Nickel plating

[twostroke]

I’m getting ready to do a resto on an OA-55 Johnson….and after that, the next victim may be an OA-60. Both, as originally produced, had the tubular part of the tiller handle and the tubular "U" shaped frame (other than the end and 90 degree elbow cast fittings) attached to the jugs nickel plated. Has anyone had any experience having anything nickeled (not chromed)? If so, where? Obviously, I can search the net and come up with any amount of places….but some place someone else had successfully used would be a major plus.

Thanks!

Jim

I say "pardon me" a lot. I had a 20H, then raced open mod sleds.

[nj-boatbuilder57]

Call any chrome plater….they’ll do it.

The reason is pretty ingenious: Chrome sticks to almost nothing, but it loves to stick to nickel. Nickel is also a stubborn metal to plate, but it sticks to copper. Copper sticks to damn near anything. When you see a chrome house claim "triple chrome process", it means they take your part, copper plate it, then nickel plate it, and finally chrome plate it. That’s just how it’s done.

If the chrome plater simply stops at the nickel stage & buffs it out, you’ll be A-OK.

[george-emmanuel]

Having something nickle plated is easy as NJ just said. However, many of the outboards of the 1920’s had "dull" nickle plating and that is a difficult thing to find. It takes a different "recipe" than standard nickle and few platers can do that. The steering bar you are referring to was bright nickle—-easy to have done.

George

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