To paint or not to paint? How do plates hold up...

[tbbenton]

Will you coat the bell too?  I electroplated mine several years after building it and I liked the result.  Here's a link from the old forum:
  http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.mpl?forum=bottlehead&n=136967&highlight=electroplating+tbbenton&r=

[Dr. Toobz]

I polished up the bell a bit with the intention of blueing it and the screws when I have time to visit a gun store or somewhere that carries the solution. I wonder if Wal-Mart or hardware stores might?

[Doc B.]

Yeah Wally World, Big5, etc. carry Birchwood Casey bluing. If you find it get the Super Blue version. It's mo' betta than the regular stuff. And shoot a really good coat of clear over it to preserve it, as the blued steel will rust with time.

[tbbenton]

I started down that path before I settled on plating.  My local hardware store didn't carry it.  Then I looked online.  There are so many different types of bluing, I finally decided it was impractical to do it "right" (hot process) myself -- thus the plating.

I look forward to photos when you done.