Topic: zinc plating question gold or clear/silver

[greenjeans]

Restoring 2 1974 CB750Ks

Getting the bolts, screws etc re-plated.    Carburetor question:    On the main choke lever - That is clear/silver zinc correct ?
The other 3 arms appear to be the gold colored zinc.   Is this correct ?

[Folsoe]

If you are unsure , make it gold colour. Then If you polish it it becomes rapidly clear colour

[edwardmorris]

IINM, at least in the later years it was a all mixed and matched (some in Olive green, some Gold and most of the hardware was Clear/Blue). I DIY'd two sets in gold and clear/blue and asked around at the time. Most agreed that the clear/blue looked more appealing eventhough the gold may have been closer to stock. I'm happy with how the clear/blue looks.



Installed

[greenjeans]

I do like the look of the clear/blue.   To what degree did you clean or polish the bolts etc when you gave them to the plater ?   Also, did you have to do anything to the fasteners after you got them back ?   Polish ?   Or were they that shiney ?    They look great.

What do you do with the chrome plated bolts ?

[Powderman]

Didn't he say he did them himself, not at a plater?

[edwardmorris]

Yep, no platers, I did all zinc bits at home that were NLA from Honda. The NLA chrome ones did go to my Chrome plater, they weren't that many and they turned out great. A lot of people were asking about the DIY zinc stuff at the time so I wrote it up here

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,126735.msg1565802.html#msg1565802

If you have a reliable service provider, I'd just go with them and save a lot of trouble.

[chewbacca5000]

Yep, no platers, I did all zinc bits at home that were NLA from Honda. The NLA chrome ones did go to my Chrome plater, they weren't that many and they turned out great. A lot of people were asking about the DIY zinc stuff at the time so I wrote it up here

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,126735.msg1565802.html#msg1565802

If you have a reliable service provider, I'd just go with them and save a lot of trouble.

+1 If you have a zinc plater just send it out.  I tried DIY and it is an insane amount of work and cost.  I do enough with my guy that he give me wholesale pricing by the rack.  I will get 4 bikes of hardware and send it out all in one go.  Still have enough hardware to build a few bikes.

[greenjeans]

I have a guy close that I'm going to give all my nuts and bolts to.   I have 3 bikes worth of nuts and bolts and many extras that will go as well.

Hey Edward, if you don't mind, how much did your chrome parts cost you ?    How many/which parts did you send them ?   That bike looks great.

[markb]

I've found that you can buy a lot of the chrome plated nuts and screws for less than you can have them re-plated.  And they look better too.

[chewbacca5000]

I've found that you can buy a lot of the chrome plated nuts and screws for less than you can have them re-plated.  And they look better too.

+1 on the chrome hardware.  Zinc can be redone and look great, but chrome mine as well be gold for the cost.

[edwardmorris]

I only had NLA bolts rechromed, those odd length ones that didn't have a standard replacement (kickstart lever, brake and clutch levers, rear brake stay arm, big throttle screw and spring etc. etc.). Yamiya has since started carrying some of these options in Chrome too.

[przjohn]

I do my own Zinc and Yellow Chromate too. The reason it works well for me is I can do them as I need them and they stay organized better. If I ever sent out 3 bikes worth of bolts my brain couldn't handle reorganizing them all. 

For Chrome, if you buy reproduction stuff or NOS it is most times cheaper and quicker then sending it out to a plater, though you will probably get a better quality finish from the plater.

[chewbacca5000]

I do my own Zinc and Yellow Chromate too. The reason it works well for me is I can do them as I need them and they stay organized better. If I ever sent out 3 bikes worth of bolts my brain couldn't handle reorganizing them all. 

For Chrome, if you buy reproduction stuff or NOS it is most times cheaper and quicker then sending it out to a plater, though you will probably get a better quality finish from the plater.

My plater is great and will return them in the same exact order I packed them up in.  I separate hardware by size, but location would probablly make more sense ie. frame bolts, wheel hardware, forks, fender etc...

[markb]

For Chrome, if you buy reproduction stuff or NOS it is most times cheaper and quicker then sending it out to a plater, though you will probably get a better quality finish from the plater.

I'm not saying that one way is better than another but if you're looking for accuracy in a restoration then you may not want the better finish.

[greenjeans]

These 2 bikes are more cosmetic restorations.  They both ran/run like tops and don't leak or smoke.  I subscribe to the mantra If it ain't broke, don't fix it.   So, I don't want to go crazy on NOS parts or re-chroming fenders etc.
Going to sell them both, so I'm trying to keep costs low enough to make a profit.  Luckily, the majority of the chrome bolts are in pretty good shape, so I'll likely clean them up.    The exhaust spigots and collars are my only real eyesores.  Still debating what to do with those.

I find it hard to know how far to go sometimes.   I do love putting these things back together with all parts shiny and clean.  I don't get to do that very often.