Hello Mike, Allen & All,
Hopefully I can clear up a little on the subject of the finish on the 100
grill slats.
Some years ago I had two of my 100 grills reworked by a master metal
smith in Tucson, AZ by the name of Charlie Hall. Charlie was a WWII
veteran, a Navy Fighter Pilot and probably one of the best detail and
trim metal workers I've ever come across, an absolute wizard at metal
straightening. He was also an expert on plating having worked on
virtually every type of car out there to include a lot of British
cars.
When I asked him about the finish on the 100 grill he told me matter
of factly that it was a satin chrome finish that used to be referred
to as "Butler" Chrome by old timers in the business. Very simply the
grill slats were bead blasted and then nickel plated followed by a
very thin flash plating of chrome. Essentially what is stated in the
Guild Platers webpage. To their credit, I have found very few shops
over the years that even know what Satin/Butler Chrome is let alone
how to do it!
Also, Charlie showed me that my grill had a slight yellow tinge to it
as a result of seeing the nickel plating through the thin chrome that
had worn with age. I've seen this same yellow tinge on many an
original 100 grill over the years.
Let me quote from the Guild Platers webpage on Satin Chrome:
"Prior to being electroplated the item which is to be satin chrome
must first go through a mechanical satining operation. This is where
the texture and gloss of the finish are developed depending on the
media used while satining."
Basically a lot of words to say we BEAD BLAST THE FINISH.
"Once the item has been satined it then enters the electroplating
operation. Satin chrome is generally plated with a layer of nickel
prior to being chrome plated to provide a uniform finish and to
enhance the performance of the finish."
Once again like Charlie described to me, Nickel plated followed by a thin,
quick chrome.
Hope this helps to clear things up a bit.
Curt Arndt - AH Concours Committee
Carlsbad, CA
'55 BN1, '60 AN5
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