Phoenix Gold Phorum

I called a finishing shop about chrome and nickel plating. They said I should stay away from nickel as it can "turn dark in a way that doesn't look good."

How was PG finishing their nickel-plated heat sinks? Were they just coating them in clear afterward, or was it something else that keeps them looking nice? Are nickel plated MS1K's known to change much over time?

not sure exactly. I think what he means is that nickel like a lot of metals will corrode if its handled. Think of how an old penny can look after its been in circulation, but then think about the sets in coin collections that still looks shiny as can be. I had my dd10 and some other pieces plated to match my ms1000 years ago and they are still nice and shiny but I do wipe them off every time I touch them.

I've not done any extensive research to determine if there are other factors, but literally thousands of hardware items and fasteners are nickel plated. Pretty much any screw you purchase that is bright and shiny silver, but still magnetic, is a nickel plated fastener. As far as I know, there is no over coating to seal and minimize corrosion. Nickel is already highly resistant to corrosion.

TL;DR
I'd check with other platers. Lots of us have nickel plated heat sinks that are fine 30 years later. In industry we use nickel all the time in corrosive environments. I think you may need a second opinion.

I’ve done some, but I say do what you want and see for yourself.. I haven’t scene these issue on any OEM nickel or any that I’ve bought or had plated. No!! There’s no clear coat over the nickel