Metal End Replating

[J.C. Belleman]

Does anyone know anyone that does metal concertina end plate replating in nickel?

[Ken_Coles]

You likely want to find someone on your own continent - let us know which one you are on. 🙂

 

Ken

[Jake Middleton-Metcalfe]

I have never actually re-done an end like this but from the electroplating company I use and the general advice from the industry:

 

If the base metal is brass an acid which is aggressive to nickel is used to strip off the nickel plating, then a metal finisher must re polish the metal and then the end is re-plated.

 

If the base metal is nickel silver using the acid might be a bad idea. (My own guess)

 

If anyone has actually done this I would love to know the results.

Edited January 31 by Jake Middleton-Metcalfe

[d.elliott]

I have had several concertina re-plated.

 

The order specification I used is: 

 

Finish : Polished Nickel  (Please confirm the finish visually and discuss if you disagree)

 

Strip & prepare, two off end plates.

Nickel Plate at 40 to 50 microns.

Polish.

Please note that care should be taken to ensure the serial number & manufacturers name plates do not become detached, held in place by possibly brass rivets and solder.

Estimated costs as discussed on previous work

It is understood that electroplating replicates the surface condition of the substrate, however particular care should be exercised to avoid pitting, especially around name & serial number plates.

 

Pitting is a real issue where gas is held in and around 'corners' or where cleaning might be imperfect like under a riveted attachment. Later I used to remove riveted serial and maker's name plates.  40 to 50 microns gives  a good wear margin and avoids deposition irregularities. Brass substrates do not usually need a copper 'undercoat'.

[Clive Thorne]

23 hours ago, Jake Middleton-Metcalfe said:

I have never actually re-done an end like this but from the electroplating company I use and the general advice from the industry:

 

If the base metal is brass an acid which is aggressive to nickel is used to strip off the nickel plating, then a metal finisher must re polish the metal and then the end is re-plated.

 

If the base metal is nickel silver using the acid might be a bad idea. (My own guess)

 

If anyone has actually done this I would love to know the results.

 

I always assumed that a nickel silver end would not need plating, just polishing. Have I missed something?

[Jake Middleton-Metcalfe]

14 minutes ago, Clive Thorne said:

 

I always assumed that a nickel silver end would not need plating, just polishing. Have I missed something?

If it's solid nickel silver that has no plating and it's high enough nickel content then that is correct - though a lot of old instruments have nickel silver ends which have nickel plating over the top of that because the base metal nickel silver tarnished and oxidises in a bad way I believe due to the nickel content not being high enough.

 

Nickel silver with a high enough nickel content does not seem to be available today - the highest I ever found was 18% nickel and it was not enough, plating still required. I'm not sure when it stopped being available historically.

[gcoover]

A big caveat - make sure you know how they strip off the old plating.

 

Years ago, I took my 50-button Jeffries Duet to a plating company in Houston, Texas, where I lived at the time, and they must have used some sort of wheeled abrasive as there are now little "flare" lines extending from every buttonhole and throughout the fretwork. And the engraved label text has almost vanished. 

 

I was horrified and should have left well enough alone.

 

Foreword to today, although it is still a fabulous-sounding instrument, the new plating is now worn and pitted and looks like crap.

 

Some people's fingers (apparently mine) interact with nickel silver, so if that's the case with you, then replating will only be a temporary solution. I really wish there was a way to re-plate with stainless steel!

 

Gary

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

😊Enjoy the tarnish for it is a sign [as with people]  - of the enjoyment, love, and use and of age with wisdom made.

 

Edited February 1 by SIMON GABRIELOW

[Clive Thorne]

16 hours ago, Jake Middleton-Metcalfe said:

If it's solid nickel silver that has no plating and it's high enough nickel content then that is correct - though a lot of old instruments have nickel silver ends which have nickel plating over the top of that because the base metal nickel silver tarnished and oxidises in a bad way I believe due to the nickel content not being high enough.

 

Nickel silver with a high enough nickel content does not seem to be available today - the highest I ever found was 18% nickel and it was not enough, plating still required. I'm not sure when it stopped being available historically.

Thanks for the info. Every day a school day!

I think my ends must be of an age and composition such that plating was not required. Certainly no sign of any plating wear.

 

[Bill Crossland]

When I have had new ends made I use 22 SWG nickel silver Grade NS 103  from here:https://www.johnkeatleymetals.com/shop/nickel-silver/nickel-silver-sheet-plate/ 

 

After laser cutting, they have been cleaned, polished and lacquered by a local trombone maker. My own metal ended Wheatstone (which I believe is chromed plated) was done in the same way over 20 years ago, and they are still in mint condition.

[alex_holden]

9 hours ago, Bill Crossland said:

When I have had new ends made I use 22 SWG nickel silver Grade NS 103  from here:https://www.johnkeatleymetals.com/shop/nickel-silver/nickel-silver-sheet-plate/ 

 

Thanks for the useful info, I hadn't come across John Keatley and the supplier I used in the past has stopped selling NS. Incidentally I think NS103 is only about 10% nickel, so not highly corrosion resistant.

 

I sometimes do nickel electroplating on new instruments but I've never attempted to strip and replate an old set.

[Jake Middleton-Metcalfe]

11 hours ago, Bill Crossland said:

When I have had new ends made I use 22 SWG nickel silver Grade NS 103  from here:https://www.johnkeatleymetals.com/shop/nickel-silver/nickel-silver-sheet-plate/ 

 

After laser cutting, they have been cleaned, polished and lacquered by a local trombone maker. My own metal ended Wheatstone (which I believe is chromed plated) was done in the same way over 20 years ago, and they are still in mint condition.

Lacquered. That is probably what has kept it good. I have honestly never tried that on a concertina though I did make a brass plate with some engraved lettering on it for someone's house a few years ago and I did lacquer that ... I will have a close look at it next time I go past. 

[Jake Middleton-Metcalfe]

On 2/1/2026 at 9:17 PM, gcoover said:

A big caveat - make sure you know how they strip off the old plating.

 

Years ago, I took my 50-button Jeffries Duet to a plating company in Houston, Texas, where I lived at the time, and they must have used some sort of wheeled abrasive as there are now little "flare" lines extending from every buttonhole and throughout the fretwork. And the engraved label text has almost vanished. 

 

I was horrified and should have left well enough alone.

 

Foreword to today, although it is still a fabulous-sounding instrument, the new plating is now worn and pitted and looks like crap.

 

Some people's fingers (apparently mine) interact with nickel silver, so if that's the case with you, then replating will only be a temporary solution. I really wish there was a way to re-plate with stainless steel!

 

Gary

 

Yeah I have heard of this happening a few times to makers over the years. Basically once it is stripped it needs re finishing which is usually done with a high speed polishing wheel and abrasive compound. That's how I do it and how everyone I know does it but the problem is a lot of these metal finishing businesses will be used to polishing car bumpers/motorcycle fenders ect and if they apply that heavy handed approach to concertina ends it can be disastrous. Really it's someone with jewellery making skills who is more likely to be able to polish a concertina end well. Or a concertina maker but in any case yeah it's best not to leave it to the electroplating/metal finishing company to do the polishing. I always am very specific with the place in Northampton I use "do not carry out polishing on any of these parts" written on the box.

 

Another maker told me he kept an end which the fretwork was entirely polished to nothing in places, and kept it sort of as a warning. 

 

Sorry to hear this happened to your instrument.

Edited February 3 by Jake Middleton-Metcalfe

[Alex West]

13 hours ago, Bill Crossland said:

When I have had new ends made I use 22 SWG nickel silver Grade NS 103  from here:https://www.johnkeatleymetals.com/shop/nickel-silver/nickel-silver-sheet-plate/ 

 

 

For what it's worth, I was advised to get the highest nickel content I could when I was contemplating making new metal ends for a badly butchered instrument, otherwise the higher copper content makes the end result quite "yellow".  The highest I could sensibly get was 18% nickel.  I still have some spare sheets of concertina size (203 square, 1mm thick (20SWG) if anyone needs/wants them.

 

Alex West

[J.C. Belleman]

Thanks to everyone for their input! I now have a decision to make, and it may be to just leave my metal ends alone.