Chroming a camera?

Dante_Stella

Dante_Stella

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Ok... here's on you don't see on google.

I have a couple of big old cameras, both of which are black paint (the only factory finish). Since the black paint is the worst finish of all time in terms of durability, I was thinking of chroming the bottom and top plates. The only things that are really permanently attached are two clear windows (counter and film type) and the plastic eyepiece.

Assuming I can detach these without ruining them, I was thinking of sandblasting (or bead blasting) and then either powdercoating or chrome plating the top and bottom.

The covers are fairly simple and made of one material (brass). Has anyone ever undertaken to plate something like this? I've seen a lot of info on de-plating but nothing on the other process (which I would guess a motorcycle shop can handle). I imagine that to get a matte surface (as opposed to mirror), the brass would have to be blasted with something a little harder than it.

Ideas?

Thanks
Dante
 
Chrome plating will only be as dull or as shiny as the metal itself was before plating. For powder coating, you want a blasted finish as a base. Any plating shop should be able to do the chrome, but powder coating must be done by somebody who does industrial painting. Powder coating comes in dull, semi-gloss and gloss in a ton of colors and is TOUGH. However, don't powder coat any mating surface, because it's thick! The latter shop can blast the parts to be powder coated for you too.
 
I don't see why it's not possible to get a nickel-chrome plating on these.
The main issue, if this is an issue at all for you, is that the finish.
I have seen some leicas that have been obviously replated and the super glossy finish was really ugly on them. I have no idea how to get the the dull/matt finish, but as I can see it, the bike lovers that use these shops prefer the shiny stuff, and that's what the platers usually propose. This is from my very limited experience and your milage has most chances to vary..
 
Oh, I forgot, be careful of too thick coating that will mess the controls, and of the temperature used in the baking process that can deform the brass.
 
An alternate DIY approach would be to use one of the coating finishes now popular on firearms - tough as hell, easy to use and available in colors. Requires a clean surface, then spray on the finish and bake it in an oven after the initial coat dries.

Don't do this in the kitchen unless you live alone!

Pick up a cheap toaster oven at a thrift store. I paid $3 for mine.

See more at a gunsmith supply outfit like Brownell's.

www.brownells.com
 
Instead of blasting the pieces, which will affect the surface roughness of the metal, you can perhaps also use paint stripper to remove the black paint. It's nasty stuff, but won't affect the metal underneath. Then you could perhaps even chose to just polish the metal 🙂
 
Paint stripper will remove the paint, but there is always residue left over. Then bead blast.

Curing won't deform the metal; it's not hot enough for that -- the paint I use bakes at 400 degrees F.

The Brownell stuff works, but prepping the metal is the key. Bead blast is the best way, but not with some monster blaster used on car parts, now THAT will deform the metal. I know that from experience. 🙂
 
I like the nickel plating idea, but the is also cadmium plating. It is much less expensive and can be done in many colors (including black). If I recall all the black paint is removed with stripper and then the visible areas fine sanded and then cad plated.

But here is an outfit that does it all (by the way I have had powder coating done on car parts and it there are tolerances that stuff is thick, same with chrome):

http://www.epi.com/pages/cadmium-plating
 
If you take it to the motorcycle shop, they'll just send it to a plater not do it in house. Ask them who they use or check your phone book for platers or powder coating.
There are plating kits available for home use in a variety of finishes like chrome & nickel but I've not used them.
 
The platers that do things like bumper bars and other car parts can be pretty rough. Unless they are used to fine parts like a camera base they are likely to give it a good cleanup with a disk sander.
 
Goto http://caswellplating.com and start reading. IMO you might have some issues with brass because of the higher heat required for curing but YMMV. Anyways, there's plenty of info on their site to get a better handle on the plating process.
Which camera(s) are you thinking of chroming?
 
http://www.angelfire.com/biz/Leica/page26.html

this page has a description of how leica chrome plated the iiic.

Satin-Chrome Finish

25. The satin-chrome finish on external metal parts was

obtained by the following process:-

26. Sandblast, hot cleaner without current, cold cleaner

with current, warm rinse, followed by cold rinse, hydrochloric

dip, copper flash, cold rinse, sulphuric dip, cold rinse, bright

nickel-plate, warm rinse, hydrochloric dip, bright chrome,

drag-out rinse, cold rinse, hot rinse, and dry.

27. All articles were jigged on racks and the racks were

screened to obviate side-throw.

28. The bright nickel tank was approximately 6' x 2' x 21/2',

six depolarised anodes being employed. The volt-meter and

ammeter on the resistance control board were all moving

coil pattern and the tank was worked at 2 volts, 25 amps. No

agitation of the electrolite was employed.

29. The chrome tank was approximately 4' x 2' x 21/2', twenty-

eight strip anti-monial lead anodes being employed. Moving

coil volt and ammeters were also fitted in the resistance board

and the tank was worked at 51/2 volts, 300 amps.

30. It was particularly noted that the time allowed for a

satisfactory chrome deposit was exactly three minutes. All the

plating equipment was spotlessly clean.
Click to expand...

tom abrahamsson also said once that a friend knew the black chrome process and plated one of his m2s that way.
 
Thanks. Anyone know of any chrome durability problems with screwmount Leicas? Never experienced it, but there's a first time for everything.

Dante

aizan said:
http://www.angelfire.com/biz/Leica/page26.html

this page has a description of how leica chrome plated the iiic.



tom abrahamsson also said once that a friend knew the black chrome process and plated one of his m2s that way.
Click to expand...
 
Dante

No new tangible information, but since I received a color skopar 28mm I can tell you that the finish is identical to Leica's.

If that's what you are after, and can put your hands on information from there...
 
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