Custom Plating Restores Antiques, Souvenirs

Custom plating restores antiques, souvenirs FARM HOME Miscellaneous 9-2-30 Ernie Clark and his brother Curtis set up a custom plating shop last year in Billings, Mont., to add shine to farm antiques and souveniers. Business is booming. "We've been redoing lamps, horse-shoes, small cream cans, coal buckets, barber chairs, brass beds, and lots of antique coal and wood stoves. It restores their beauty and makes them last much longer," says Clark. Classic Plating, Inc., can coat old items with nickle, brass or chrome. Virtually anything can be coated, including wood, plastic, and leaves if the proper surface preparation is made. The process involves dipping the item in an electrically charged vat that zaps the item with negative and positive ions that cause metal coatings to adhere. Clark says refurbishing old wood stoves is becoming a big part of his business. "We can make them look better than new because the original manufacturers didn't have the methods we've got now to coat and polish parts," he says. Prices can range from $20 to coat a small item to $400 or more for a large wood stove. Smaller items, such as old kerosene lamps, farm tools, railroad spikes, and so on, can be sent to Clark through the mail to be coated. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ernie Clark, Classic Plating, Inc., 1021 Cook Ave., Billings, Mont. 59101 (ph 406 259-5456).

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