Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Hand Tools). This thread is read-only.
hi um
er… how do i repair chrome on hand tools and wouldnt stainless steel be better and cheaper than chrome cause its so weak and bad and how do i repair?
Welcome to the forum.
The tool chrome is a multiple layer polishing and process applied to protect the base metal.
Once the chrome has deteriorated then the restoration cost greatly exceeds the tool value.
The steel used on tools is much stronger than stainless steel, leading to tools made from steel instead of stainless.
It is possible to improve the appearance of chrome tools using metal polish, but the existing damage is permanent.
wdym “Once the chrome has deteriorated then the restoration cost greatly exceeds the tool value.”?
how do i fix the damage?
There are many US companies offering chrome plating services.
All are extremely expensive. The per part cost is improved by increasing the quantity of parts provided for that service.
The typical end users are customizers of motorcycles, yachts and high end vehicles, where cost is no object.
Here is one company offering chrome plating services.
Note that this is not a DIY operation. The equipment is massive, power hungry, very specialized and the chemicals are extremely toxic.
The (highly simplified) process is to polish the existing parts to a chrome like shine, removing all the existing chrome plating in the process. The bare steel is then plated in copper. The copper is then polished. There are then several types of chrome plating operations, w/ intermediate polishing, followed by the final chrome plating.
Having a small part restored is very, very expensive, but the result will be amazing.
wdym “Once the chrome has deteriorated then the restoration cost greatly exceeds the tool value.”?
As an example, restoration of a small and simple to polish part may cost high hundreds to low thousands of dollars. Here is a link w/ prices.
So, a cool old tool that might have cost $20 new, with a value of $5 doesn’t make financial sense to throw $1K to make it look better than new.
Here is a good link on the chrome plating process.
chrome is bad tho isint it? and is kobalt better than stanley?
All my chrome tools have been fine. I have zero concerns w/ tool chrome plating and would not consider it “bad”. I attempt to care for my tools so the long term condition remains acceptable.
Most of my chrome plated hand tools are many, many decades old and are doing fine.
The surface finish on the full combination wrench set and screwdriver set bolted to the engine room wall on my salt water boat has deteriorated over the years, but IMO that is an acceptable trade off to keep tools handy for quick service.
No idea on Kobalt versus Stanley. I have both and they have been fine. My Stanley tools are decades older than my Kobalt tools.
I hae damaged chrome hand tool how do i repair for cheap or free?
Why not post picture(s) showing the problem?
camera wont catch but i have a vid on it here:
skip to 3:50 but pause on 3:54
wingless wrote:
On 10/29/2021 at 4:52 PM, wingless said:Welcome to the forum.
The tool chrome is a multiple layer polishing and process applied to protect the base metal.
Once the chrome has deteriorated then the restoration cost greatly exceeds the tool value.
The steel used on tools is much stronger than stainless steel, leading to tools made from steel instead of stainless.
It is possible to improve the appearance of chrome tools using metal polish, but the existing damage is permanent.
Perfect explanation! Nothing to add.
One thing I can add here is to buy expensive and quality chrome plated hand tools from bands like Snap On, it is very rare to see the chrome plate is damaged on these brands. So basically you get what you pay for.
wingless wrote:
On 10/30/2021 at 8:39 AM, wingless said:Why not post picture(s) showing the problem?
if chrome is expansive then why does companys chrome thier tools? dont they loose money?