Can you chrome plastic

[ridgers]

You can chrome plastic.

Think of stanley tape measures and car badges, but its not long lasting as its vaccuum formed onto the plastic, because of this it is also expensive compared to the normal dipping process and not many companies have the equipment to do it.

[...joe]

^^^ thats what i meant, obviously you can chrome plastic as loads of stuff is..... but trying to find someone who'll do the odd bit for you is nigh on impossible. a guy in germany got his inner a-pillars done but god knows where or how much he paid.

[G6dub]

have taken some metal bits into a Chromers this week and was asking them about it.
It all depends on the type of plasic as well and they said it is to time comsuming and works out to expensive to do stuff.

[mix]

i would have thought that the chromed plastci would have been a kinda sticky vinyl that was then coated.  real chrome is a thin layer of metal (i think) that is electroplated to other metals, and from what i know, you cant electroplate plastic.  i could be worng tho, the video i saw for my a-level product design was very old....

[G6dub]

Glad you were taking note mix!

[mix]

got a memory like a sponge me..... remeber some, forget others....

but as im planning on being an engineer, always good to know these sorts a thing

[steelrat]

hi , yes you can Chrome plastic, wood, metals , rubber, and glass,
this company does it for you   htpp//www.chromapart.co.uk
they are near Branshatch race track Kent, worth a look

[...joe]

^^^ they got some good finishes on that but is it actual chrome? at the bottom of the gallery with the bikes on it, it says its a paint process? what ever it is its bloody good!

[mix]

yeah, looks good!!  but as you say joe, most likely is a paint/vinyl coating cos chrome is a metal and i cant see a way to adhere it decently to plastic etc unless its a thin layer of chrome that they glue to it... my head hurts thinking about it

[diagnosis-dub]

To chrome plastic you use a process called Vacuum metallizing.

Vacuum metallizing is the process of evaporating aluminum in a vacuum chamber forming an aluminum cloud which than condenses back on and bonds to the plastic to form a uniform layer, which shines like chrome. To protect it you spray over it with a lacquer which is why it has the appearance of a sprayed on effect.