Can anybody help!!!!

Yorkshire Dan
Yorkshire Dan Posts: 2
edited February 2011 in Commuting chat
Does anyone know where I can get my bike frames nickel plated in the UK? I have heard it makes it scratch and corrosion resistant, is that right? I can’t seem to find anywhere on the internet!!!

Comments

  • SimonAH
    SimonAH Posts: 3,730
    I'm afraid that I don't think any dip plater is going to want to touch a refurbished bike frame because of the gunk inside the tubes mucking up his tanks.

    I can point you in the direction of someone who could coat your frame in tungsten carbide if you want a REALLY scratch resistant finish though!
    FCN 5 belt driven fixie for city bits
    CAADX 105 beastie for bumpy bits
    Litespeed L3 for Strava bits

    Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 27,624
    Try these guys

    http://www.eicgroup.co.uk/index.php?lang=eng&page=processes&gclid=COXDkIaL3aYCFYpO4Qod4xbv0g

    But I have a suspicion that it will be astronomically expensive.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • crankycrank
    crankycrank Posts: 1,830
    Try Bob Jackson in Leeds. Some frames don't handle nickel well though. It can make the metal brittle for certain types of tubing. A good plater can advise you on that one. It does provide a durable but not completely scratchproof finish but is also very expensive. I think a good powdercoat or quality paintjob would be a better choice as they are much less expensive and still fairly durable.
  • EKE_38BPM
    EKE_38BPM Posts: 5,821
    There is a shop just off Brick Lane (but not Brick Lane Bikes, which isn't on Brick Lane anyway) that caters to the really well off "Daddy owns half of Scotland" hipsters, which sell a copper plated fixie (only £2000 to you, sir).
    Maybe contact them to ask who plates their frames. If you can't find them I have their address at home.
    FCN 3: Raleigh Record Ace fixie-to be resurrected sometime in the future
    FCN 4: Planet X Schmaffenschmack 2- workhorse
    FCN 9: B Twin Vitamin - winter commuter/loan bike for trainees

    I'm hungry. I'm always hungry!
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 27,624
    A copper plated bike? You know that school science experiment where you wrap some copper wire around a steel nail...
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    Sounds like a total waste of money. Why not just keep the bike indoors and clean it after wet winter rides?
  • Jay dubbleU
    Jay dubbleU Posts: 3,159
    Should go an interesting green colour after a few rides!

    Probably not a good idea to ride in thunderstorms
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,052
    Il Principe wrote:
    Sounds like a total waste of money. Why not just keep the bike indoors and clean it after wet winter rides?

    Stop being practical and grown up, jeez is this what happens when you get all "MARRIED"

    You used to be cool :lol:

    Bring back Jash
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • jimmypippa
    jimmypippa Posts: 1,712
    Jay dubbleU wrote:
    Should go an interesting green colour after a few rides!

    Probably not a good idea to ride in thunderstorms

    It's better* than that Sacrificial corrosion means that the copper would make the steeel corrode quicker.
    Zinc plating would work OK...


    *worse
    http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=6404
  • SmellTheGlove
    SmellTheGlove Posts: 697
    Russell Labs in Kingsnorth, Kent
    Talk to Bob WIlliams, a genuine authority on electro and electroless plating. Be prepared because he will potentially grill you (in the most non-judgmental fashion) on every technical aspect of your substrate and your expectations, but you will soon know whether it's worth trying or not.
    And what's more you'll have had the pleasure of talking to a proper gent.
    Good luck!
    "Consider the grebe..."
  • EKE_38BPM
    EKE_38BPM Posts: 5,821
    The copper plated bike is mounted on a wall and you can clearly see every fingerprint on it. The older fingerprints have changed colour quite significantly and the bike is fading from the bright copper colour to what I shall call "pub urinal pipe" brown.

    Really an idea for people with more money than sense.
    FCN 3: Raleigh Record Ace fixie-to be resurrected sometime in the future
    FCN 4: Planet X Schmaffenschmack 2- workhorse
    FCN 9: B Twin Vitamin - winter commuter/loan bike for trainees

    I'm hungry. I'm always hungry!
  • Jay dubbleU
    Jay dubbleU Posts: 3,159
    EKE_38BPM wrote:
    The copper plated bike is mounted on a wall and you can clearly see every fingerprint on it. The older fingerprints have changed colour quite significantly and the bike is fading from the bright copper colour to what I shall call "pub urinal pipe" brown.

    Really an idea for people with more money than sense.

    Presumable having had the bike plated it would the have to be clear laquered to prevent the pub urinal effect
  • EKE_38BPM
    EKE_38BPM Posts: 5,821
    Nope. No laquer. I guess a bit of Brasso once in a while to keep it shiny.
    FCN 3: Raleigh Record Ace fixie-to be resurrected sometime in the future
    FCN 4: Planet X Schmaffenschmack 2- workhorse
    FCN 9: B Twin Vitamin - winter commuter/loan bike for trainees

    I'm hungry. I'm always hungry!
  • deano spencer
    deano spencer Posts: 1
    I got my bike frame nickel plated at NiTEC who are based in Chesterfield.
    I decided on nickel rather than chrome as it is harder wearing and I saw comments from some people who had their frame coated in chrome and it wore relatively quickly. It only took 5 days and the finish looks really good and most importantly it isn’t even worn yet despite me using it every weekend in the typical mountain biking conditions! My frame is aluminium, but I remember the guy saying they did steel frames too.

    Their website is: http://www.nitec-enp.co.uk

    Hope this helps!
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 27,624
    deano spencer wrote:
    I got my bike frame nickel plated at NiTEC who are based in Chesterfield.
    I decided on nickel rather than chrome as it is harder wearing and I saw comments from some people who had their frame coated in chrome and it wore relatively quickly. It only took 5 days and the finish looks really good and most importantly it isn’t even worn yet despite me using it every weekend in the typical mountain biking conditions! My frame is aluminium, but I remember the guy saying they did steel frames too.

    Their website is: http://www.nitec-enp.co.uk

    Hope this helps!

    Actually, now I think about it, when we researched nickel plating some aluminium cladding panels for one of our projects, Nitec came up, and I seem to remember they were quite helpful, despite us deciding that nickel plating wasn't what we needed.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition

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