Many of you have been casting about for platers, and now that I have gotten
the last item back for my M, I will share a little known resource -- best
plating I have ever seen. I have for about 10 years taken all my plating
projects to Ken Sabin of Sabin's Metal Refinishing in Hillsdale, New York. He
is incredibly skilled, and takes on all plating types (e.g., triple plate
chrome, nickel, electroless nickel, electrostatic clear on copper, cad,
silvering reflectors, etc). I highly recommend him to those who will pay more
to get more. The difference (and cost) between Ken's work and batch platers
is all in the handwork before the piece goes in the plating tank. We have
replated about 90% of the 100M for around $2800, which is a little higher than
most, but the quality approaches NOS. For example, he stripped the original
grille to bare brass, and in doing that found the metal had been buffed out
and rounded. He was able to study a pristine second example AH 100 grille to
replicate the matte finish on the grille teeth, and was able to get the matt
on the sides with picking and the front faces' faint abrasion marks from a
belt sander, all of which he repeated during the copper and nickel steps of
the triple plate steps. I am hard put to decide which grille to re-intall . .
. the refinished one or the the one with the patina. He also handles
cloissonette on the badges, which is very fragile. Lettering, even faint
patent numbers on the wiper blades, was preserved. . Time is an issue, so you
should get your items to him at the end of driving season to get them on the
car by spring. He does not have assistants, so the work is uniformly his and
highest quality.
His number is 518 325-5000. Ken has quite a following with American vintage
collectors, and has judged '60's marques.
Allen Miller
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