Satin Chrome?

[caryc]

I was watching an episode of Gas Monkey Garage and they fixed up an old slab sided Lincoln. It was jet black and they used some abrasive on all the chrome to turn it down to a satin look.

My question is, by using an abrasive on that chrome is it now subject to rust or staining? It did not show them coating it with anything.

 

[Dan in MI]

Didn’t see it, but I’d guess it just took some 0000 steel wool to take off the shine. Not enough to get down to base metal or primer.

 

[caryc]

Didn’t see it, but I’d guess it just took some 0000 steel wool to take off the shine. Not enough to get down to base metal or primer.

The reason that got me thinking about it was that if you take a fake ivory grip and try to apply a stain or soak it in tea, it usually won't take any stain. But if you rub it with steel wool to take the shine off of it, it will then take the stain. It's the shiny surface that won't let anything soak in.

 

[eveled]

It could have been stainless steel, aluminum, or chromed steel. So it’s hard to give an answer. But they only scuffed it any way. Not really removing any metal.

 

[caryc]

It could have been stainless steel, aluminum, or chromed steel. So it’s hard to give an answer. But they only scuffed it any way. Not really removing any metal.

I wasn't talking about the base metal. I was talking about the chrome coating. Have you never seen an old rusted chrome plated bumper? Evidently chrome will rust.

 

[Dan in MI]

I’m no expert but this is how understand chrome plating to work. Chrome is usually applied over a base of copper or brass (if memory serves) when you see rusted chrome it was either scratched or the base was poorly applied.

 

[Dave P.]

Usually....usually.... rust on chrome starts two ways, either surface contamination
or small breaks in the plating allowing oxidation starting on the underlying steel.
Sharp edges, bolt holes, dissimilar hardware, deep scratches....etc.
If they were careful with the materiel choice used to dull up the surface and
did a pacification treatment when done it should "live" for a long time.Dave

 

[Bob Wright]

For whatever its worth, Zippo lighters are available in satin chrome. Carried in pockets that are often damp from perspiration, I've yet to see one rust.

I believe most Zippo lighters were brass with chrome plating.

Bob Wright

 

[eveled]

It could have been stainless steel, aluminum, or chromed steel. So it’s hard to give an answer. But they only scuffed it any way. Not really removing any metal.

I wasn't talking about the base metal. I was talking about the chrome coating. Have you never seen an old rusted chrome plated bumper? Evidently chrome will rust.

If it was polished stainless or aluminum it wasn’t chrome plated. But it’s still called chrome trim.

If you take a polished stainless steel gun then scuff it with a scotch brite pad. Have you removed the chrome coating? No because it’s not plated it’s was polished. Same thing with “chrome trim”. Most of it is not chrome plated.

 

[caryc]

For whatever its worth, Zippo lighters are available in satin chrome. Carried in pockets that are often damp from perspiration, I've yet to see one rust.

I believe most Zippo lighters were brass with chrome plating.

Bob Wright

Zippo lighters are not left out in the weather.

Maybe if you wore the same pants for 6 months...

 

[caryc]

It could have been stainless steel, aluminum, or chromed steel. So it’s hard to give an answer. But they only scuffed it any way. Not really removing any metal.

I wasn't talking about the base metal. I was talking about the chrome coating. Have you never seen an old rusted chrome plated bumper? Evidently chrome will rust.

If it was polished stainless or aluminum it wasn’t chrome plated. But it’s still called chrome trim.

If you take a polished stainless steel gun then scuff it with a scotch brite pad. Have you removed the chrome coating? No because it’s not plated it’s was polished. Same thing with “chrome trim”. Most of it is not chrome plated.

What the heck are you talking about? I said it was all the chrome parts on an old slab sided Lincoln. It certainly wasn't stainless steel.

 

[eveled]

I don’t know why you ask questions if you already know everything. It most certainly could have been stainless. I’m done with you.

 

[Hawk-in-Wi]

I don’t know why you ask questions if you already know everything. It most certainly could have been stainless. I’m done with you.

I sure don't remember cars that where made back then having stainless steel use in them ,all the parts back then was chrome plated

 

[Bull Barrel]

You would be surprised at how many cars used stainless rather than chrome.
Bumpers were chrome plated but trim was stainless. 60s MoPars were like that.
There are outfits that restores damaged stainless trim. Remove dents, etc and polish to original.

 

[gunzo]

The biggest amount of my knowledge of older cars would be 57 Chevies. So just using as an example of the cars of the era. ALL the trim pieces on the side & around all the windows are SS. Bumpers are chromed steel, grill surround, headlight rims, hood rockets, are chrome plated alum, or pot metal.

As far as having a car customized by one of the big names & leaving out in the weather ???? :roll: :lol: :lol: :lol:
At 50, a 100, a 150,000 dollars, most of those cars don't see the light of day if there's a cloud in the sky, much less anything else that would rust something.

Then again, if the owner would care to use a vehicle modified as such, there's always a wide selection of clear coats in the haze of your choice that would protect things.

Edit to add bumper material.

 

[caryc]

The biggest amount of my knowledge of older cars would be 57 Chevies. So just using as an example of the cars of the era. ALL the trim pieces on the side & around all the windows are SS. Bumpers, grill surround, headlight rims, hood rockets, are chrome plated alum, or pot metal.

As far as having a car customized by one of the big names & leaving out in the weather ???? :roll: :lol: :lol: :lol:
At 50, a 100, a 150,000 dollars, most of those cars don't see the light of day if there's a cloud in the sky, much less anything else that would rust something.

Then again, if the owner would care to use a vehicle modified as such, there's always a wide selection of clear coats in the haze of your choice that would protect things.

Yes, but that's why I stated that they showed the guys using the abrasive on it but made no mention of putting any clear coat on the now satin finish chrome.

 

[caryc]

I don’t know why you ask questions if you already know everything. It most certainly could have been stainless. I’m done with you.

Thank You

 

[Bull Barrel]

Some older motorcycles such as Moto Guzzi used chrome lined cylinders to prevent rust. The cylinders were honed just like cast iron.
Problem is condensation would form and get under the plating and the plating flaked off, going through the engine...and they didn't have oil filters. As long as it was run regularly there was no problem. Let em sit......
To look at a good chrome lined cylinder it had a satin finish.
They eventually went to Nikasil lined cylinders.

 

[gunzo]

The biggest amount of my knowledge of older cars would be 57 Chevies. So just using as an example of the cars of the era. ALL the trim pieces on the side & around all the windows are SS. Bumpers, grill surround, headlight rims, hood rockets, are chrome plated alum, or pot metal.

As far as having a car customized by one of the big names & leaving out in the weather ???? :roll: :lol: :lol: :lol:
At 50, a 100, a 150,000 dollars, most of those cars don't see the light of day if there's a cloud in the sky, much less anything else that would rust something.

Then again, if the owner would care to use a vehicle modified as such, there's always a wide selection of clear coats in the haze of your choice that would protect things.

Yes, but that's why I stated that they showed the guys using the abrasive on it but made no mention of putting

any clear coat on the now satin finish chrome.

The main point of my answer was that there was a bunch of polished stainless steel trim in the older cars that is polished & left in it's raw form. It is mistakenly called chrome, to which it is not.

Yes, chrome plated steel can & will rust even without having used an abrasive on it. And, I will repeat that most of the cars you see being built on those shows are not generally out doors in wet weather. A person that has one, or maybe two customs will also wax them about once a week whether they need it or not, that's what custom vehicle owners do.

As to your mention of the show not showing the builders adding some sort of protection to the finished product, there's a ton of stuff they don't show on a 1 hour tv show. A quality show car can take 8-10,000 man hours to build, you are seeing 1% of the process, if only you don't go to the bath room or to get a snack.

 

[gunzo]

Some older motorcycles such as Moto Guzzi used chrome lined cylinders to prevent rust. The cylinders were honed just like cast iron.
Problem is condensation would form and get under the plating and the plating flaked off, going through the engine...and they didn't have oil filters. As long as it was run regularly there was no problem. Let em sit......
To look at a good chrome lined cylinder it had a satin finish.
They eventually went to Nikasil lined cylinders.

Now this is classic.. :lol:

Moto Guzzis rust........... on the inside????? :wink: