How to Chrome?
I don’t think the fork neck springs were ever chromed but instead Zinc plated and polished. I plate and polish my own and when I strip them there’s no evidence of copper or nickel. Also, most 50 year old springs aren’t real rusty which leads me to believe zinc. Plating shops wanted $100 to zinc plate so i decided to invest and do them myself. I’m pretty happy with how they turn out.
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Hello,
It naturally develops from both the stripping process and re-plating process. The harder the material going through this process the more risk you face. It is wise to bake the part after stripping and after plating to reduce the risk. Bake temperatures range from
300 deg to 375 deg typically. Time would be 1 - 23 hours per process step. The harder the material the longer you would bake. There are charts out there that gives you a suggested time and temp based on material hardness. This can be measured by any shop that heat treats parts. Maybe Century spring can give you a hardness range of coil spring type materials. I would also ask them what temperature to avoid so the spring does not take a set. I don't think that even at 375 it would be an issue. Safer to bake longer at the higher end of the temp range if you don't know what the spring material is. A plating shop can also help guide you.
Regards,
Joe
It naturally develops from both the stripping process and re-plating process. The harder the material going through this process the more risk you face. It is wise to bake the part after stripping and after plating to reduce the risk. Bake temperatures range from
300 deg to 375 deg typically. Time would be 1 - 23 hours per process step. The harder the material the longer you would bake. There are charts out there that gives you a suggested time and temp based on material hardness. This can be measured by any shop that heat treats parts. Maybe Century spring can give you a hardness range of coil spring type materials. I would also ask them what temperature to avoid so the spring does not take a set. I don't think that even at 375 it would be an issue. Safer to bake longer at the higher end of the temp range if you don't know what the spring material is. A plating shop can also help guide you.
Regards,
Joe
So if I get the some parts plated at a plate shop, is it better to just have them dip it and be charged for that instead of being charged for the entire process? I'm planning on maybe trying to get some parts taken to a plate shop to get chromed and want to know if it is the most cost efficient way to go. I would like to have advice on how to polish and buff after they get dipped because this is a new area for me.
You will have to make sure the place you take your parts too will just dip it for you its there place and there call.The polishing is done before chrome ,it has to almost look like chrome before your finished and it takes hours all pits and scratches will show up if not removed,its a long process and you need lots of patience
As with painting, prep is everything. I've done a bunch of zinc plating in my garage. My old bead blast cabinet and wire wheels of various sizes have been getting a real workout.
I recently purchased some blue and yellow chromate concentrate from Caswell Plating to apply a final finish. It is supposed to improve the appearance and corrosion resistance of the plated parts. Another month or more may pass before I use it. I will report on the outcome.
Caswell Plating Blue Chromate
I recently purchased some blue and yellow chromate concentrate from Caswell Plating to apply a final finish. It is supposed to improve the appearance and corrosion resistance of the plated parts. Another month or more may pass before I use it. I will report on the outcome.
Caswell Plating Blue Chromate
I have not tried plating anything other than zinc. Maybe someday.
I did not buy a plating kit. I use a recipe for a home made process that I found on another forum. It's just an expansion on an old middle-school science project and it works great. Google "Turning Pennies Into Silver" to see how it works.
This old rusty washer was my first attempt/test. You can see how the rough surface left by the rust is visible through the plating. It would look much better if polished first.
I did not buy a plating kit. I use a recipe for a home made process that I found on another forum. It's just an expansion on an old middle-school science project and it works great. Google "Turning Pennies Into Silver" to see how it works.
This old rusty washer was my first attempt/test. You can see how the rough surface left by the rust is visible through the plating. It would look much better if polished first.
I just sand & polish all my stuff, as I really dig the natural hues ect. of all polished metals.
3M- 3000 grit foam backed sheets work excellent for final prep polishing, before using like mother mag wheel polish ect. , & or a good carnauba wax,, for a final.
Ultra fine steel wool works good in the process also.
3M- 3000 grit foam backed sheets work excellent for final prep polishing, before using like mother mag wheel polish ect. , & or a good carnauba wax,, for a final.
Ultra fine steel wool works good in the process also.