Tidying castings for chroming?

[The Lone Rider]

Got a bundle of parts going out for chroming. Some of them are cast, and I guess portions of the cast have been machined into a nice smooth finish.

Still, a few areas have that roughness you get with casting. As the chromer said, it'll chrome but it'll be a rough chrome and not really look nice.

Is there something I can do to tidy it up? I'm guessing a small sanding drum on a rotary, set to low speed?

[nodrog:Me]

If you want your chrome to look good, you want to polish them up as if they werent being chromed.

[The Lone Rider]

If you want your chrome to look good, you want to polish them up as if they werent being chromed.

Thats already part of the service.

What I'm talking about is the roughness of unmachined castings.

[nodrog:Me]

Thats already part of the service.

What I'm talking about is the roughness of unmachined castings.

yeah, get out your sandpaper then and start sanding it smooth, before they polish it up.

[The Lone Rider]

Actually had a change of plan (unless someone knows how to full strip a master cylinder?).

One of the parts I was wanting chromed, that had the cast marks on it, I can't actually pull apart enough to get it chromed. The rubber around the cylinder I can't get out and therefore can't chrome the thing. So I'm now going to paint any parts with rough casting, and the smoothed machine bits will get chromed.

The wheels have rough casting areas, and the "spokes" and outer diameters of the rims are all machined so I'm planning on getting the wheels chromed, then masking and then painting the rough cast areas.

The question now is how well with paint stick to the rough chrome.

[imdying]

Actually had a change of plan (unless someone knows how to full strip a master cylinder?).

One of the parts I was wanting chromed, that had the cast marks on it, I can't actually pull apart enough to get it chromed. The rubber around the cylinder I can't get out and therefore can't chrome the thing. So I'm now going to paint any parts with rough casting, and the smoothed machine bits will get chromed.

The wheels have rough casting areas, and the "spokes" and outer diameters of the rims are all machined so I'm planning on getting the wheels chromed, then masking and then painting the rough cast areas.

The question now is how well with paint stick to the rough chrome.

They all come completely to bits. Rough castings aren't a problem (for you), the polisher will polish them all to a mirror finish before chroming them. That's what costs the money, not the actual chroming itself.

[jellywrestler]

[QUOTE=The Lone Rider;1130314566 a master cylinder?[/QUOTE]
what model bike, you may be able to buy a master cylinder already chromed
how does paint stick to rough chrome, shit, that's how really depends on the quality of etch primer used etc but it wont be easy.
what brand of wheels are they?

[The Lone Rider]

They all come completely to bits. Rough castings aren't a problem (for you), the polisher will polish them all to a mirror finish before chroming them. That's what costs the money, not the actual chroming itself.

Hmmm my understanding was they dont tidy up the roughness of the casting.

Maybe I misunderstood him but there was some issue about chroming the wheels because of not being able to polish them on the rough bits of the casting.

[imdying]

Hmmm my understanding was they dont tidy up the roughness of the casting.

Maybe I misunderstood him but there was some issue about chroming the wheels because of not being able to polish them on the rough bits of the casting.

The only issue is the price. Rough castings take a while to clean up which means higher labour charges. Easy enough to do, just time consuming.

[jellywrestler]

why not post photos? that would help a bit

[The Lone Rider]

The only issue is the price. Rough castings take a while to clean up which means higher labour charges. Easy enough to do, just time consuming.

I'll check with him if the price quoted includes cleaning up the roughness of the casting.

Still the issue that I cant get the cylinder chromed cuz I cant get the rubber seals etc out. But that's not to bad to paint.

[jellywrestler]

I'll check with him if the price quoted includes cleaning up the roughness of the casting.

Still the issue that I cant get the cylinder chromed cuz I cant get the rubber seals etc out. But that's not to bad to paint.

if the seals went in then they'll come out

[Kickaha]

the polisher will polish them all to a mirror finish before chroming them.

Some places that do chroming strangely enough dont do polishing, they guys in Maldon street have done a excellent job on polishing stuff for me but if you want a decent job be prepared to pay a lot for it

Take your stuff into them and get them to see what they can do with it but if you want a tidy chrome finish it needs to be already perfect before chroming

[The Lone Rider]

if the seals went in then they'll come out

In theory, but the sucker cost about $300 for the master cylinder and I rather paint it then fuck it for the possibility of chroming it.

I've actually got the original one here, and had a go at practicing pulling all that out from that. Couldn't do it.

[The Lone Rider]

Some places that do chroming strangely enough dont do polishing, they guys in Maldon street have done a excellent job on polishing stuff for me but if you want a decent job be prepared to pay a lot for it

Take your stuff into them and get them to see what they can do with it but if you want a tidy chrome finish it needs to be already perfect before chroming

Escort can't chrome aluminum. Many places can't.