Chrome Plating LEGO Bricks?

[_Samibotss_]

Hello EB Users,

What would be an efficient way of chrome plating LEGO Bricks? I of course mean from a DYI Home solution, not something costy and big.

I think it would involve some if not alot of chemistry, but as I've studied it a bit at school I can understand the basics...

How would you go to chrome plate your LEGO Bricks?

[dr_spock]

It would involve chemistry and electricity if you're using the electroplating method. The plastic surface would have to be treated with copper or nickel first before it can be electroplated. I think there are hobby DYI plastic chrome plating kit.

[_Samibotss_]

There are some Home Chrome Plating kIts, But they seem so unsafe and complicated to use... I would personally try chrome spraying kits

[HawkLord]

Are the chromed bricks going to be used afterwards in any particular fashion? With Lego being very precise in measurements, one concern would be how much a layer of chrome would add, effecting how other bricks would work those chromed ones.

[_Samibotss_]

Are the chromed bricks going to be used afterwards in any particular fashion? With Lego being very precise in measurements, one concern would be how much a layer of chrome would add, effecting how other bricks would work those chromed ones.

yes, most likely used in a set

[Brandon Miller]

True "chrome plating" for plastic is done by vaccuum metalizing. There is really no DIY method for vaccuum metalizing. Most of the DIY plating kits are not ideal. To plate plastic it first has to be plated with copper so the chrome will "stick" to it. The chemicals involved, even in a DIY kit, are very caustic. I have had a DIY plating kit for several years, and even I don't get it right all the time. I just wouldn't recommend it. There are several "chrome plating" houses out there for the plastic model car world. One of the best and well known is Chrometech USA. They are very inexpensive and the work they produce is fantastic. If you are truly serious about plating some bricks, I would get in contact with them.

[Vorkosigan]

There are also lots of chrome pieces available on bricklink from some sellers who specialize in chroming LEGO.

[anothergol]

yeah, basically, http://www.bricklink...?p=ChromeBricks

I think you can ask them to chrome specific parts.

I got back to Lego after Lego stopped making real(?) chromed parts. I can understand why, after getting 2 used "chrome silver" parts, one being all shiny & cool, the other having lost half of its coating.

Still, Lego should have given up, not replaced them by those ugly supposedly metallic colors that more look like striped icecream.

Edited December 5, 2015 by anothergol

[_Samibotss_]

yeah, basically, http://www.bricklink...?p=ChromeBricks

I think you can ask them to chrome specific parts.

I got back to Lego after Lego stopped making real(?) chromed parts. I can understand why, after getting 2 used "chrome silver" parts, one being all shiny & cool, the other having lost half of its coating.

Still, Lego should have given up, not replaced them by those ugly supposedly metallic colors that more look like striped icecream.

I know about chromebricks, I was just myself.

Well it seems like it is best I order from someone, because DIY doesn't seem like an option here :/

[Faefrost]

yeah, basically, http://www.bricklink...?p=ChromeBricks

I think you can ask them to chrome specific parts.

I got back to Lego after Lego stopped making real(?) chromed parts. I can understand why, after getting 2 used "chrome silver" parts, one being all shiny & cool, the other having lost half of its coating.

Still, Lego should have given up, not replaced them by those ugly supposedly metallic colors that more look like striped icecream.

The problem for Lego was and isChrome parts require different tooling than regular parts. The design specs and tolerances are so tight that they have to account for the extra thickness from the layer of chrome when they mold the plastic. This makes chrome parts extremely expensive for limited utility and a rather short term playability.

[dr_spock]

AFOLs have used aftermarket chromed LEGO pieces in their MOCs. Pieces seem to fit fine together with the extra layer of chrome on the LEGO.

I think the problem with chrome for LEGO is children play wears the chrome off the plastic. Children ingesting loose chrome bit does not look for good in the eyes of safety.

Another problem is customers washing their LEGO. This what a LEGO chromed piece looks like after coming out of the wash. Oops...

Chrome parts work best for collectible items or sets that are intended for display and not play.

[_Samibotss_]

AFOLs have used aftermarket chromed LEGO pieces in their MOCs. Pieces seem to fit fine together with the extra layer of chrome on the LEGO.

I think the problem with chrome for LEGO is children play wears the chrome off the plastic. Children ingesting loose chrome bit does not look for good in the eyes of safety.

Another problem is customers washing their LEGO. This what a LEGO chromed piece looks like after coming out of the wash. Oops...

Chrome parts work best for collectible items or sets that are intended for display and not play.

Like the UCS Naboo starfighter

[paul_delahaye]

I looked into Chroming some bricks a while back that the sellers on bricklink did not have available, a seller Chrome Block City in Poland offered for me to send him the specific bricks I needed in chrome, and for a price he would chrome them and return them.

I never got around to getting this done, but seems the option is out there.

Paul

[anothergol]

I think the problem with chrome for LEGO is children play wears the chrome off the plastic. Children ingesting loose chrome bit does not look for good in the eyes of safety.

yeah, quite probably, although I would expect Lego to have made it as safe as possible (to ingest)

But my point is that Lego should have given up with "shiny" bricks, and let's agree that today's "pearl" colors aren't any shiny at all anyway. I quite like pearl dark grey for small parts because they aren't stripey, and it gives a color in-between black and dark grey.

So Lego should have done that, and instead of that ugly "pearl light grey", we could have gotten more in the "very light grey", which is really needed IMHO (too big gap between light blueish grey & white).

This said, I haven't followed Lego's history too closely, and I suppose that pearl colors came with Bionicles & thus are old & weren't really a replacement for chrome?

Also, the very rare parts in "diffuse" colors (copper/silver) aren't too bad IMHO. They still beat weird stripes going through the parts.

Edited December 14, 2015 by anothergol

[Captain Nemo]

Chrome bricks are always nice to have, either official ones or custom ones--I've got multiples of both.

Rarity is really the overall problem. Which is why my Lego minifigures are mercantilists, and are constantly 18th century warring over the twenty or so coins in my collection.

On custom chrome, I have a good experience through my contacts and build requirements. I think more so than official chrome, custom chrome pieces are only for display, ever. Getting custom parts chromed is not nearly as easy as buying some official chromed parts off Bricklink, and they are a lot harder to replace. Custom chrome parts are always a bit stiff, and can sometimes be a chore to attach/detach because of their super clutch strength. It's not aided by the fact that removing chrome bricks from something rather frightening, as one does not want to do anything that might chip away at the chrome.

My experience has varied from chrome providers. Some are good, some not so good. All are pricey. I've never used Chrome Bricks, as I find their selection lacking. They seem to me to be on the expensive side too. I've worked through some contacts to get my own selected bricks chromed too--which turned out very nice with a strong durability--and that was three dollars a piece. The trouble is, with chrome, you really don't know what you are going to get until it's in your hands. It's a risky and pricey venture for sure.