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Hot Topic (More than 10 Replies) Nickel plating? (Read 7160 times)
john
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Nickel plating?
Mar 14th, 2006 at 5:35pm
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The Stevens model 44 I'm working on was nickel plated origionally barrel, action, and butt plate. and I was wondering if there are any negative aspects to having my new barrels for the gun plated? they are octagon from Green Mountain in .22 match and .17hmr.
I'm about ready to have them plated if this is not agood idea I will have to have the platter remove the plating and clean them for blueing.

this column has been a great help to me so far hope my luck holds.

Sincerely,
John
  
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Green_Frog
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Re: Nickel plating?
Reply #1 - Mar 14th, 2006 at 7:14pm
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Just make sure that you use a plating company that understands you want a classic old gun nickel plating, not the modern kind with brighteners.  The current stuff looks as one wag put it, like it "ought to be on a car bumper!"   Roll Eyes

The old "Colt Scratcher," Ken Hurst has discovered one or two platers that can get the right effect, maybe he'll chime in here with some names and contact info.  How about it, Ken?  Wink

Froggie  Grin
  
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Brent
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Re: Nickel plating?
Reply #2 - Mar 14th, 2006 at 7:56pm
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I will vouch for Ken's source for black nickel plating.  I've had one buttplate done there and am going to be sending another soon.  Can't recall the name but if Ken doesn't chime in soon, I can find it.   

I do'nt htink I would plate barrels however.  Just not my style.   

Brent
  
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ken_hurst
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Re: Nickel plating?
Reply #3 - Mar 14th, 2006 at 10:57pm
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The co. you are looking for is Reliable plating co in Chartly, Mass. ( ask for Dale Broadbent-owner) I think they still run an ad. in the Journal.  They do the finest work available ! Be sure to request "Black" nic. plating and have them do the sfter plating polishing.  FWIW,   Ken
  
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Cknerr
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Re: Nickel plating?
Reply #4 - Mar 15th, 2006 at 7:07am
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Please forgive me for being a little off subject, but.

Since nickel plating was brought up...
How do you remove it? I have (ducking for cover) a Remington cap & ball revolver from the very first batch sent to the Army just before the civil war. Some (fill in any 4 letter adjective) person nickel plated it. I would like to remove the plating. It isn't as shiny as a chrome bumper, but not very far from it either. Looks really weird, and I almost cry every time I look at it. BTW, this is for a customer... and never having run into this before, can someone pass along some suggestions?

Thanks,
Chris
  
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40_Rod
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Re: Nickel plating?
Reply #5 - Mar 15th, 2006 at 8:00am
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A good plater can reverse plate the pistol for you. Or you could do it the old fashioned way clean it with Hoppe's. Hoppe's is reported to remove nickle.

40 Rod
  
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ken_hurst
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Re: Nickel plating?
Reply #6 - Mar 15th, 2006 at 12:13pm
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I send my nic. stripping work to the same co.    When the gun comes back, the base metal is as shinny as the day it was plated (except places where nic. has been penetrated or dented).   Ken
  
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Re: Nickel plating?
Reply #7 - Mar 15th, 2006 at 7:17pm
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Brownells offers a stripper. I know of at least one person who was happy using it.
  
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Cknerr
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Re: Nickel plating?
Reply #8 - Mar 16th, 2006 at 1:04pm
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John, please forgive me for hijacking your conversation. 

Guys... thanks for your info. You will make a customer of mine grin from ear to ear when I tell him that museaum peice is salvagable (besides, I hate to see a grown man cry).

Thanks so much!
Chris
  
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Re: Nickel plating?
Reply #9 - Mar 18th, 2006 at 7:39pm
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Chris,

You probably are aware of this, but just in case...

Check the thickness of the plating if you are able (finding a flaked area next to a full-thickness plated area and checking the depth will work).  Often the plater will polish down the original metal so the plating reestablishes the tolerances of fit once it is on the metal.  If the plating itself is unaesthetic, the loose rattly aspect of the deplated gun will be exasperating.
  
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Cknerr
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Re: Nickel plating?
Reply #10 - Mar 20th, 2006 at 12:56pm
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Thanks for that note.

Thankfully the plating is just on the outside. The lettering on top of the barrel is mostly illegible it is so thick. I hope the guy just had the outside done, and when removed, the preserved metal will show up as it should. Then I get to "restore" a 150 year old blueing job. 

..but what if the nickel got inside? good point! Think I will go to church for the second or third time in my life, just in case.

Take care,
Chris
  
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