Advanced Plating...Bumper Restoration

Bumper Restoration

Plating is more than just dipping a part in a chrome tank!
Take a look at our Bumper Restoration process step by step.

	STRIPPING: BEFORE ANY WORK BEGINS THE BUMPER IS STRIPPED 100% TO THE BARE METAL. ALL OLD CHROME, NICKEL, COPPER, RUST, EVER-THING IS REMOVED. PLATING OVER ANY OLD MATERIAL CAN LEAD TO PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE NEW PLATING.

	STRAIGHTENING & DENT REMOVAL: SMALL DENTS ARE HAMMERED OUT BY HAND. FOR LARGE DENTS AND FOR STRAIGHTENING PURPOSES A HYDRAULIC PRESS IS USED.

GRINDING & CRACK REPAIR & FILLING HOLES: AFTER THE BUMPER IS STRAIGHT & DENTS ARE REMOVED, THE PART IS READY FOR THE FIRST STAGE OF GRINDING. THIS REMOVES MOST OF THE PITS & IMPERFECTIONS IN THE METAL. CRACKS AND HOLES ARE REPAIRED USING BRASS. IF YOU ARE WELDING THE BOLTS IN FROM THE BACK SIDE HAVE THEM WELDED BEFORE SENDING TO US. DO NOT DRESS DOWN THE WELD ON THE FACE, LEAVE THE BEAD FOR US TO GRIND DOWN.

POLISHING: THROUGH A SERIES OF POLISHING USING DIFFERENT GRIT POLISHING WHEELS, THE METAL IS POLISHED TO A MIRROR FINISH REMOVING AS MANY IMPERFECTIONS AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT DISTORTING OR WAVING THE METAL. IMPERFECTIONS THAT REMAIN WILL BE REMOVED IN THE COPPER PLATING & POLISHING PROCESS.

COPPER PLATING: THE FIRST COPPER WE USE IS A HARD COPPER USED TO SEAL THE METAL AND PROVIDE A BASE COAT TO INSURE PROPER ADHESION FOR THE FOLLOWING COATS ACID COPPER PLATE TO FILL IMPERFECTIONS WE USE A SOFT ACID COPPER. THE PART IS BUILT UP WITH COPPER AND THAN RE-POLISHED TO A MIRROR FINISH. THIS PROCESS IS MUCH LIKE USING PRIMER IN PAINTING. BUILD THE SURFACE UP AND GRIND BACK DOWN UNTIL THE IMPERFECTIONS ARE FILLED AND REMOVED.

NICKEL PLATE: AFTER THE COPPER IS POLISHED AND ALL THE IMPERFECTIONS HAVE BEEN REMOVED, THE BUMPER IS NICKEL PLATED. AFTER THE BUMPER IS NICKEL PLATED. IF THERE ARE IMPERFECTIONS FOUND THE BUMPER WILL BE RE-POLISHED AND SENT BACK THROUGH THE COPPER PROCESS AND THAN RE-NICKEL PLATED. CHROME PLATE: AFTER THE BUMPER IS NICKEL PLATED AND IS FREE OF IMPERFECTIONS IT’S READY TO BE CHROME PLATED. AFTER CHROME PLATING IF IMPERFECTIONS ARE FOUND THE CHROME IS STRIPPED OF AND THE BUMPER GOES BACK THROUGH THE PROCESS OF NICKEL BUFFING, COPPER PLATING, RE-NICKEL PLATING AND FINALLY CHROME PLATING.

SPECIAL NOTES

BACKSIDE OF BUMPERS: EVERYTHING IS STRIPPED OFF AND WE BEAD BLAST THE BACKSIDE. THE BACKSIDE WILL PLATE WITH COPPER AND NICKEL; HOWEVER, DEPENDING ON THE CONTOUR OF THE BUMPER IT MAY NOT CHROME PLATE ON THE BACKSIDE. THE BACKSIDE WILL NOT HAVE A SMOOTH FINISH BECAUSE IT’S NOT POLISHED. WE RECOMMEND PAINTING THE BACKSIDE TO KEEP DETERIORATION FROM GETTING STARTED.

POLISHING BACKSIDE: IF REQUESTED WE CAN POLISH THE BACKSIDE OF A BUMPER TO A MIRROR FINISH. SINCE THIS DOUBLES THE PRICE WE ONLY RECOMMEND THIS FOR BUMPERS THAT STAND OUT FAR ENOUGH THAT THE BACKSIDE IS SEEN.

WELDING IN BOLTS FROM BACKSIDE: IF YOU'RE WANTING A SMOOTH FACE BUMPER WITH NO BOLTS HOLES, HAVE THE BOLTS WELDED IN BEFORE SENDING THE BUMPER TO US. LEAVE THE WELD BEAD ON THE FACE FOR US TO GRIND DOWN AND SMOOTH. AFTER THE BOLTS ARE WELDED IN, FIT THE BUMPERS TO THE CAR TO INSURE THE CORRECT PLACEMENT OF THE BOLTS.