Q.  What is a vacuum metalized finish?

A. It is a process whereby aluminum is vaporized in a vacuum chamber and coats plastic parts.

Q.  How thick is the aluminum finish?

A. The aluminum finish is a very thin film that is protected by 2 layers of clear automotive top coat paint.

Q. How durable is the top coat?

A. The top coat that we use is a urethane, exterior, high quality paint, similar in durability to the paint on new cars. It will not crack or yellow in the sun.

Q.  Will this finish be as durable as metal chrome?

A. No it is not. Since this is a painted top coat surface, it will scratch and in exterior applications, will be susceptible to rock chips.  If the top coat has been chipped and the aluminum is exposed, it will begin to oxidize in the weather and it may cause the surrounding area to lift.

Q. Once the surface has been chipped is there a way to save the finish?

A. Yes, by applying clear lacquer paint to the affected area.

Q.  Is your process as smooth as chrome on metal?

A. The smoothness of the surface after plating is dependent upon the surface condition of the original part.

Q.  What if the part has a rough finish or needs to be sanded or repaired prior to plating. 

A. The finish will mostly likely have a slight orange peel effect after it has been plated.

Q.  What causes the orange peel effect?

A. In vacuum metalizing, in order to cover sanding marks and repaired sections adequately, several coats of specially designed paint must be applied to ensure a uniform and even consistency on the surface of the part. The more layers required to cover the sanding marks and repaired sections, the more the orange peel effect will become prominent.

Q.  Can the surface be polished prior to plating?

A. After the part has been base coated the piece cannot be touched, sanded or polished prior to the process because the plated surface will show up any sanding or swirl marks.

Q. My parts are old and not in perfect condition will they stand up to your process and will they look as good as new when complete?

A. As the years progress, the parts become less likely to be able to handle the requirements of the process we use. In our cleaning process, the temperatures required to strip a part may enlarge an already existing crack or bring out ones that may not have been visible prior to stripping. In this case, we may have to contact you to advise of the condition of the plastic part(s). Expectations of 30 year plus parts to be in new condition upon return is becoming more and more difficult. Some parts will not be in good enough condition and in these cases you will be contacted to search out alternate core parts.

Q. Should I remove my gauges from the dash prior to shipping?

A. Yes. We do not want anything that we are not going to plate other than parts that have been hot melted to the core bezel. We cannot take responsibility for lost or broken parts if you do not disassemble before shipping.

Q. Should I send my instrument bezel lenses or remove them?

A. If they are hot melted to the core bezel then leave them intact and we will remove them. Clear lenses have become more and more of a problem as the years progress. We may not be able to buff or polish certain lenses because they are susceptible to fracturing. We have found over the last few years that due to the age of the lenses and their possible brittle state, when polishing the lens, they fracture making it nearly impossible to see through. We can no longer be responsible for lenses fracturing and if we feel the lenses are too brittle, they will be returned without being cleaned or polished.

Q. Do you replate the chromed area on my instrument bezel lens?

A. At this time, we are suspending any plating on clear lens due to the circumstances listed above. As well, most lenses cannot with stand the bake temperatures required to cure the base coat paint and will fracture in the heat.

Q. Can my parts be plated if they have been previously painted?

A. We can if the paint can be stripped in our cleaning process or alternatively, sanded to the core plastic.

Q. What can I use to clean my plated parts?

A. A mild soap cleaner, with no abrasives. Do not use any silicone based or ammonia products or it will cloud the surface over time.

Q.  I have purchased an after market part and want to know if it can be plated?

A.  We will only plate after market parts purchased from approved dealers.  Not all after market parts are made the same.  These parts must be capable of withstanding temperatures of up to 180 degrees and if the plastic is too soft and not made from the correct materials, it will warp or shrink.  We have tested parts from some manufacturers and they meet our criteria for plating and therefore, we will only plate after market parts purchased from approved manufacturers.

Q. How do I get my parts to you and what information do you need from me?

A.  Check out our "Contact Us" page it answers all your questions.