Chrome trim straightening advice BD19293 ,BD19294 ( UPDATE )

[288gto]

I recently purchased 2 more OTS hood cantrail chromes from SNG Barratts to replace the ones I bought a while ago from them that did not fit, however they are all rippled and deformed along the outer seen edge. I specifically asked for them to examine the stock and send me the best 2 that they had. The good news for everyone is that the final checking before dispatch is apparently standard practice now.

Also of interest is that these are now re branded as "premium" reproduction parts as opposed to "aftermarket" parts. I've noticed this on a few items recently on the SNG Barratt website so something must be going on in the background quality wise. Keep up the good work chaps.

Given that these are the best I'm going to get and I'll just have to work with them, has anyone got advice or suggestions how I can straighten out the ripples and defects without damaging the chrome?

Looking at the back of them it appears from the witness marks that it is a problem with the tooling or perhaps operator error. Unlike the headlamp trims in another post where it was difficult to tell which part of the manufacturing or chroming process had failed, it is clear with the cantrail chromes it is prior to chroming. Knowing this, it's a little frustrating these defects weren't picked up prior to chroming.

Anyway help with straightening them would be much appreciated as the alternative is to get them stripped and get the chromers to rectify them. I don't have a problem with that, it's the 8 weeks I lose waiting for them.

Thanks in advance and pics below.....

[cactusman]

Afraid the simple answer is you cant. Any more than an extremely minor 're shape and the plating will almost certainly crack and possibly start peeling. IMO you will have to bite the bullet and have them stripped. Then fettle them so they are ripple free and fit your car...then off to chromers for replating...Cu then Ni then Cr

[paulsco]

I have had some success in the past using a piece of shaped wooden dowel to massage out the dents in a similar way to paintless dent removal.
I have protected the other side with masking tape while supporting it against a 'dolly'

Paul

[288gto]

Thanks chaps.

So distracted by the ripples and defects I hadn't even bothered to offer them up to the hood to check they were the right shape. Alas they are not even the correct radius compared to an original unmolested hood frame!

The cardboard shows the hood radius.



I was going to continue to moan about poor quality parts but quickly decided that wouldn't achieve much and certainly wouldn't get me any nearer to putting the hood seals on.

The solution......start again and make them yourself.

All you need is a spare Saturday afternoon, some 0.9mm stainless sheet , a guillotine, a hydraulic press brake , a large industrial shrinker stretcher and some basic workshop hand tools.
Once you've cropped and folded you part, on to the stretcher to get the correct radius. Hint to any prospective manufacturer this can be checked against a template. Several times if necessary.



Then over to a piece of round bar bent to the correct radius to gently form the radius on the outer face. The tip here, again for any prospective manufacturer, is that you are aiming for a nice smooth straight edge rather than a rippled, mangled, uneven, tool/ hammer rashed mess.



Below show some of the stages, with the bottom being sanded and polished. They still need cutting down to the correct length and polishing again.




Thanks and apologies to the couple of forum members who did have to listen to me have a good old moan.

Stay safe,

[Gfhug]

Simon, yes, all those high end workshop tools and equipment are in all of our garages just for such a task

I’m glad to hear you’ve got it sorted, how many orders have you taken?

Geoff

[mgcjag]

Nice one Simon....and maybee a lesson to everyone that moans about parts quality. .....if you dont like it make your own...or have them made for you

[288gto]

Thanks Steve, I wasn't going to be beaten.

[angelw]

Steve Wrote:

and maybee a lesson to everyone that moans about parts quality. .....if you dont like it make your own...or have them made for you

Hello Steve,
Perhaps the more prudent message here is for the After Market manufacturers to lift their game; its not like they sell parts at prices commensurate with the quality of some.

Sill panels are a good example. I make my own because its cheaper and quicker to make and fit, than the cost I would have to bill out just to fit most of the After Market units available. What is really confounding to me is, the time to make such a panel the correct shape and that fits, is the same as making a rubbish part; therefore, why not make the part right. I've heard that those made/supplied by Hudson's fit and Monocoque Metalworks parts have a good reputation.

When I was wearing my engineering consultancy hat, a saying I used with clients I got close enough to insult without retribution, when they wanted to short cut a process, was, "never enough time to do the job right, but always enough time to do it again".

Regards,

Bill

[Gfhug]

Hear, hear!

So very correct, Bill

Geoff

[mgcjag]

Hi Bill...yes of course you are correct and some manufacturers/suppliers are improveing quality.....but im affraid its never going to happen that every part will be as original or a perfect fit......so owners will have to resort to hunting out original parts or finding people like yourself that make specialist parts........

[288gto]

I was really hoping something would have come by now of the suggestion brought up at the Barratts feedback back in May 2019 regarding possibly supplying parts in the un chromed state. Having spoken to other members I still think there is a market for this.
Certainly for me, having had recent issues with headlight chromes and now the hood chromes I would have been more than happy to pay the same price, possibly more to cover the extra admin, for un chromed parts.

I know and accept that the majority of body and trim parts will need fettling to fit and am quite happy doing so. Once the part is chromed this is pretty much impossible.

This discussion isn't just on here, I've spoken at length on the phone to James at Barratts about this and he does say it is something they are still looking into. I'm also hoping that if he sees it is possible for a numpty like me to make them in a few hours on a Saturday, his manufacturer might step up to the challenge.

Steve, as regards hunting down original parts, I think this is becoming harder and harder. As an example, while trying to find some original headlight chromes an online auction seller sold me some supposedly original ones that still had the remnants of a Robey sticker on. There is because of the price and quest for original parts a lot of stuff being passed off as such so buyers beware.

Geoff, ref. manufacturing and selling these, I've had a word with Barratts marketing department and "PREMIUM aftermarket" as a brand is already taken so I shall be marketing them as "SUPER PREMIUM aftermarket" along with a super premium price tag that if you have to ask what it is, you can't afford it.
Each pair will be individually numbered using the "lost" six Jaguar part numbers, have the customers initials and family coat of arms engraved on them in a presentation box made from the charred remains of Sir William Lyons desk.

[angelw]

Simon Wrote:

Certainly for me, having had recent issues with headlight chromes and now the hood chromes I would have been more than happy to pay the same price, possibly more to cover the extra admin, for un chromed parts.

Hello Simon,
I don't see that there would be much in the way of extra administrative costs and there would be a substantial cost saving by not having the parts chromed. However, I'm with you in that I would pay the same price to be supplied an unchromed part. At least there is a saving of not having the part dechromed.

With regards to bumper bars, I've shifted to purchasing stainless steel, as it allows precise fitting without the requirement of rechroming and its been my experience thus far, that their initial fit is better.

With regards to Headlight Surrounds and Eyebrow Mouldings, why the manufacturers, or those commissioning the manufacturer of these parts don't have the original material type, brass in this case, used in the manufacture is puzzling. The use of brass would be a win win with regards to manufacture/supplier and end user. The part would be easier to make in brass, so happy manufacturer/supplier and if some tweaking had to be made (even when chromed) the brass part is easier to manipulate than a steel counterpart. I would definitely pay more for those parts in either brass or steel if it fitted and certainly if they were brass.

I was a tool designer for the tool making industry for quite some time, way back and with the design software and machining capabilities of today, its way easier to get tooling up to production stage now than it ever came close to in earlier times; yet we built tools that made product that worked without the need to fettle. Supply poor fitting, sub standard parts to the car industry and they would be the last you supplied.


Regards,

Bill

[paulsco]

Well done Simon; very impressive

Paul