Auto Restoration 101

This post is courtesy of Hot Rods

As seen this top area has a low spot down the length of it. Because we know we had it straight during the bare metal phase we know that this is mostly in the copper plating itself. During plating and the electric process that takes place copper tends to build on the outer edges more then the center because of the different amperage draws of the metal closest to the anode. It helps to take photos in the bare metal stage and mark them as to the problem areas you want to hit first. We do this all the time and it really helps the efficiency. When using a straight edge we found it to only be 1/32 of an inch deep and we have plenty of copper to work with.

As we continue blocking the remaining highs and lows come to the surface.

Unlike a car or trucks body where you can pull out a spray gun and apply more primer relatively easy the plating process is much more time consuming and costly, as seen we have a few cut through’s to the bare steel. This will have to be replated, but because it is barely through a “STRIKE” of copper can be applied which is a thin coating compared to a full plate and only takes 15 minutes in the tank.

Sometimes you will encounter a larger area like this top section that needs more then just a strike. Unfortunately you can not just plate a small area like using a primer gun as the whole bumper needs to be submerged in the tank thereby re coating the whole bumper and blocking it again. This is why it is so crucial to find the “enemy low spots” as soon as possible to eliminate sanding too much each phase.