
Is all chrome plating about the same, then? Note the previous paragraph, though, that everything that is somewhat reflective is not necessarily real chrome plating. Chrome is always applied by electroplating, it is never melted onto parts in the fashion of chocolate on strawberries, sprayed on like paint, or applied in any other way than by electroplating. What's the difference between "Chrome Plating", "Chrome Electroplating", "Chrome Dipping", "Chroming", etc.?

And there's a hard to define "glint" to chrome plating that almost nothing else has. Put one end of a tape measure against a bright finish, and see how many inches of numbers you can clearly read in the reflection - you can see skywriting clearly reflected in top quality chrome plating. ( earns commission on what you buy after clicking)Ĭhrome plating is more reflective (brighter), bluer (less pale, grayish, or yellowish), and more specular (the reflection is deeper, less distorted, more like a mirror) than other finishes. When a chrome plated finish sits right next to another bright finish though, the other finish usually won't compare very favorably :-) Indeed it's not always easy to tell real chrome plating from other finishes if the parts are not side by side. For example, brightly polished aluminum motorcycle parts, electropolished stainless steel boat rigging, vacuum metallized mylar balloons and helmets, semi-shiny painted wheels, and nickel plated oven racks are sometimes called 'chrome' by the lay person.

Rather, when you hear that something is chrome, what is really meant is that there is a thin layer of chrome, a plating of chrome, on the object (the bulk of the object usually being steel, but sometimes aluminum, brass, copper, plastic, or stainless steel).Ī cause of occasional confusion is the fact that people may tend to describe any shiny finish as "chrome" even when it really has nothing to do with chromium. Chrome is a metal, but it is not useful as a solid, pure substance. Ĭhrome is slang for Chromium, one of the 92 naturally occurring chemical elements. Chrome Plating Introduction & FAQS Why is the Chrome plating on my Wheels Peeling? Can I Stop the Rusting? What is Hard Chrome? Dip Chrome? Show Chrome? Triple Chrome? Black Chrome Plating? Color chrome? Read on.
