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Thread: Nomad C4 chassis assembly

  1. #551
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    I have started stringing the parts on wires so they can put them on hooks that hang down from an assembly type line that goes through the plating tank, and that gives me a more uniform coating, and it also gets in the recesses that barrel plating misses. I started doing it this way because my plating shop stopped using barrels, but they still charge the same price. It does take longer to wire the parts, but I think it is worth it.

    It sounds like you may not know about the acid dip they do before plating, so you shouldn't get spring steel plated, the acid will make it brittle (Hydrogen embrittlement), and of course it will eat up aluminum. I was able to talk them into skipping the acid dip once, just depends on how cooperative they want to be because this is not a money maker for them.

  2. #552
    Registered Member chevynut's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LEE T View Post
    I have started stringing the parts on wires so they can put them on hooks that hang down from an assembly type line that goes through the plating tank, and that gives me a more uniform coating, and it also gets in the recesses that barrel plating misses. I started doing it this way because my plating shop stopped using barrels, but they still charge the same price. It does take longer to wire the parts, but I think it is worth it.
    I looked over my first batch of barrel plated parts and to me they look very good. The plating is uniform as far as I can tell. I was worried that some of the parts were too big for this process because I had some tiny parts and some big ones in the batch. No problems that I found. Some of these parts are bare steel from the factory so zinc is better than nothing. The ones that I'm not sure about are the ashtrays.....don't know how well the inside is going to get plated whether rack or barrel plated.

    It sounds like you may not know about the acid dip they do before plating, so you shouldn't get spring steel plated, the acid will make it brittle (Hydrogen embrittlement), and of course it will eat up aluminum. I was able to talk them into skipping the acid dip once, just depends on how cooperative they want to be because this is not a money maker for them.
    Yes I'm familiar with hydrogen embrittlement but I was under the impression it was caused by the actual electroplating process, not cleaning. I thought about it before I sent my brake return spring (the only spring in the first batch) but decided it wasn't that big of an issue. If the spring breaks, it's not a safety problem and it's not really that highly stressed in the first place. Same with the rear e-brake springs...not too concerned and they're easy to replace if they break.

    I bought a kit of several small springs from Autozone recently and they're all electroplated. Most springs I've seen in hardware stores are plated with nickel or zinc. Several suppliers including AFCO and QA-1 sell chrome plated coilover springs which I'm using. I'm more concerned about hydrogen embrittlement in that kind of application but if they're not concerned I think I should be okay. They should know what they're doing....I hope.
    56 Nomad, Ramjet 502, Viper 6-speed T56, C4 Corvette front and rear suspension


    Other vehicles:

    56 Chevy 2-door BelAir sedan
    56 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    57 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    1962 327/340HP Corvette
    1961 Willys CJ3B Jeep
    2001 Porsche Boxster S
    2003 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD Duramax
    2019 GMC Sierra Denali Duramax

  3. #553
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    Its not the plating process that causes it, its the acid bath. The new parts that are plated are done under controlled circumstances-----there is a time limit for heating the acid cleaned parts up to 350 degrees for something like 30 minutes, which bakes the embrittlement out of them, for lack of a better term.

  4. #554
    Registered Member chevynut's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LEE T View Post
    Its not the plating process that causes it, its the acid bath.
    Plating is done in an acid bath and that can produce hydrogen too.

    "Hydrogen embrittlement can occur during various manufacturing operations or operational use - anywhere that the metal comes into contact with atomic or molecular hydrogen. Processes that can lead to this include cathodic protection, phosphating, pickling, and electroplating."

    "Sources of hydrogen causing embrittlement have been encountered in the making of steel, in processing parts, in welding, in storage or containment of hydrogen gas, and related to hydrogen as a contaminant in the environment that is often a by-product of general corrosion. Hydrogen may be produced by corrosion reactions such as rusting, cathodic protection, and electroplating. "

    "Hydrogen embrittlement is not a permanent condition. If cracking does not occur and the environmental conditions are changed so that no hydrogen is generated on the surface of the metal, the hydrogen can rediffuse from the steel, so that ductility is restored."


    Like I said, the springs I'm zinc plating are non-critical applications imo. What happens if the brake pedal return spring breaks? The pedal still returns but maybe not to the stop bumper. The e-brake spring is just there to return the e-brake pedal. I do have one thin spring for the tailgate latch that I might just paint, but it's also under very low stress as it just returns the lock button. If these springs were highly stressed or present a safety issue, I'd be more concerned about it. Thanks for the heads up.
    56 Nomad, Ramjet 502, Viper 6-speed T56, C4 Corvette front and rear suspension


    Other vehicles:

    56 Chevy 2-door BelAir sedan
    56 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    57 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    1962 327/340HP Corvette
    1961 Willys CJ3B Jeep
    2001 Porsche Boxster S
    2003 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD Duramax
    2019 GMC Sierra Denali Duramax

  5. #555
    Registered Member chevynut's Avatar
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    Lee, I'm curious how much you pay to have your parts rack-plated with zinc. Is it per part or per batch or what? I've always understood that barrel plating was the least expensive process since they just dump the parts in and go. I don't know what the size or shape limitations are to the barrel plating, if any. I thought about doing everything with nickel but the plater told me to go with zinc.

    The other problem I see with rack plating is there will be a bare spot where the wire was. I did some zinc rack plating years ago and saw that on my parts. You don't get that with barrel plating.
    56 Nomad, Ramjet 502, Viper 6-speed T56, C4 Corvette front and rear suspension


    Other vehicles:

    56 Chevy 2-door BelAir sedan
    56 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    57 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    1962 327/340HP Corvette
    1961 Willys CJ3B Jeep
    2001 Porsche Boxster S
    2003 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD Duramax
    2019 GMC Sierra Denali Duramax

  6. #556
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    Quote Originally Posted by LEE T View Post

    It sounds like you may not know about the acid dip they do before plating, so you shouldn't get spring steel plated, the acid will make it brittle (Hydrogen embrittlement), and of course it will eat up aluminum. I was able to talk them into skipping the acid dip once, just depends on how cooperative they want to be because this is not a money maker for them.
    What ever your destination is when doing a job or project, there will always be rules of the road to that destination. And there will usually be unwritten and unadvertised exceptions to the rules.

    The screw thread on this rod is pot metal that I had zinc plated. Pot metal does not like acid.



    I live near the motor city so we have a lot of platters here, and that makes the work competitively priced. I usually have a lot more screws and bolts than you posted, plus a lot of brackets and what not, and the cost is usually around $75. He just looks at what I have and quotes a price.

    A barrel is expected to be what will fit in a 5 gal bucket, and yes whats under the copper string wire will not be plated, so I use a fine wire.

  7. #557
    Registered Member chevynut's Avatar
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    Lee, everything I've had zinc plated is steel, and never even considered plating pot metal or aluminum. I know rack plating supposedly gives a higher quality finish but the barrel plating seems to serve my needs. My understanding is that most hardware you buy is zinc barrel plated.

    I assume you clean your parts somehow before you take them to the plater, or he wouldn't do them so cheap. I've spent a few hours prepping my parts sometimes acid dipping them but finishing off with low-pressure bead blasting. I've never asked my plater what the quantity limit there is for the minimum charge or how big his barrels are. I called yesterday and confirmed that he still has a minimum charge of $85 and I plan to ship the parts down FedEx for $9. That's a lot cheaper than driving there.
    56 Nomad, Ramjet 502, Viper 6-speed T56, C4 Corvette front and rear suspension


    Other vehicles:

    56 Chevy 2-door BelAir sedan
    56 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    57 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    1962 327/340HP Corvette
    1961 Willys CJ3B Jeep
    2001 Porsche Boxster S
    2003 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD Duramax
    2019 GMC Sierra Denali Duramax

  8. #558
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    Hydrogen Embrittlement can be relieved. It takes a bake out process. Fasteners are very susceptible if they contain high strength steel.

  9. #559
    Registered Member chevynut's Avatar
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    I've been busy lately trying to get a C4 conversion frame blasted, filled, primed, and shipped. And it's finally gone. Working on Hemi55 now and trying to get it moved out soon along with a couple of clips and rear kits. Going to slow it down this summer and fall.

    I have made a little progress on the Nomad. I blasted and painted the caliper brackets with the PPG charcoal base and matte clear.

    20170420_023.JPG

    I received the custom color caliper paint, but still haven't done them. I was going to brush the paint on as the directions say, but then I watched a video that showed them spraying it. They really don't tell you on their website that you should spray metallic paints (I didn't know this would be metallic til I got it) but the tech guy told me it would be better to do that. Glad I didn't do them yet.

    But I have a dilemma. I'd really like to keep the Baer logo silver with the orange caliper paint. It's machined into the black painted caliper. If I was brushing the paint, I'd just work around it. But since I now have to spray it I'm not sure how to proceed. I've thought about filling the logo with something I could later remove, but not sure what to use. My upholstery guy said I should paint the logo charcoal, and I can do that if I don't like the bare aluminum.

    Any ideas?

    20170419_016.JPG
    56 Nomad, Ramjet 502, Viper 6-speed T56, C4 Corvette front and rear suspension


    Other vehicles:

    56 Chevy 2-door BelAir sedan
    56 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    57 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    1962 327/340HP Corvette
    1961 Willys CJ3B Jeep
    2001 Porsche Boxster S
    2003 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD Duramax
    2019 GMC Sierra Denali Duramax

  10. #560
    Registered Member Custer55's Avatar
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    Masking tape and a lot of time and patience?? Or maybe you could use one of those spray and peel coatings? Not sure if that would work or not though, I have never done that.
    Brian

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