Re: [HSS] More Prating About Nickel Quality

Unknown

Hudson29@aol.com wrote:

>

> About my contention that modern nickel, while visualy similar to the

> original plating was not as durable, and that original parts were not dulling

> while the newly plated stuff was, Tony responded:

>

> << I asked the person who plated some of my parts the same question and

> he just said that it was never in the elements. Perhaps that is

> true. I am sure that your tail light is NOS and has never been out

> there. >>

>

> I thought of that too, but discarded the possibility after seeing all of

> the plating subjected to the same environment as it was on the same car. The

> new nickel dulled, the old nickel remained bright. This "test" was made only

> over the course of a couple of weeks, but it jibes with observations I have

> made on other nickel era cars.

> Just for example, Pete Laughton owns a wonderful LARGE 1913 Hudson

> Touring, the largest car Hudson ever made. I asked him where he got the

> plating done and was astonished to hear that the plating was ORIGINAL! This

> car had worn out several paint jobs, but the factory plating, while not

> absolutely pristine, still looked presentable.

> Want another example? The Hudson Super Six clocks that were sold when

> these cars were new were nickeled. I have collected several of them over the

> years and a week or so ago a mad thought occurred to me and I polished them

> up. Excluding the physical damage, these clocks polished up like new. I had

> expected to have to have them replated.

> Another example? In another hobby, the nickel plating on Victrola

> reproducers is often as nice now as day it was sold even after 80 or 90

> years. My plater explained that the old "Watts" nickel was a pure nickel with

> no "brightening alloys" as are currently used under chrome. Is it possible

> that real pure nickel is no longer available? Perhaps my plater was

> misinformed. Maybe the old guys new something we have forgotten - a bit of

> something extra IS needed to keep the plating intact.

> We all know what a bundle is wrapped up in getting the plating done on

> our cars. Anybody got any "bright" ideas? I would hate to have to revisit

> this area again in the near future!

>

> Paul O'Neil, Hudson29@aol.com

> Fullerton, California USA

> I've enquired also about the process, and the old style nickle plating was more of a matt finish, and was deposited with lower current, and over a much longer time (several days) and of course was a different composition, and as you say, no brightening alloy. Nobody is interested in doing that sort of finish these days, as time is money.

Geoff.