Chrome plating bronze statue

Jun 20, 2009 4 Replies

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TC 17 years ago

Hi folks

I have a cupid statue that my parents owned for many years. It looks a lot like this:

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, but without the large base at the bottom. It's hollow, but probably weighs 150 to

200 pounds. I've always believed that it's bronze, but I guess it could be iron instead. It's been outside for the last 50 years. It's painted with a brownish paint.

I'd like to have this statue stripped and chrome plated, to give it "a new lease on life", and use it in a modern interior. I took it to a well regarded local chrome plater, but he says that it is difficult to chrome plate an object with lots of "nooks and crannies" like my statue. He really doesn't want to do it, even though his business does lots of restoration items, and price is not an issue for me.

So, I'd like some independent input from this group. Taking the item referenced above as an example: could that item be chrome plated? If so, why would a well-regarded chrome plating business, not want to take it on, for the right price?

Thanks in anticipation, TC

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David Billington 17 years ago

You might want to have the statue appraised first to find out its value before doing something potentially destructive like chrome plating it. Some years back near me a garden statue was spotted as unusual and on further investigation it turned out to be a rare marble original of considerable value that someone painted and placed in their garden.

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wolfgang 17 years ago

Check it with a magnet... If it sticks it's cast iron; if not it may be bronze. Some bronzed were finished with a brownish looking colour.

But get it appraised first... this is excellent advise.

Wolfgang

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Tim Wescott 17 years ago

All of what everyone else said, plus consider that cast material can be a bitch and a half to plate. Any porosity in the surface will show up as pinholes in the plating job; if you don't want them to look like a nightmare you have to braze them up, finish them out, and re-plate. Granted, this can be done at the copper-plate stage, but it's still a bitch and a half.

If you can find a fine arts plating house they may be more prepared to do the work.

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TC 17 years ago

Thank you all for good advice. I will take it all on board.

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