nickel or chrome plating?

[KILLERCUDA_83]

Hey i have a yz250f frame stripped down and i like hte look of chrome but i was wondering which would be longer lasting chrome or nickel plating? I know cylinder walls are nickel plating and they go through a lot so i was thinking it be stronger and more durable but they also use chrome on like some puch rods in cars and they would have to be very durable to so what do u think? I also am going to polish my swing arm and the welds they may to hold together the back part of the swing arm tot he front part where the shock mounts to can i grind them welds down smooth and will it weeken it if i do just grind them down smooth to make a smooth look im going for allshow no go look just to take to shows but if i ever decide to sell it to someone that wants to use it i dont want to weekend the bike for them. Just feel free to give me all ur opinions and i know my bike isnt a 450f but i spend more time reading ur post than the 250f and thats why i just posted it here.

[stainlessTT]

Hey man, I'm a welder / fabricator so I can help you a little with part of your question. As far as grinding down the welds... I wouldn't do it. If the "root" ( 1st and most important pass when making a weld ) pass was done properly and got 100% penetration I wouldn't lose any sleep by grinding the "cap" ( the last pass made during a welding... the part you see )

The cap pass only gives a small amount of strength. BUT in alot of cases the root, filler, and cap passes are made in one physical pass only.

Its possible to make a "nice looking" MIG weld ( which I belive is the process used on the swing arm, most likely done by a machine / robot ) and it look good but have 0% penetration. This can happen but the settings on the welding machine would have to be WAY off. 50% penetration... not too far fecthed!

I'm always shocked at how low quality factory weld really are and as much as I would love to think my 450 has 100% penatration welds on it, I know its not likely to be true.

Oh and Grinding + aluminum = Bad idea Because aluminum will clog a grinding wheel causing it to heat up and explode! Thats why it doesn't give off any sparks while grinding aluminum... it melts and is traped it the grinding disc.

I don't think the risk vs. reward will be worth it to you.

Just my input.. Good Luck

[RCannon]

Is there a way to grind aluminum that will not involve exploding wheels??? This would suck. Is there a special wheel?

[olympus]

Either way nickel is applied with chrome on top. Depending on how the chrome is finished the surface is either matte or shiny.

http://www.finishing.com/faqs/chrome.html

[Harry Paratestes]

Cylinders are coated with a nickel-silicone matrix which is much harder than nickel. Push rods are made of chromium molybdenum steel and not chromed after the fact. The steel frame can be plated but brings up the posibility of hydrogen imbrittlement. The frame has to be baked after plating to get rid of the byproducts of plating. DO NOT touch the welds on your swingarm! Strip off the paint and use abrasive paper on the flats to smooth them and then polish. Consider anodizing after polishing because raw aluminum will oxidize very quickly.

[stainlessTT]

Is there a way to grind aluminum that will not involve exploding wheels??? This would suck. Is there a special wheel?

I don't think there is a disc or wheel that will not have the problem of the aluminum cloging it up. As long as the disc doesn't get too hot it won't explode...but a cloged up disc is worthless.

My best friend, who is also a welder, had a bench grinder disc explode on him about 2 months ago. He knew better since we both learned together about the "exploding disc" fact in welding school. He thought he could just do a little bit but it exploded in his face. He wasn't hurt, we both use a combination of a full, clear, face sheild and safety glasses ? when ever we grind anything, and so should you! I have seen too many eye injuries due to lack of PPE in my life and I'm only 23.

Any way you should use a sand paper "flappy" style disc, it will also clog up but it won't explode ? ...it will just stop grinding

[stainlessTT]

Cylinders are coated with a nickel-silicone matrix which is much harder than nickel. Push rods are made of chromium molybdenum steel and not chromed after the fact. The steel frame can be plated but brings up the posibility of hydrogen imbrittlement. The frame has to be baked after plating to get rid of the byproducts of plating. DO NOT touch the welds on your swingarm! Strip off the paint and use abrasive paper on the flats to smooth them and then polish. Consider anodizing after polishing because raw aluminum will oxidize very quickly.

This guy knows what he is talking about. ? I don't know anything about Plating or chroming metals but Hydrogen embrittlement is something I have to know about too.

I often use a "Low-Hydrogen" E-7018 Electrode to weld with.

Hydrogen has harmful efects on steels. It causes a low ductility* weld and underbead cracking ? which is call Hydrogen embrittlement.

Ductility: The ability of a material to be changed in shape without cracking or breaking

I also agree that you should not touch your swingarm welds. ?

And he is also right about raw aluminum oxidizing quickly. ?

[crazyYammi]

i think i would go riding instead

[Harry Paratestes]

i think i would go riding instead

Leave the polishing and chroming to the Harley guys.

[stainlessTT]

I agree...

[DoctorRzed]

The only way chrome would look good is if you sand it to look like brushed alluminum. ?

[KILLERCUDA_83]

Thanks for the replys and thanks for the info on the aluminum grinding never knew that and wont ever even try it now thanks again b/c u probaly saved me from doing somethig stupid and probay got myself hurt.

[KILLERCUDA_83]

Oh also did i mention my motor is junk and so all i have is the frame and everything else besides the motor so i have nothing better to do until i save up for enough money to buy a r1 streetbike motor to put between my frame and legs. so Im jsut looking for other stuff to do to the frame and other stuff. and it will also be a show bike mainly except when i take it to the dunes to drag race!