Work Chrome

[68 Ford Stepside]

I just had a brain fart & I'll share it with you guys. In a small town about twelve miles from here is a plant that chromes rollers for conveyors. It's called work chrome because the more it's worked the harder it gets. The stuff looks pretty good, not as good as bumper quality though. I was thinking about having the grille I just bought done just to see what it would look like. The down side is if it doesn't look good, I will have just ruined a grill that isn't made anymore.

[Whateverman]

how much would they charge ya?

[68 Ford Stepside]

I was told it is about one third of what show chrome would be at a bumper facility. To get a dollar figure,I would have to carry it over there for them to see it.

[michael69]

I think you would need one of the painted steel grills to do that. I have been told you can't chrome the aluminum ones. Something about the chrome won't attract and stick to aluminium. Just what I have been told. Don't know for sure.

[68 Ford Stepside]

I think you would need one of the painted steel grills to do that. I have been told you can't chrome the aluminum ones. Something about the chrome won't attract and stick to aluminium. Just what I have been told. Don't know for sure.

Years ago I had all the covers on my 900 Kawasaki engine chromed at Brown's in Paducah, Kentucky. They were aluminum, but much thicker.

[michael69]

If it will I would like to have my grill done. I have seen a few that had the steel ones chromed and they look great.

[68 Ford Stepside]

If it will I would like to have my grill done. I have seen a few that had the steel ones chromed and they look great.

Don't forget i'm talking about work chrome. It is not triple plate show chrome.

[michael69]

That would work for me my trucks not a show truck It gets drove and drove hard!! I just try to keep it looking as good as I can for a daily driver.

[hazelnut]

On the plus side if being chromed aluminum is you wouldn't have to worrie about rust coming through like it dose on steel. I had a chromed aluminum bumper on my dumptruck and it held up better than the steel ones do.

Work chrome has the finish that looks close to nickel dosen't it ? Bump trim has a satin look to it so i would think it would look good IMO.

[68 Ford Stepside]

On the plus side if being chromed aluminum is you wouldn't have to worrie about rust coming through like it dose on steel. I had a chromed aluminum bumper on my dumptruck and it held up better than the steel ones do.

Work chrome has the finish that looks close to nickel dosen't it ? Bump trim has a satin look to it so i would think it would look good IMO.

That is a plus I hadn't thought about, no rust.

[averagef250]

Hard chrome? Work chrome is a term I've never heard before.

Chroming for looks is just a different process. Hard chrome is just putting chrome directly on the base material to a certain thickness. Chroming for looks involves building up and smoothing the base material with other materials before chrome is applied.

Interesting to see how it turns out.

Aluminum auto trim is anodized. I would imagine you will have to remove the anodize layer before anything else can be done. Not a project for the weary I'm sure!

[Ranchero50]

Hard chrome could looks ok, just it's thin and shows every imperfection in the base metal. A couple years ago one of the vendors on a gun forum was bringing Ex police pistols over and hard chroming the parts. Looked good in an industrial kind of way.

At work we chrome our gravure print cylinders after the diamonds cut the image in the copper coat.

[hazelnut]

Aluminum anodizing can be removed with easy-off, Takes a few trys but overall its not to bad. Just want to be upwind when spraying it on.