Re: How much weight can a 1" barbell handle?

> > > > > > >snipped What most folks see as Chrome plating is AKA Triple Chrome Plating. It > is a layered process. The part is ground and buffed to a high polish. > However this surface may still have small imperfections. So it is plated > with a layer of copper. This copper does two things, one it fills the > imperfections and it conducts electricity better than the steel, both of > which gives you a better and more even layer of plating. The part is > then buffed again to a very high polish. (ANY imperfections must be > taken out NOW) then the part is cleaned and plated in a nickel bath. > Then it is buffed again and finally plated with a very thin chromium > layer. The chromium layer is for wear resistance, it is the nickel that > makes the finish bright and shiny. It wears pretty well BUT the > copper/steel interface area is very fragile, any oil/rust or other > contaminant will cause plating failure. > > Then you have "hard chroming" That is an entirely different process. In > HC you polish the part to a finished size smaller than required and then > plate chromium onto the part until it is built up over the required > size, then ground and polished back to the correct spec. > > "Flashed" chrome is another different process that is done in a vacuum > chamber and is basically vacuum deposited onto a surface that either > doesn't conduct electricity or has a complex shape that plating in a > tank cannot handle. (tight interior corners are hard to plate due to > faradaic rejection in the tight angles. (same problem with powder coat > in tight areas) > > Hydrogen embrittlement is a real problem in high strength materials > (steel, aluminum alloy,titanium alloys), subjected to high loading > (suspension parts, stressed bars). The plating currents cause the > hydrogen to be absorbed into the material and this weakens it. It is > possible to correct the problem though. You need to follow each step of > plating with a bake in the oven (375-450 depending on HRc of the steel) > to remove the hydrogen from the item.

Isn't the steel nickel plated prior to the copper? (Xposted to a real metals group)

Reply to
John
Loading thread data ...

polish.

Nope. Polish - Copper plate, Polish again - Nickel plate, Polish again - Chromium plate.

Reply to
Steve W.

PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.