Process
OUR PROCESS
It may seem like a simple idea, but our chrome plating process has no fewer than 13 individual stages, each unique and crucial to restoring your bumper or trim piece to a perfect chrome shine. For instance, to get a durable, beautiful chrome finish, we first have to plate your bumper with two other metals. We also straighten your bumper, comparing it to a factory-spec form. The finished product is built on a foundation of a great deal of hard work that preceded it.
HOW IT WORKS
Click on each stage for a more detailed description.
Your bumper is registered, processed, and evaluated for work. Each bumper is tagged and inscribed for your specific job, so you can be sure you won't get back someone else's parts.
We clean off rust, paint, and other buildup so we can appraise the job. This is done in a separate facility with expert technicians, and then sent back to check-in if more work is needed.
Your bumper is compared to a stock form and straightened out. We staff two dedicated straighteners with years of experience in metalwork.
We remove any existing plating so we can start fresh. Say goodbye to that old, pitted chrome. Our fresh plating will bond better to bare steel.
Our grinders remove marks left by the straightening team. They use rough, 60 grit grinding discs to get the process started. This will be important to the finish later.
If needed, our expert welders will cut out and patch any holes that might have been left by rust or damage. Each hole is cut out and patched in a square section for precise, optimized welds.
This removes marks left by the grinders. It's all done with power sanders and ever finer grit. This stage is essential, because visible imperfections will show through the copper.
The foundation for all plating to follow. Yes, before we can add chrome, we have to add copper. This provides a great base coat that we can polish to a bright luster.
We make that copper shine. Using extremely fine sandpaper and soft buffers, we give the copper a luster that will be seen through the finished product.
We bond Nickel to the copper in three layers. This is probably the most important metal we plate, since it's the layer you "see" the most.
Now we're ready to add the chrome. The chrome layer will add an incredible shine and classic, bluish tint to your bumper. We only use the best chrome, so it will match the rest of your trim.
We painstakingly search for flaws or defects in our work. If we find any problems at all, we strip it back to copper and start the plating process all over.
Everything is thoroughly and carefully packaged and sent back to you. Or, if you're local, you can come in an pick up your finished project yourself.
NEED A CHROMING ESTIMATE?
Now you have seen the level of care and detail that goes into the chroming process, are you ready to get started?
Request an EstimateDownload & fill out the "Customer Information Form" above before sending your bumpers, hood ornaments, etc. to be restored.
This is for all customers of North Star Plating.
"The skill and care the Brainerd team puts into every assignment is unmatched in the industry. They take pride in the difficult challenges that come with specific parts, using their experience and resources to deliver the best possible results."
-Keith Anderson (General Manager)