the plating solution use a mixture of copper and zinc sulphates?

 

[Kram]

That is interesting, what is involved in the brass plating step?

A way to do a real brass coating is to plate copper and then to plate with zinc, followed by baking for the zinc to diffuse into the copper, but I'm unsure if that is used commercially.

 

[Ross365]

A question that pops up on here from time to time is that of where to get solution to do electroless nickel plating - wonder if you offer that?

I've done a bit of nickel plating myself in the distant past, but I too have never heard of brass plating .

 

[Ton-up]

Aren't all cheap light fittings, door furniture, etc brass plated steel?

 

[colnerov]

Brenton on The Repair Shop does it by using a brass wire brush, gently brushed onto the steel with them connected electrically. I don't know how long it lasts.

 

[Kram]

Thinner than a blond one, seconds. Particually as most brass brushes are actually plated steel. Very few are real brass and the reason for that is, brass does not make a good brush material!

 

[Fazerruss]

Thought I'd share some photos from a recent classic restoration project we did at the shop. The original pieces were rusted steel for a vintage vehicle. I polished, copper plated, Nickel plated, Brass plated and finally lacquered.

• Chemical strip (to avoid grit blasting damage)
• Heavy copper build for levelling
• Machine polish + hand finishing
• Bright nickel
• Brass Plate
• Lacquer

I hope you like

Photos below – happy to answer any questions about brightwork prep or plating!

Joe – Concours Plating
Birmingham, UK

Do you plate motorcycle parts?
I do a lot of repairs to classic bike tin work and often get asked for recommendations for plating after I've finished the metalwork repairs

 

[Kram]

@oldbikedavey had some nicely chromed, new made parts when I visited last week.

 

[VJoe]

Do you plate motorcycle parts?
I do a lot of repairs to classic bike tin work and often get asked for recommendations for plating after I've finished the metalwork repairs

Yes I do but nor exhaust pipes because they will contaminate the tanks. I try to keep the tanks as clean for show chrome.

 

[Fazerruss]

Yes I do but nor exhaust pipes because they will contaminate the tanks. I try to keep the tanks as clean for show chrome.

Majority of the exhausts I repair are split open and media blasted so there is no carbon residue at all, just clean bare metal.
If you can give me some rough costs on these and mudguards etc.
This is an exhaust i did last week. It will be painted but the photo gives you an idea what they are like inside