Re: [Harp-L] re plating vintage harp covers

[BiscuitBoy714@xxxxxxx]

Stan, I used to be a chrome  platter for Harley motor covers (among other 
things) at a company called Erie  Plating. I was damn good at it if I may say so. 
When you chrome plate something  (especially steel) it goes through a process 
of cleaning, copper. nickel,  chrome. There are things you can do to make it 
either shiny or kind of a satin  finish. There is also black chrome. I'm 
assuming you want the hard chrome shiny  finish. If the covers are pitted to the 
point that they have holes in them it  might be too late. You could put extra 
copper and nickel on them before the  chrome to cover some of that up, but if 
you plate too much it can change the  size of the holes to the point that you 
might have to drill them out, and I  would imagine they may be so thick that it 
could make then leaky. If the covers  are just showing surface rust it ought 
to be about what you have in mind. The  chemicals involved can take care of the 
rust itself but they may have to be  buffed to make them look smooth. I guess 
within all of this rambling I'm trying  to say that it will be pretty 
expensive to get them done. I wish I was still  working at Erie Plating I'd have done 
it free when I was off work and the  boss wasn't looking. I had my sax 
refinished there. Really we just cleaned it  real good and buffed it out but I had a 
pro put it back together.
          If you know of  anybody around your area that does bumpers or any 
ornamental chrome plating you  might be able to talk them in to doing it for 
you. If I were you I'd get some  real find sand paper and fix the rust problem 
myself and get them to just plate  'em. That would take a bunch of the cost off 
of the process.
       If you can't find anybody to plate  them get in touch with me and I'll 
call and see if I can work it out for you at  Erie Plating. If there was 
interest enough I could set it up as a kind of job  for them. They couldn't tell 
me that the racking and stuff makes the cost go up,  I can see in my minds eye 
how I would do it. It would take about an hour though  to do it right. Thanx 
for the memory's of a hectic time in my life but a pretty  fulfilling one.
         Randy
    PS now that I think of it I think I did the covers on  one of my harps. I 
was playing a lot then and working my butt of. There was a  bar right across 
the street from there that had a great open jam on Sunday's too  and I taught 
a good buddy of mine how to play harp. He never misses one of those  jams and 
he still works at Erie Plating. We just might have an in. I'm real  good 
friends with the 2nd shift manager too.    OOOOOO Toddy can  you ya do a favor for 
me?? By the way how much did it cost for all those lessons  on the harp??? 
Really I just showed him some licks and taught him how to teach  himself..
       
 
In a message dated 7/5/2007 9:58:34 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
sgvg@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:

Does any  body know where a person can send vintage metal harp covers or 
scales, that  need re-plating? I enjoy the older harps and new ones but, would 
like to spend  some extra  on a few of the older ones I have purchased, to up 
grade them  to look more presentable. Maybe they have too much rust to restore?
I also have one of the big 48 chord 2 row Horner chord harmonicas  that needs 
a couple of new cover plates. It plays well but when I bought it on  e bay 
looks like somebody was have a bad day and El- Cabonged something or  somebody? 
Thanks
Stan


 



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