# Quality Chrome Plating? Opinions please



## Bicycle Belle (Jul 14, 2014)

Has anyone ever used Quality Chrome Plating in Sterling Ill.? Their prices seem reasonable.
http://www.qualitychromeplating.com/bicycles.php?pageNum_rsmotorcycle=0&totalRows_rsmotorcycle=75


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## Sped Man (Jul 14, 2014)

Prices sound reasonable. Do you live close or are you going to ship it in? In Chicago, Calco is the place to chrome unfortunately to chrome plate a chain guard the price is close to $120. The EPA closed a ton of affordable chrome platers in Chicago.


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## Djshakes (Jul 14, 2014)

After reading those prices I am glad I live next to Mexico.


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## Sped Man (Jul 14, 2014)

Djshakes said:


> After reading those prices I am glad I live next to Mexico.




I wish we did also. I hear medicine, doctor and dentist fees are way cheaper than in the US. My father in law had all of his front teeth replaced with implants. He paid $1500. In Chicago, the dentist wants $3000 a tooth! It should be a crime to charge that much for such a simple procedure. He had 7 teeth replaced. All he had to do was cross the border several times for the procedure to be done.


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## Djshakes (Jul 14, 2014)

I have a guy that runs my chrome to Mexico for me.  However, before I found him I went with a company call "California Plating" in San Diego. They are right by the border so they just take it down there.  Basically a middle man.  However, will probably be cheaper than the prices you get in the Midwest.  You can send the stuff to them.


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## Wayne Adam (Jul 14, 2014)

*Chrome Plating*

Hi Celeste,
   I had chrome done by Brian Proctor of Proctor Metal Finishing in the midwest. The quality was excellent and I feel that the price was fair.
 I emailed them pictures of the parts to be chromed, and they gave me an itemized price. It is a family run business and the people were nice.
 Here is their web address    http://proctorsmetalfinishing.net/
                                                                                                            Wayne

PS...This is my opinion based upon my experience with them. Other CABE members who have used Proctor's should post their opinions.


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## Freqman1 (Jul 14, 2014)

Wayne Adam said:


> Hi Celeste,
> I had chrome done by Brian Proctor of Proctor Metal Finishing in the midwest. The quality was excellent and I feel that the price was fair.
> I emailed them pictures of the parts to be chromed, and they gave me an itemized price. It is a family run business and the people were nice.
> Here is their web address    http://proctorsmetalfinishing.net/
> ...




I, too have used Proctors--they did the chrome on my '37 Super Streamline. On the recommendation of 55tbird (Mike) I'm giving Custom Plating Specialist of Brillion, WI a try on my Roadmaster stuff which I should have back any day now. V/r Shawn


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## Sped Man (Jul 21, 2014)

Have you contacted Quality Plating in Sterling? I called them up and they sounded very knowledgable. Their online prices are wrong. It is dated 2011. Their current prices are only a few dollars more. You can use Paypal to pay for their services. They do ship via UPS. You have to clean and disassemble the parts prior to shipping. You don't have to remove any paint or old chrome. They do that. They do charge a few dollars more for removing the paint. You can email them photos of what you want chrome with measurements and they will email you a quote back.    Overall they seem to be very reasonable compared to Calco plating which wants $300 for two chain guards.


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## dave the wave (Jul 21, 2014)

there are 2 places you only need to go Precision Plating in Quincy ILL. and Martin Lightle in Florissant,Mo. don't even bother with over priced platers.


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## bike (Jul 21, 2014)

*If you find a good plater, adopt them like a child*

whatever the cost.

I have seen too many things ruined by platers. I know a lot of people who are happy with proctors but I did see him hand Whizzer Don back a sportsman rack with acid and rust runningout ofi it- it was runined, SO I never gave them a try.


I do not have a current plater so I am watcing this thread with interest.


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## Duck (Jul 21, 2014)

Wayne Adam said:


> Hi Celeste,
> I had chrome done by Brian Proctor of Proctor Metal Finishing in the midwest. The quality was excellent and I feel that the price was fair.
> I emailed them pictures of the parts to be chromed, and they gave me an itemized price. It is a family run business and the people were nice.
> Here is their web address    http://proctorsmetalfinishing.net/
> ...



  I sent some parts to Proctor's for plating- price seemed reasonable enough and I was happy with the pieces I received back UNTIL the plating started to peel away on nearly all the parts (especially a chainring) revealing that the old chrome hadn't even been stripped, just plated over. When I called and complained, I was told I didn't know what I was talking about, and if I sent the pieces back to be redone, I'd be charged for all new work performed. I stopped payment on the check and then fielded a few nasty calls from them, until I quit taking them. Beware of these guys...


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## scrubbinrims (Jul 21, 2014)

I have a place only 10 minutes from me in the old industrial section of town called Hanlan's that is a long time family owned place.
Pricing is good, quality is good, turnaround is good, but I prep as much as I can so they don't grind as much, but they bead blast and not sand blast which is good.
The only catch is the brothers are not very personable and reminds me of going through the Soup Nazi line from Seinfield...I just put the parts down then put my head down as they are the only game in town and they know it.
They do get work from all over the mid-Atlantic.
Chris


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## ABC Services (Jul 21, 2014)

*bad chrome*



Duck said:


> I sent some parts to Proctor's for plating- price seemed reasonable enough and I was happy with the pieces I received back UNTIL the plating started to peel away on nearly all the parts (especially a chainring) revealing that the old chrome hadn't even been stripped, just plated over.




same thing happened to me, years ago. havent used them since.


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## bikesnbuses (Jul 21, 2014)

Duck said:


> I sent some parts to Proctor's for plating- price seemed reasonable enough and I was happy with the pieces I received back UNTIL the plating started to peel away on nearly all the parts (especially a chainring) revealing that the old chrome hadn't even been stripped, just plated over. When I called and complained, I was told I didn't know what I was talking about, and if I sent the pieces back to be redone, I'd be charged for all new work performed. I stopped payment on the check and then fielded a few nasty calls from them, until I quit taking them. Beware of these guys...




I haventsaid anything yet about Proctors..some of you know my saga...Lets just say,DONT send anything thats irreplaceable..EVEN if you attatch a note to it and email and send an attached/printed notated sheet with pics of what youre having done.......


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## Sped Man (Jul 22, 2014)

Duck said:


> I sent some parts to Proctor's for plating- price seemed reasonable enough and I was happy with the pieces I received back UNTIL the plating started to peel away on nearly all the parts (especially a chainring) revealing that the old chrome hadn't even been stripped, just plated over. When I called and complained, I was told I didn't know what I was talking about, and if I sent the pieces back to be redone, I'd be charged for all new work performed. I stopped payment on the check and then fielded a few nasty calls from them, until I quit taking them. Beware of these guys...




Thanks Duck for that update. I will be avoiding Proctor Plating. I would suggest to my fellow CABE members located near or around Chicago to avoid Calco plating in Chicago. Way too expensive. Workmanship is still up in the air. I dropped off two items and haven't gotten them back yet. I figure in about two more weeks we will see what their quality control is like. I also plan on shipping two similar items to Quality Plating in Sterling. I want to compare pricing, workmanship, and turn around time.


Duck did you leave a review online for Proctor Plating warning others? You should! You can write a review and post photos of their crappy workmanship. I plan on doing it soon, if Calco drops the ball.


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## Duck (Jul 22, 2014)

Sped Man said:


> Thanks Duck for that update. I will be avoiding Proctor Plating. I would suggest to my fellow CABE members located near or around Chicago to avoid Calco plating in Chicago. Way too expensive. Workmanship is still up in the air. I dropped off two items and haven't gotten them back yet. I figure in about two more weeks we will see what their quality control is like. I also plan on shipping two similar items to Quality Plating in Sterling. I want to compare pricing, workmanship, and turn around time.
> 
> 
> Duck did you leave a review online for Proctor Plating warning others? You should! You can write a review and post photos of their crappy workmanship. I plan on doing it soon, if Calco drops the ball.



 No, I never did, but I probably should. On a lighter note, however, I'd highly recommend AIH Chrome Plating in DeBuke IA, if they're still in business- those guys are as good as they come, prices weren't ridiculous and turnaround time was realistic. They took a jagged, dented &rusted piece of  steel and rebuilt it into a '54 Cadillac bumper end that looks as good as the one on the other side that I paid $750 for (+ plating) I swear you could not tell which is which, without my telling you.


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## chucksoldbikes (Jul 23, 2014)

*hello  chucksoldbikes  here*

i use  quality plating all the time they do a n  excelant  job  iv used themfor  along  time    getting  things  chrome plated  is not  cheep any  where u  go  maby in mexico   so so   chucksoldbikes   on the cabe  or  cpcsps@yahoo.com


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## bricycle (Jul 23, 2014)

Proctor's did a nice job with my stuff....'course I gave him a bunch of Schwinn springer springs.... (networking)....


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## reginald (Jul 26, 2014)

*Proctor's*

I just got some parts back from Proctors.  The chrome looks great(time will tell), but I was 6 months waiting with zero communication/contact on their end.  They sent me back the wrong rims, but found mine and made things right. I wanted to like them, as they do a lot of bike parts and had some good reviews, but it was a lot of stress worrying about the fate of hard to replace parts. In the end it worked out, but I hope to find someone more local in the future.


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## Sped Man (Aug 8, 2014)

I finally got my chainguards back from Calco Plating in Chicago. I wouldn't recommend this company not even to my worst enemy. I spent the last three days playing phone tag with a guy named Mike from Calco. I was told this week that one of my chainguards was done (Hex tube guard) but that the other one needed a little more work (Wingbar guard). Today they finally got around to buffing the Wingbar guard. I arrive only to find out that the Hex Tube guard's chrome was a disaster. They never told me that the guard was pitted. I handed him a reproduction chainguard that was painted. It was straight as an arrow. I got back a warped pitted chrome guard. Total cost for this fiasco was $240. They waited until I walked in to tell me about the problems they had with the hex tube guard. Unbelievable! 















Wingbar guard:




I will be trying Quality Plating in Sterling Illinois next. I have a few pieces that I want rechromed. Can't wait to post my review of Calco Plating services on the net! Hopefully, I can stop this from happening to someone else.


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