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Electroplated Snap-Caps™

Electroplated Chrome, Satin Chrome and Gold Snap-Caps

Electroplated Snap-Caps (aka "Dome" caps) give a high-quality finish on polished metal, mirrors, glass, and other high-gloss surfaces.

The finish is tough and durable, and is resistant to most household cleaning products.  Even when used outdoors, Electroplated Snap-Caps will withstand the elements and last as long as the chrome-plated badges on your car.

Prices from £48.20 (per bag of 100 Caps)and just £4.50 (per bag of 100 Washers)
(Click on PRICES tab for more information)

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What are Electroplated Snap-Caps?

CSK Washer F/B Washer

Electroplated Snap-Caps are a high-quality metal-finish version of Snap-Caps.  They are ideal for concealing fixings on metal, chrome & anodised fittings such as window or shower frames and other highly polished surfaces such as mirrors, plaques & signs.  Satin Chrome finish Snap-Caps look fantastic on satin or "brushed" metal surfaces.

Electroplated Snap-Caps have a finish that is hard-wearing, long-lasting and resistant to most household cleansers.

Available in Cap sizes 6/8 and 10/12.

Electroplated caps can be used with both CSK and F/B washers or with Mirror Grommets for above-surface mounting of mirrors.

Suggested uses:

Use Polished Chrome Snap-Caps on:  bathrooms (on mirrors, showerscreens and fittings), polished aluminium & stainless kitchen & shop fittings, signs and POS displays, vehicle trims & number-plates, marine fittings,  IT installations

Use Satin Chrome Snap-Caps on:  brushed or satin aluminium or stainless steel fittings, marine fittings,  IT installations, signs and POS displays

Use Polished Gold Snap-Caps on:  plaques, signs and POS displays, shopfitting, coffin furniture

 

How to use Electroplated Snap-Caps

The fixing is secured through the washer into the workpiece. The cap is then "snapped" over the washer, mating by means of an interlocking peripheral groove and flange. This provides an airtight and seal that excludes atmosphere and protects the fastener head from rust and corrosion.

What is "electroplating"?

You may remember science experiments from school where you copper-plated a nail by passing an electrical current through a copper sulphate solution. This is a very basic form of electroplating. Snap-Caps are electroplated using a similar (but much more complex) principle.

Electroplating of plastics is a very specialised industry and there are only a handful of companies around the world with the necessary expertise - so we send our caps off to one of these specialists to electroplate them for us.

Firstly, the caps are moulded in a special grade of ABS plastic, which is the only plastic that can accept the process. The caps are mounted on special racks, which allow electricity to be conducted through the caps, then passed through 20 or more baths where the metal is slowly built up over the plastic until the final high quality finish is attained. Between each phase of the process, caps are rinsed in clean water. Each cap is then washed and individually checked for quality.

It may surprise you to learn that these days, all car badges and many bathroom fittings are electroplated plastic, and are made using exactly the same process as on our caps. This assures a durable, hard-wearing and long-lasting finish suitable for both indoor and outdoor applications. While it is resistant to most household cleaners, you should not use scouring cleaners that may scratch the surface, or use on applications exposed to temperatures above 120°C.

 

Why are Electroplated Snap-Caps so pricey?

The electroplating process requires a number of metal compounds to be disolved in the carrier solution for the process to work. These metals are expensive. In fact, the Gold electroplating uses 18 and 24 carat gold!

All the baths used must be disposed of after the solution has been used up - an expensive cost, as is the treatment of rinse water before it can be released into the sewage system (and eventually the ocean).

There is also a high labour cost as caps must be attached to metal racks which transfer an electrical current through the caps. After the electroplating process is complete, all caps are removed from the racks and then individually checked for quality.

The net result is that electroplating (especially of plastics), is a fairly expensive process.  Just as with a replacement badge for your car, or a new mixer-tap for your shower, there is a price for a quality metal finish, which is resistant to most household cleaning produts and which you fully expect will last for many years.

 

What about the cheaper "metallised" caps available elsewhere?

Although they may look similar to Electroplated Snap-Caps, the much cheaper "metallised" caps sold by other UK Suppliers, are essentially just a painted silver or gold coating. 

"Metallised" caps can often be spotted by the exposed plastic (usually White or Brown) inside the cap.   Genuine electroplated Snap-Caps can be differentiated from "metallised" caps as they have the plating finish on the inside of the cap as well as on the outside surface.

These inferior coatings can be removed by many 'everyday' household cleaning products, leaving more silver or gold on the cleaning cloth than on the cap!  On other caps, temperature changes will cause the coating to separate from the plastic, resulting in the coating peeling or flaking off.  Let's face it, if 'metallised' finishes were even a fraction as good as fully electroplated finishes, the process would be used by manufacturers of low-end vehicles and bathroom fittings.

Pro-Dec do not manufacture, sell or recommend the use of "Metallised" caps - Use only genuine Electroplated Snap-Caps.

Material

Snap-Caps are manufactured in ABS polymer and then fully electroplated to Best Practice standards.


Snap-Caps Dimensions


What types of fixings will work with Snap-Caps?

This table indicates some of the different types and sizes of fixings that can be used with Snap-Caps. It is by no means definitive, and there are numerous examples of imported fixings that are sized differently enough to not fit. If you have any additions to this table, or disagree with any information, please contact our Technical Department.

Real comments by real people!

To do your own review, please go to the Leave a Review page on the Contacts menu

Snap Caps

ian thompson
From Thompson Plastics Ltd
On: 25/05/2020
Brilliant caps. Look great and easy to use.

 

Shower handle fixing problem!

Julie Ward
From Leicestershire
On: 30/01/2020
Who would have thought trying to fix a curved shower rail could pose such a problem! The caps & washers securing and covering the screws to the door had perished and we had a problem finding replacements. Having looked online, we were unsure which product would work so contacted Screw Caps UK for their advice. Your staff very kindly sent us samples to try and we found one of them fitted the bill perfectly. Thank you for exceptional sales service.

Edited by WebAdmin to remove Employee names.

 

Excellent Service

Steve
From Liverpool
On: 06/12/2019
Great service, excellent sales and quick postal with next day delivery - great company to deal with, thank you very much.

 

Would recommend

Mrs F Butler
From Andover
On: 19/04/2018
We are very happy with the quality of this product and the service is excellent

 

Reliable

Dan Bent
From Project:ff&e
On: 27/02/2018
Always efficient service, reliable product and delivery

 

Admin

Rachael
From Grays fitted Furniture
On: 19/01/2017
Very helpful service and fast delivery. Chrome caps are very good

 

Proprietor

Peter Forrest
From Forest wood craft
On: 08/10/2016
Quick service.

 

Very helpful and excellent service

Hazel
From Northants
On: 02/08/2015
The electroplated caps were exactly what we were looking for. Great service all round

 

Perfect.......couldn't be better

Iain Welters
From Welters Organisation
On: 20/07/2015

The Electroplated Caps are perfect.......couldn't be better.

The customer service is second to none and genuinely go the extra mile.

 

The best to meet our needs

Neil Dimmock
From Project:ff&e
On: 13/07/2015

After several attempts to find a good quality, robust screw cover for the mirrors we install, we have found that the electro plated screw caps and washers to be the best one to meet our needs

 

Account Manager

Colin Newson
From Sterling Solutions
On: 01/06/2015

Very helpful and quick service. High quality products at reasonable rates., and a very good range of products - particularly like the satin chrome finished caps.

 

The best Electroplated Chrome caps around.

Paul Penter
From Handley & Beck Ltd
On: 19/03/2013

Your Chrome caps are far superior and they are in a totally different league to those from Moss Plastics.

 


 

Thank you for your interest in Electroplated Snap-Caps.

Trade Prices are from:

  Size 6/8 Electroplated Snap-Caps   Size 10/12 Electroplated Snap-Caps
  Bag - 100 pcs Bag - 250 pcs Bag - 500 pcs Bag - 1,000 pcs   Bag - 100 pcs Bag - 250 pcs Bag - 500 pcs Bag - 1,000 pcs
Polished Chrome £48.20 £91.40 £155.601 £247.601   £56.80 £108.10 £183.401 £292.401
Satin Chrome £56.80 £108.10 £183.401 £292.401   £64.70 £123.00 £208.901 £332.802
Polished Gold £88.90 £169.101 £287.901 £457.802   £105.20 £202.801 £340.602 £548.602
Washers £4.50 £7.80 £13.00 £17.40   £4.70 £8.20 £13.60 £18.00
Mirror Grommets n/a n/a n/a n/a   £16.60 £28.30 £47.70 £65.00

***  To order quantities of less than shown above, please contact one of our Re-Sellers.
 

Discounts available:

    10% OFF - Order £150 or more Product Value (excludes VAT, and can be made up from any mix of our products & colours)
    15% OFF - Order £300 or more Product Value (excludes VAT, and can be made up from any mix of our products & colours)
    1    At least 10% Discount will be applied to your total order when purchasing any of these items
    2    A 15% Discount will be applied to your total order when purchasing any of these items
 

With so many types of caps and colours to choose from, our priority is to ensure you order the right product, size and colour for your application.  Please call our experienced UK Sales Team on 0845 1 776 332, and we will quickly guide you through the possible choices you have available.  You can then be confident you are ordering the type of cap that best fits your needs, and a colour to best suit your application.


 

Difficulty "snapping" the Cap onto the Washer

Snap-Caps are designed and moulded to very fine tolerances.  The Cap & Washer interock together with a perfect air and watertight seal, protecting the head of the fixing against rusting for many years.  This also results in a very secure Cap that resists tampering.

A plastic Snap-Cap relies on both the Cap and the Washer distorting as the Cap is pressed into place.  Because the Electroplated Cap is coated in a metal finish and is very rigid, joining the Cap over the Washer relies completely on the the plastic of the Washer distorting as the cap locks over the washer.  Even in ideal conditions, this may require greater-than-normal pressure to lock the cap into place.

The Fix: There are a few things which may make it easier to apply the caps....

  • Before using, simply warm the caps and the plastic washers in an 'inside' pocket (ie close to your body), or in an oven or similar warming device to a maximum of 100°C. Fit the fixing through the Washer, then fit the Electroplated cap - BEFORE either part cools down.
  • Use the smallest fixing for the size Snap-Cap (ie use a 6gge (M3.5) screw in the 6/8 Snap-Caps or a 10gge (M5) with the 10/12 Snap-Caps.  This allows more room for the plastic of the Washer to flex.
  • Ensure you are using the correct technique to fit the Cap to the Washer.  Click diagram for details

Do NOT hit Caps with a hammer (or similar) - it will cause the Caps to split

 

Working in Winter - Using Plastic Caps in Cold Weather

A plastic Snap-Cap relies on both the Cap and the Washer distorting as the Cap is pressed into place.  Because the Electroplated Cap is coated in a metal finish and is very rigid, joining the Cap over the Washer relies completely on the the plastic of the Washer distorting as the cap locks over the washer.

As the plastic become colder, it stiffens and does not flex as much; with Electroplated Caps this can make it quite difficult to apply the Caps.  This effect can be noticable anytime the plastic is below 15°C.

The Fix: Before using, simply warm the caps in an 'inside' pocket (ie close to your body), or in an oven or similar warming device to a maximum of 100°C.  Fit the fixing through the Washer, then fit the Electroplated cap - BEFORE either part cools down.  Once fitted, Elctroplated Snap-Caps can endure temperatures from -35°C to 120°C without problems. The durable Electroplated finish ensures they can be used both indoors and outdoors for many years, and is resistant to most household and commercial cleaning products.

See "Difficulty "snapping" the Cap onto the Washer" (above) for other ideas to make fitting the caps easier.