Graves Plating Chrome After Three Years Of Salt Water Abuse.

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This cleat gets the most abuse. Always some sort of spray.

As you may recall, or not, I had Graves Plating do the chrome on WECATCHEM about three years ago. How has it held up? Mind you I live in an area that is Salt water and brackish. Depending on the time of year. And well, it can be rough on the metal on my boats. Needless to say I do go through some polish.

You can see some of the roughness, but it all polishes right off

But I am not obsessive about it. I just watch it and clean it. No rituals anymore.

You can see the dullness of salt on the varnish. AHHHHHH!

Graves Plating does amazing work, and has a system in place for decades that goes the extra mile. And you do pay for it. Or do you? Maybe it’s the standard cost and cheaper chrome jobs are just that. Cheaper and cutting corners? So how does that extra mile hold up.

One cleaning with water. I polished it after this photo. I did wax the chrome in the spring. I will be doing the same this fall. I remove it and clean each part.

But it all cleans off with a hose and love

Well? Well! Very Well, insane well. (That was some punctuation humor BTW. )

The header today shows the abuse BTW. And this is after a 2 hr run. It was perfect before. And she has been uncovered all summer. In a boat house, but open to the elements ish

I did call Rod Graves and let him know I was thrilled with the work. We talked about the fact that most of his crew has been there for decades, and some of the machines, polishers etc are from the 1940’s and are the best of the best. I suppose when you think about it. Chrome is a 1940’s -1960’s thing, so the best machines and processes would have been from then, and over the years, corners have been cut to save money. NOT at Graves, and thats why so many Pebble Beach cars and Tahoe Winners get chrome from Graves Plating. 

I LOVE GRAVES PLATING! And you get what you pay for. And thats value.

Oh.. wait, did I say Tahoe? As in Lake Tahoe Show.. I almost forgot. VOTE DA BOAT! the Trawler boat. We can make history. SWEET PEA can be the first and chances are only Trawler to win on Lake Tahoe.

10 replies
  1. John Rothert
    John Rothert says:

    Troy and Frank are Snap On!

    Matt, you should do a Graves story…show some of that vintage equipment?

    John in Va. Going Boating!!

  2. Wudzgud
    Wudzgud says:

    Ok Matt
    What is that yellow tube of polish you use?
    I have been using flitz but up to trying something else

  3. Craig A. McIntosh
    Craig A. McIntosh says:

    …how long is NEVER DULL been around? I love that old-school product and have cans of it everywhere!

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