PLATING PROBLEMS

[Parazine]

I seem to remember that the horn button on a 1928 fabric saloon that I once owned was made of solid nickel and only needed a good buffing.
(That could be a line from a "Carry On..." film, entirely unintentional!)

+1. None of mine are plated. Not sure about the levers, they could be nickel as well......

[Dave Wortley]

Martin, I have unsoldered gas and ignition levers for plating. They were soft soldered so after they were replated I applied my diy butane blowlamp to them, soft soldered them onto the tubes and cleaned them up afterwards without a problem. The horn button is solid nickel silver which cleans up nicely without plating. The levers are brass.

[Tony Betts]

hi dave,

ive done simular, when the tube is damaged. but being a bit hand fisted, i didnt want to risk damage to the new nickle. so i soldered to the rod taped the rod then nickle plated. it was only soft soldered and the chemicals didnt eat it away wilst nickling or chroming.

but if im honest, i dont re-plate anything unless it is totally poleshed to brass. just my tast, but i find cars can look to sterile when every part is polished and plated to within an inch of its life.

also most places nowadays only do bright nickle, it resembles chrome more than nickle. and can look out of place on an early car.

but if thats all you can get???

tony

[Martin Prior]

Great advice, everyone. Many thanks.

The horn button unscrewed quite readily, but I now need to extract the insulated collar, which at the moment doesn't want to move. Is this just a tight fit in the tube, or is there some cunning trick to getting it out without crushing it/

[Stuart Joseph]

Good morning Martin, the insulated part is just an interference fit in the tube. If it breaks don't worry I can turn you a replacement up in nylon with the button contact in brass.

Regards from the creative county - Staffordshire

[Martin Prior]

Thanks, Stuart. I feel some brute force coming on!