I posted a bunch of info in one of FordWagonNut's 'luggage rack' comments. In my usual, curious link-fest mode, I found some great info on just about every kind of Powder Coating and Plating of any metal or plastic part we could ever need! You have to read their free Buffing document (PDF), download the PDF catalog too. Registration is free. At current prices, plating bumpers alone would pay for a basic kit. I'm looking at it for other things like my clock hobby and custom hinges on furniture, my Aluminum Bumpers and... http://www.caswellplating.com/ Heck of a Finishing Forum too. http://forum.caswellplating.com/ One thread on rechroming potmetal (door handles, mirrors, roof rack legs?) even talks about solder-filling the pits after some smoothing on a buffing wheel, and copperplating to really get the solder to bind. Download this PDF tutorial, for sure. http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/buffman.htm http://forum.caswellplating.com/archive/index.php/f-12.html And this one specifically: http://forum.caswellplating.com/plating-pot-metal/6526-pot-metal-soldering.html Outstanding info!
FWN, you have to check this page out. Better than the first books your folks gave you on Sex-Ed!(they were too late, and useless even back in my day!) http://www.caswellplating.com/movies/index.html Online power calculators and other goodies.
Back in your day Norm the parts that are stainless and chrome on cars today were Nickel plated. Nickel has a nice soft look to it.
And my car has both. Mind you the Aluminum Anodizing kits look like they have potential for my bumpers.
Norman, YOU ARE THE MAN! I'm gona have to sit down after work tonight and page through this. Looks like some really great stuff and places to look at. I already stripped the "wood" off the side rails and air foil. The stainless steel (I think thats what it is) cleaned up really nice. Once I figure out where to get the "feet" rechromed and apply new wood, it will look factory fresh. I'm really excited doing this. Since I was not alive in 1978 to order a wagon to my taste, now I can 30 some odd years later. I already put in the delay wiper option in (plug & play), got a set of split power bench seats that I have to still recover in green, added a quad 8 track, so yea my list is growing. As for the "back in your day" bit. The people I work with mostly are 20-25, I am 29. When I went to college in 2004-2008, again, there was a 2-5 year diff in age. Since I collect 60s & 70s stereo systems, tapes, LPs, and a few odd appliances from that time, it off sets my age even more to the eyes of a 20 year old. So when I am talking to most early 20 somethings, they get very confused by some of the actors, singers, TV shows, cars, etc that I talk about. When I changed over the ink reel for the typewriter at my dept at school, the girl looked at me like I was from space. She asked how did I know how to do that......
I'd be rich if I owned a car older than I am! ... You gotta go to Wally Mart's DVD section! All the old TV series shows. We picked up the Moonlighting series for like $20, all the seasons.
The Kitchen Sink and Pep Boys Well I lucked out again! These fancy corner sinks sell for over $900 to $1,200 up here. I found a used one for $40, but it needs help. Just grungy, a few light scratches, etc. So I searched our site and found an old link about buffing stainless in this thread: http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/buffman.htm Stainless steel sinks don't get the abuse that car trim does, so I ran a search on Bing.com and got this much simpler article, on the Dollar Stretcher site, which recommends Pepboys' for rubbing compound and 600 grit wet/dry paper. http://www.stretcher.com/stories/01/010723a.cfm
nice find there stormin norman....I didn't even know they made sinks like that for the corners....see there is always a treasure somewhere to find!
Learned something else about sinks too. The better sinks have a coating of... automotive again... StoneGuard underneath, so that they don't sound 'tinny' and to help keep the water warm.
