Chrome ways

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dabear3428

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If i have a small burr on a chromed dovetail surface should i stone it or not?
 
If the dovetail is for a clamp, not necessary. If the dovetail is
a sliding dovetail, yes; stoning (or even peening) will leave 99% of
the sliding surface untouched, but leaving the burr can cut into
the mating surface if it's softer than chromium (and most all
metals are).
Clean off any oil first, and flatten your stone before applying it.

If you have a dead-flat cutting insert or HSS blank, sliding it over
the burr will let you feel when the defect is gone.
 
whitmore said:
If the dovetail is for a clamp, not necessary. If the dovetail is
a sliding dovetail, yes; stoning (or even peening) will leave 99% of
the sliding surface untouched, but leaving the burr can cut into
the mating surface if it's softer than chromium (and most all
metals are).
Clean off any oil first, and flatten your stone before applying it.

If you have a dead-flat cutting insert or HSS blank, sliding it over
the burr will let you feel when the defect is gone.
Click to expand...
are there any concerns about cutting thru the chrome on the surface?
never heard of peening
 
When you use a flat stone you will feel it CUT on the high spots. When the the high spot(s) is/are down, the feel will change to a smoother glide (little to no cut). When the feel changes, stop stoning.

Watch this video to learn about Precision Flat Stones and the "feel" I speak of.

 
extropic said:
When you use a flat stone you will feel it CUT on the high spots. When the the high spot(s) is/are down, the feel will change to a smoother glide (little to no cut). When the feel changes, stop stoning.

Watch this video to learn about Precision Flat Stones and the "feel" I speak of.

Click to expand...
thanks for the reply but that is not the question on my mind, the chrome is a plating on top of the base metal if i use a stone what happens if i cut thru the chrome and now have interrupted chrome plating? will it delaminate?
 
dabear3428 said:
thanks for the reply but that is not the question on my mind, the chrome is a plating on top of the base metal if i use a stone what happens if i cut thru the chrome and now have interrupted chrome plating? will it delaminate?
Click to expand...

The plating could "flake" off, if rust is allowed, it can get under the chrome. Short of that, if it's a sound plating, it should not bother.

That said, you don't have much choice in the matter. IF the chrome is raised, it's sitting at a point in space where it's not supposed to be. That raised chrome is harder than most, if not EVERY metal that the machine is made of. It will cause collateral damage. You do need to flatten it, regardless of risk. Flattening is a risk of further maintenance/repair work being needed. Leaving it is a guarantee of further maintenance/repair work being needed.

Try a flat stone on it, it might be just the right thing. or the chrome might dig into the stone and cause more issues. That takes a hard stone... Chrome's tough, you can experiment without endangering the functionality of that chrome, just don't push ahead if it's not going perfect.

On hydraulic cylinder rods, I polish "dings" with worn out emery paper on an air file (mini hand held belt sander). 220 grit and up is fine, it just has to be very, VERY worn out. Then you can lay right on it, check your work, lay on it some more... Practice carefully, it's very much a learned (not taught) science to determine how worn out is worn out enough.

Try what you've got, respectfully. Like I said, this stuff is TOUGH. If you try things carefully and respectfully, you can play at it without doing further damage. Start gently, and escalate slowly.....
 
You are over thinking this. Chrome plating is not a laminate (like window tint). The removal of the chrome from a ding would expose previously non-existent "edges" where corrosion could start, except those edges are on a dovetail surface which should be kept well protected with way oil.
Good chrome plating does not "peel". Some poor chrome plating will "peel" but that is due to some shortcoming in the plating process.

If you don't stone the high spot(s) away, what is the alternative?
 
By the way, IMO, peening is a really bad idea for someone who has never heard of it. Roughly equivalent to trying to give your dog a hair cut with the lawn mower. Bad idea. I'm having visions of Three Stooges trying to paint a house.
 
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