Copper plated

gortnipper · Sep 27, 2018

As seen on the internet in Kenny's shop. My wife would love this...really.

dynodave · Sep 28, 2018

Prep for chrome? What a shame

I was given a commando with a chromed frame.
Might have been nice in the past but...
Now a horrible mess....rust,blistering corrosion
It will be a huge chore to reclaim for use.
AFAIK Only cyanide strip will strip chrome, copper, nickle without damage to the steel.
http://atlanticgreen.com/dunstall.htm
http://atlanticgreen.com/images/darsa.jpg

acotrel · Sep 29, 2018

How do you repair a cracked frame if it is plated ?

motorson · Oct 1, 2018

Leave it in copper color! The patina after a few years should be awesome.

Peter R · Oct 2, 2018

Plating the frame may cause cracks as result of hydrogen embrittlement, something I would personally avoid.

concours · Oct 2, 2018

motorson said:
Leave it in copper color! The patina after a few years should be awesome.

Yes, that green crud corroded look, like some fittings on the Edmund Fitzgerald is the new hipster steam punk fad...

gortnipper · Oct 2, 2018

Patina. Like my valve amps.

dynodave · Oct 2, 2018

Peter R said:
Plating the frame may cause cracks as result of hydrogen embrittlement, something I would personally avoid.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia...are they wrong?
Steel with an ultimate tensile strength of less than 1000 MPa (~145,000 psi) or hardness of less than 23 HRC is not generally considered susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement.

like mild steel tubing of a commando frame and plates of the cradle

robs ss · Oct 2, 2018

I have always thought, maybe incorrectly, that you are taking risks putting a stressed member (especially if welds are included) into an acid bath.
My logic is that these "cleaning" acids may etch along grain boundaries creating micro stress-raisers.
These micro-pockets will be filled with the copper layer, so you won't see them - but the copper has no real structural value, meaning a crack can start under the copper.
Chrome plating for vanity sake is, I believe, the bike equivalent of plastic surgery - there's a big chance you'll regret it later - maybe with fatal consequences.

Rob

lcrken · Oct 2, 2018

Many highly stressed parts have for decades been routinely processed in acid baths, either for cleaning in preparation for other processes, or in the actual process, like electro-plating. Think fork tubes, shock absorber shafts, crankshafts (hard chrome in chromic acid), huge numbers of aerospace fasteners and parts (cad plating using nitric acid), including jet plane landing gear, etc. All sorts of critical parts are cleaned in an acid solution (pickling) before coating or painting. I find it difficult to believe there is any risk in doing the same to a Commando frame.

Ken

Copper plated

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