Re-Plating an Axle?

[ebaccm26]

I have an axle I want to get cleaned up and re-plated, can anyone point me in the direction of someone who can do this for me?

Also I am assuming this axle is zinc plated, any chance it is something else?

180564

[jeswinehart]

Hi Ben.
Key word is metal finisher. Nearly all metal finishers do sevral other treatments to metal other then chroming.
I found this out when I found a local company to do my nickel chrome work on my Tecates.
I entered in "metal finisher grand rapids mi and got a whole lot of results in Grand Rapids.
The company I use don't sandblast or strip off old. I have acess to a blaster so I saved money by doing it myself.
http://www.yellowpages.com/grand-rapids-mi/metal-finishers It pays to shop around !

[Flyingw]

Typically an axle is originally finished in a yellow zinc. Yellow zinc is a preferred finish over white zinc because the yellow has some additional corrosion inhibiters preferable to parts that are frequently exposed to water, mud, sun, cold etc. Yellow is just a better finish over white. Chrome is a good finish but you have to stay on top of it. Anodizing is ok but its a fragile finish when it comes to environmental exposure. Black Oxide offers no environmental protection. My advice, go back with either a yellow or white zinc.

[honda200x1987]

You axle looks like yellow zinc, the axle will need to be sanded and put on a lathe if you want all the nicks and dings removed or they will still be seen after plating. Mike at vintagemotorsports done mine and it came out better than new, hands down he knows his stuff. I am not sure what he will charge you but I wouldn't trust anyone else , I am the kind of guy who would pay more to have it done right. Here is the axle Mike had done for me, it was a Standard Zinc. -> http://www.3wheelerworld.com/showthread.php/161215-New-zinc-plated-1987-200x-axle?highlight=zinc+axle

[barnett468]

the following are more durable than plain zinc, zinc/nickel, zinc/cobalt or zinc/tin, shouldn't cost much more.

look under plating in the yellow pages.

[barnett468]

between the zinc/nickel and zinc/cobalt you can get colors like bright gold, gold, yello irridescent, blue, green, red, semi brite silver, purple multi color, black, olive drab etc.