Vacuum Metalizing Plastic

[Keith Tedford]

Back in the summer of '68 I worked on a machine for putting the chrome look bead on the Pontiac dash insert. A roll of plastic much like saran wrap was used and it had the metal on one side. A heated unit pressed the foil onto the surface and the plastic pulled away leaving the nice shiny bead.
The metalized parts were put in a cabinet and completely metalized then the areas to remain shiny were masked and the rest was painted whatever colour that was required.