TOPIC:

Hello, some members here have sent parts to Buffalo, NY to have Zinc & Chrome Plating done at Tripp plating. Was a family Business started by Steve's Father Of course this is a multi-purpose business for all types of Industry etc. Not just for Car & Motorcycle parts. These people have to make a living.
The owner, (I've Know for yrs.) was a little leery??? about me taking pictures. So after a little reassuring, and I go to him! Steve,"I have my gloves on and safety glasses along with my steel toed boots." As I was my dayshift union safety officer before I retired! With pictures, I did not take any of himself, his employees, or some finished products waiting to ship out or any thing in the office like License's, Permits etc. Yes Steve as you guys know. Poor Guy says he works 12-16 hrs. a day. Only has a few employees. He CANNOT find any younger or ANY people to work!!!! Of course, it's not the safest or cleanest environment. A lot of learning to do this stuff. Plus, of course Dangerous work. Steve does sub out big parts like car bumpers for polishing and prep.
So the first thing he shows me is a batch of medical valves to be finished. SO, Steve is chroming valves and parts that are going to manufacturer's of O2 ventilators to help serious Covid patients in Hospitals! HOW COOL is that??!! And I seen a small pallet of the medical parts going out on a forklift too when I left.
So when people call and wonder, where are my parts? This guy is busy!! Always!! And he gives a 6-8 week turn around as an estimate?? He works on anything and everything that needs some sort of coating or plating. He also showed me a pile of work from up to 2-3 yrs. ago, that customer's never paid him to get the items back. (Anyone need chrome bumpers for a 69 firebird?)
So when they tell you a $75 or $100 minimum. Means he knows a customer is serious about getting work done.
Major expenses are getting rid of hazardous waste / chromatic acids and other chemicals. They have to be shipped to Ohio for eliminating. I actually did that myself working at the large commercial printing plant. I loaded 40,000# of chromatic acid in 55 gal. twice a yr. All inventoried, plaquered and weighed. Witnessed by our Plant Engineer! I never knew the cost involved?
So here Ya' go! I promised Mikaw Matt some pictures. And I hope anyone interested in the future will give them a try!
And in closing, If anyone ever calls? Thank Steve at Tripp Plating for contributing to help the Medical Field / Hospital Needs.
And of course! Tell him Marty from Buffalo and KZrider gave you this information!
Did I say? Tell him Marty sent Ya'
Thanks for checking this out!
Marty in Buffalo.

Few more pics, the file size were too big for 1 post.
Steve showed me a pile of Kawasaki parts from someone local also?
He had a rusty exhaust system also to do in that pile.

Thanks Marty, I just received my 3rd run of parts and hardware today. I’ll break the package down tomorrow and post pictures of the finished product. He chrome plated my exhaust collars, turn signal stems, cam cover bolts, and the rear brake lever. The rest was zinc Plating for all the engine case bolts, and misc hardware. Here’s just a couple quick photos.

Thanks for the pics z1kzonly: it's always interesting to see the inside of places that do work like this. When I was much younger I used to take stuff to a chrome plating shop in the bowels of downtown Milwaukee. This was at a time when the old big name companies were still in business and the shop was super busy. The owner and I struck up a friendship because I tried my best to bring him parts that were clean and not full of junk he would have to remove. I was always surprised how he managed to keep everything in order there and on track. He was as honest as could be and would always tell me ahead of time how much work would be involved in plating something like old Harley rocker boxes and such. OSHA was non-existent at the time and I wondered how many of his employees would get some illness from the chemicals and metal dust. Of course at the time I was a line mechanic at a Ford dealership and we were doing all sorts of unhealthy stuff like blowing brake dust in the air on brake jobs etc. Anyway those employees working at platers deserve a lot of credit for what they go through. In the end the plater I went to was finally put out of business by the City of Milwaukee years ago. They hated his shop mainly because he had been there for ages in an area of the City they wanted to re-develop into an upsale yuppie area. When all the big industrial business left or closed down in Milwaukee so did the common sense the city once had. Other than the Harley Museum there isn't much to see in Milwaukee anymore. And not many good platers to go to either.
Rick H.

I finally put a set of Z1 carbs together. With some Zinc work from Tripp plating.
Came out nice.

Good Morning Marty! Just sent a HEAVY flat rate large box out to Tripps Friday, all the smaller barrel plateable stuff. I have another parcel of longer stuff going out today or tomorrow, have to dig up a suitable safe box for fitment. Yep, that looks like the place i used to go to here in KC, smells good too,right? Actually i liked the smell, ha. Labor/interns are hard to find doing this kind of work i'm sure! Same problem existed at the place here. No kid wants to be subject to all those chemicals and dirty stuff when they can get an IT job, blue collar (true blue collar) in the US is a thing of tales past. Just saw those carbs and the text of getting out of the bay this morning. Cannot blame You but what is the alternative? Those carbs would of fetched twice that price a few years back. That's exactly why i'm just going to keep mine tucked away, i still have plenty of toilet paper!

z1kzonly wrote: I finally put a set of Z1 carbs together. With some Zinc work from Tripp plating.
Came out nice.

Real nice.