Re-chroming cylinders

[oldbigred]

Don't worry, I've searched the topic plenty. haha.

My question is say a guy has a very rare cylinder, good other than the chrome flaked off in two spots, no replacements to be found. Has anyone out there actually had a cylinder re-plated? If so where does one get this done? Im seeing about 150-180 for a pricetag, is that in the ball park for this proceedure? Thanks guys.

 

[Shagbark]

The plater would have to strip the old "chrome" and replate, as well as mask areas that you do not want chrome. Based upon my experience in the market the price you give sounds about right.

 

[demographic]

I've had it done with motocross cylinders before and they have worked just fine afterwards, no problems with the plating.

Don't know about price as I'm in the UK, so it was about £130 a few years ago.

 

[046]

right out of high school, worked at a plating shop.

we did a few hard chrome jobs. which is an intensive plating operation requiring loads of time and high amps in an extremely toxic chromium bath.

normally chrome is plated on a few 10 thousands thick on top of nickel and copper. chrome is flashed on if you will. hard chrome is applied in mils.

 

[7sleeper]

I've had some gun parts hard chrome plated and as far as I remember it wasn't expensive at all. Of course only small parts. I had handpolished them before.
I wonder if it would be all to difficult to do some titanium/nitride or titanium/carbide coating, and how long it would last in an engine. Usualy it is used for coating cutting tools but who knows?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanium_nitride

7

 

[Austin1]

I've had some gun parts hard chrome plated and as far as I remember it wasn't expensive at all. Of course only small parts. I had handpolished them before.
I wonder if it would be all to difficult to do some titanium/nitride or titanium/carbide coating, and how long it would last in an engine. Usualy it is used for coating cutting tools but who knows?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanium_nitride

7

I got ya beet on that one I had a Barrel bushing re chromed for a case of beer, on a Browning Hi Power. It was a lesson learned. Never ever have a English Men work on a gun that is not a Shot gun! Leave the Real work to a German/ Austrian/ Belgian or good old American Gunsmith. It's almost impossible to find a good pistol smith in Canada.
Back on topic it can be done but it's gonna cost ya your price of $180.00 sounds about right $200.00 of my dollars. But with the Oil and natural gas industry hurting as much as it is now here, I am sure I could find a Shop that could do it for say $100.00 and the universal trade commodity of a Case of Beer.

 

[demographic]

The process I paid for wasn't actually "Chroming" though, it was them putting a coating of nickel silicon carbide and its a hell of a lot harder wearing than chrome, are you guys sure your not getting mixed up here?

Nicasil plated bores are pretty much standard items on modern motocrossers, you sure thats not what he is meaning when he says Chromed as a lot of people get them mixed up.

 

[TDunk]

The process I paid for wasn't actually "Chroming" though, it was them putting a coating of nickel silicon carbide and its a hell of a lot harder wearing than chrome, are you guys sure your not getting mixed up here?

Nicasil plated bores are pretty much standard items on modern motocrossers, you sure thats not what he is meaning when he says Chromed as a lot of people get them mixed up.

I'm pretty sure that all "plated" cylinders are Nicasil. There is a place in Utah that did all my engine work when i was racing motocross, top notch work. You can also try and call FMF, Pro circuit etc. and see what they have to say.

 

[eyolf]

The bike and 4-wheeler guys know a lot more about this than I do, but there are a few places around that provide this service for situations as you describe. I suspect that most people would buy another chain saw before spending a couple bills, but if it was a particular saw, well-loved and owned by a relative?

A local small farm equipment maker/remanufacturer has had small batches of some hydraulic parts remanufactured by this place in Wisconsin: http://www.uschrome.com/. I see on their website that they offer a cylinder repair service with Chrome or Nikasil.

 

[Flintknapper]

The process I paid for wasn't actually "Chroming" though, it was them putting a coating of nickel silicon carbide and its a hell of a lot harder wearing than chrome, are you guys sure your not getting mixed up here?

Nicasil plated bores are pretty much standard items on modern motocrossers, you sure thats not what he is meaning when he says Chromed as a lot of people get them mixed up.

Theres your answer folks. What is commonly referred to as "chrome plated cylinder" is actually Nikasil, much harder and very different properties.

There are quite a few places that will refinish either cylinders or pistons. For chainsaws the jug/cylinder is usually plated (good quality saws) but sometimes the piston is plated and not the jug.

Anyway, yes...the service available.

 

[kevlar]

I sort of looked into this when I was rebuilding my 056 mag. We ship out lots of snomobile and motocross cylinders to be repaired and re nicasiled,so I thought it might be possible. the problem I bumped up against is the other types are an open cylinder type.If they can plate it with the head on it then you are in business.

 

[demographic]

Fairly sure that Max Power does it in the US, pretty sure that thats where the blokes from the KXriders forums go to get their motocrosser cylinders re-plated but as kevlar mentioned, some chainsaw jugs have the cylinder and head as one part which is a problem. Can't say I have taken a chainsaw apart yet so I'm a bit behind on that one.

I think that Max Power has some kind of tie in with Aptec which coat the parts for Formula One racing car engines so they must know a bit about it.

 

[tdi-rick]

Good luck.
Most all nikasil type re-platers won't do closed cylinders, it's too hard for them the way their hones work.

 

[demographic]

Good luck.
Most all nikasil type re-platers won't do closed cylinders, it's too hard for them the way their hones work.

So how are the cylinders made in the first place? Surely they are machined before plating when they are first made?

 

[leeha]

I have a Dolmar 166 cylinder done.
US Chrome did it for $175.00 a couple
years ago. Not sure what todays price
would be. They can do larger closed bore
cylinders but not small ones.


Lee

 

[Paul001]

I've thought about this issue in the past. As others have mentioned the problem is most can not do closed cylinders. I looked into having the head of my cylinder removed...problem was the price of the plating, shipping, and machine work would have put it in the $400 range.

Now if you had a friendly machinist...

 

[oldbigred]

I have a Dolmar 166 cylinder done.
US Chrome did it for $175.00 a couple
years ago. Not sure what todays price
would be. They can do larger closed bore
cylinders but not small ones.


Lee

Hey Lee,

Is a 2in bore too small? Did they remove the chrome or did you have to do that before hand?

 

[leeha]

Hey Lee,

Is a 2in bore too small? Did they remove the chrome or did you have to do that before hand?

I'm not sure what they consider big or small,
But the 166 has a 56mm bore. They did the
whole job. I just shipped the bad cylinder and
they did the rest. It came out really nice.
I can get the phone number if you need it.
Or you can google it and find it that way.


Lee

 

[oldbigred]

naw, I found them via internet already and I'll be contacting them. I've got a really really clean homelite 550 and have found all the parts it needs to be a runner with the exception of the cylinder, which had the chrome flake off and ruin the piston...so we'll see what happens, and that nicom plating or w/e they call it should be better than anything homelite put in these old things!

 

[leeha]

naw, I found them via internet already and I'll be contacting them. I've got a really really clean homelite 550 and have found all the parts it needs to be a runner with the exception of the cylinder, which had the chrome flake off and ruin the piston...so we'll see what happens, and that nicom plating or w/e they call it should be better than anything homelite put in these old things!

Make sure the piston rings are compatable with
the plating they will use.


Lee