Chrome.Whys and whats.

[emanuel]

I'd like to know the board's thoughs on chrome.
Tony Oliver absolutely hates the stuff, The crew here say that if the tubing are reasonably thick (doing a multishape at the mo. that's 0.9-0.6 and is considered reasonably thick) it's fine and protects the frame.
Here in Italy it was standard practice, it fell out of favour because of cost, and aesthetics changing.
The french constructeurs seem to have used it a lot.
I've got 40 year old frames here that are chromed and have been used for about 30 of those 40 years, they haven't broken.
would they last even longer without it?dunno.
I've read about hydrogen embrittlement.

Obviously it's not the most enviromentally friendly thing, it does look good done well though.
I did a fork for a restoration project and it looked gorgeous.

So, thoughts?experiences?

Two tone painted or chromed lugs?

[Curt Goodrich]

I use a local chrome shop when I make racks. They do an amazing job. I have never used them for frames or forks but do know of builders that have and they do a really nice job. The modern chrome in the US, sometimes called decorative chrome, isn't as durable as the old hexavalent chrome. Still it's quite durable. The thing about any chrome is that it's really only as good as the polish before it's plated. The person that does the polishing can ruin the frame or turn it into a diamond. When researching a chrome shop make sure they understand what your expectations are and that regardless of the tubing used this stuff is thin and dents easily. It's not a a car bumper. Good luck.

[emanuel]

Thanks, Curt. The chrome shop here has been doing our frames for as long as I've been alive!
I did a 120 grit paper pass on the lugs so they wouldn't have to eat too much away to get a good polish.

I'd read some negative thoughs on chrome and just wondered what others thought about it.

I do use stainless and have it polished when there is an equivalent available in stainless, like lugs or tubing for racks, but it's not always an option.
thanks.

[emanuel]

here's what I learned.
Do Framebuilders dream of chrome sheep? « Revanche bicycle Co.

basically, not really, but it's best if you don't.

[Clockwork]

What type of chrome is on a Craftsman hand wrench, for example?

[emanuel]

National Metal Finishing Resource Center (NMFRC)