Black chrome.......?

**tl_tub** · 30th December 2006, 07:51

How about titanium nitride? Thats the black coating you see on some forks these days. looks like obsidian glass i guess?

**degrom** · 30th December 2006, 08:22

Originally Posted by brent_b

How about titanium nitride? Thats the black coating you see on some forks these days. looks like obsidian glass i guess?

Now that sounds like the stuff they use on space-ships!!! It must be it!!!!

**imdying** · 30th December 2006, 10:54

Originally Posted by brent_b

How about titanium nitride? Thats the black coating you see on some forks these days. looks like obsidian glass i guess?

I think titanium nitride is the gold coloured coating, the black stuff is DLC (diamond like coating).

Some mufflers are black chromed, might be worth asking neptune.

**Pussy** · 30th December 2006, 11:07

Originally Posted by 98tls

I like the look of polished wheels etc but was thinking about the odd set of mags on cars that ive seen and there kind of a black chrome....or at least a dark chrome........ive a set that i had painted but am not happy with them so was thinking of going this way for something different.........anyone know the technical name for the process and how expensive is it.........?

I'm fairly certain that Forlong & Maisey on Vickery St, Te Rapa, Hamilton can do black chrome. phone 07 849 3861. Might be worth a try

**imdying** · 30th December 2006, 12:58

The black chrome on wheels you've seen is 'shadow chrome'. I think that it's acually just a gunmetal coloured powercoat, and not actually chrome at all iirc.

**pritch** · 1st January 2007, 16:55

Came to this thread late... again!

My understanding was that structural parts (frames, and I guess wheels) shouldn't be chrome plated as chrome is relatively brittle and is prone to cracking. Any such crack can then create a stress riser which can potentially result in the frame losing its structural integrity (cracking) at that location. For this reason my Cheney MX frame was nickel plated. Nickel being softer.

An engineer (or Google?) might give a more erudite explanation but I'd be very wary of chrome plating wheels.

**Ixion** · 1st January 2007, 19:07

So what about wire spoke wheels then? Though vague memories of something called "hydrigen embrittlement" come to mind.

**Crisis management** · 1st January 2007, 20:48

As Ixion states Hydrogen embrittlement can be a problem with chrome plated steels and additional heat treatment is required to prevent it causing cracking failures (usually an oil bath treatment for a couple of hours at something like 180 degrees)
It's been a while since I dealt with this but I think it is a problem with welded joints and high carbon steels mainly. Be worth enquiring about more before spending $$$'s on plating.

I'll have a look tomorrow and get a more definitive answer...too close to hangover recovery time today.

**Pixie** · 1st January 2007, 23:32

Originally Posted by brent_b

How about titanium nitride? Thats the black coating you see on some forks these days. looks like obsidian glass i guess?

Titanium nitride is gold,it's the coating they put on drill bits-and forks.
The black coating on forks is Diamond Like Carbon.

Black chrome was used on some production bike exhausts in the eighties.
Katanas and GPZ's I think

**Pixie** · 1st January 2007, 23:35

Originally Posted by pritch008

Came to this thread late... again!

My understanding was that structural parts (frames, and I guess wheels) shouldn't be chrome plated as chrome is relatively brittle and is prone to cracking. Any such crack can then create a stress riser which can potentially result in the frame losing its structural integrity (cracking) at that location. For this reason my Cheney MX frame was nickel plated. Nickel being softer.

An engineer (or Google?) might give a more erudite explanation but I'd be very wary of chrome plating wheels.

The acid etching used to prepare for plating causes intercrystalline corrosion,and that can lead to cracking

**98tls** · 2nd January 2007, 07:02

Came across these on the TLZONE website.......its a powdercoat called smoke chrome

**Crisis management** · 2nd January 2007, 08:17

Powder coating looks like a better option than chroming!
I had a look at the process required to achieve a good black chrome finish on aluminium and it looks a lot more expensive than powder coating.
Bear in mind with powder coating aluminium alloys that the process of curing the powder coating (200 degrees in oven) actually softens the alloy. When I was involved in manufacturing coated alloy wheels we had a maximium of 2 recoats before we scrapped the wheels. So, don't go powder coating them every second week....

**degrom** · 2nd January 2007, 10:27

Originally Posted by 98tls

Came across these on the TLZONE website.......its a powdercoat called smoke chrome

Is that what you are after?

**imdying** · 2nd January 2007, 11:19

More info.... DLC has no colour... is transparant. The black look on the GSXR1000K3 is DLC over top of black chrome.

Found that out here, a place in NZ that does TiN coating

**degrom** · 2nd January 2007, 11:29

Originally Posted by imdying

More info.... DLC has no colour... is transparant. The black look on the GSXR1000K3 is DLC over top of black chrome.

Found that out here, a place in NZ that does TiN coating

Thanks mate!!! That's a contact I have been looking for,for a while now...