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Chrome plater didn't tape over stud threads.

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n8n

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How to fix? 3/8" fine, my thread file and die won't touch the chrome (can't get die started, buildup too high.) I know, the right answer is "it should have been taped over before it went in the tank" but that didn't happen and I'm tasked with making it work. It's an air cleaner assembly for a '64 R2 Super Lark, so it's not like this is something that I can just order from Jeg's.
 
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n8n

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The stud is either spot or spin welded to the housing. Is there some way I could do only the stud without damaging the finish on the rest of the housing?

Owner of the car had this one show plated and actually owns a NOS version of the same air cleaner but doesn't want to use that one because it's not up to his standards for this car. Yeah, one of those guys.

I do have an electrolytic derusting setup on my back porch FWIW...
 
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Kevin54

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If you have an adjustable die, open your die up, get it started, then loosen the screw back up. If you don't have an adjustable die, try flipping your die upside down and see if it will start. If worse comes to worst, take a Dremel or a die grinder, and add a chamfer to the stud enough to get the die started.
 
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southalabama

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Ap mech has answer above

(muriatic acid). Hydrochloric, or muriatic, acid, is a strong, corrosive acid. In high concentrations, it can be used to remove chrome plating from metal objects. For removing chrome, an acid solution of about 30-40% concentration should suffice.
 
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Roady94

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- The plater has more experience fixing these errors than you do. Take it back for a 'expedited' fix by the pro that caused it.
 
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n8n

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don't have adjustable die. Don't know who plated it, but I only know one local chrome shop and they seriously screwed up on some beltline trim for my own 64 years back so I am sure that he didn't use them, it must have been sent off.

Now that you mention it adjustable die may be the answer though. Will have to make some phone calls.
 
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Gerald O

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The chrome plating will actually be very thin and can be quickly reverse-plated off. Most of the buildup is going to be nickel and/or copper. Use a brush plating technique to just de-plate the stud. A few milliamps at about 12V DC is enough power. You probably have a spare wall-wart power supply laying around that would work. Flatten the end of a piece of stainless steel tubing, or similar, and wrap the end in gauze to use as the de-plating brush. Attach the negative lead to the other end of the 'brush' and the positive lead to the work in a so-called 'inconspicuous' area. Use sulfuric acid (battery acid) or hydrochloric acid (muriatic) as a the electrolyte. Wet the gauze with the acid, turn on the current and brush away. Re-wet as necessary. Don't breath the fumes--have good ventilation. Neutralize with baking soda when done.

There are specialized kits available with better chemicals if you prefer:
http://www.caswellplating.com/anodize-chrome-stripper-solution.html
http://www.caswellplating.com/plug-n-plate-brush-plating-kits.html
 
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V-10 Killer

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n8n said:
How to fix? 3/8" fine, my thread file and die won't touch the chrome (can't get die started, buildup too high.) I know, the right answer is "it should have been taped over before it went in the tank" but that didn't happen and I'm tasked with making it work. It's an air cleaner assembly for a '64 R2 Super Lark, so it's not like this is something that I can just order from Jeg's.
Click to expand...

I feel for ya on this one brother, I had a plater do the same thing to a fuel rail I sent to be chromed. Couldn't thread anything on the fuel test port after that. I'll be following this to see what winds up working for you.
 
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zengarage

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I am under the impression that the chrome plating is very hard and even a die wont cut through the chrome so an adjustable die or modified nut won't work. Even though it is only a very thin layer I don't think that the die will cut through it. I have stripped chrome with muratic acid before and it worked fine.
 
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welder4956

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Zrexxer said:
I love how some people don't even make it through the first sentence of the question before posting an answer.
Click to expand...

I love how some people have nothing better to do than police threads! What is the fine for this infraction officer? :lol_hitti

Seriously though, I would have thought a tapered thread die could be started on the stud. The adjustable die sounds like the way to go, or tape everything else off and strip the chrome with muriatic acid.
 
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Gerald O

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zengarage said:
I am under the impression that the chrome plating is very hard and even a die wont cut through the chrome so an adjustable die or modified nut won't work. Even though it is only a very thin layer I don't think that the die will cut through it. I have stripped chrome with muratic acid before and it worked fine.
Click to expand...

A good quality sharp die can cut through the chrome just fine if it can get started. Even though the chrome has a harder surface than the die, the chrome layer is so thin that it actually just fractures off. Now a cheapie rounded off dull die is going to have some trouble.
 
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n8n

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Gerald O

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Yeah, use the brush plating technique I described to reverse plate it. It's a proven method, and let's you accurately control the spot to be treated.
 
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Kevin54

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Where does some of these answers come from? I have used CLR on bathroom fixtures many times to remove Calcium, Lime, and Rust. Never ONCE has it removed chrome.

And where the hell did it come from that Clorox will remove chrome. If bleach removes chrome, you sure as hell don't want to drink water with chlorine in it them.
 
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EdT

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As pointed out several times above, the chrome is very hard, but incredibly thin. The copper/nickel plating under the chrome is fairly soft and is, in fact, most of the dimensional oversize you are seeing. In electroplating the plated material tends to be thicker on sharp, outside corners due to the way the plating charge is distributed when the part is in the bath. Since you are concerned about using acid due to the danger of getting some where you don't want it (a very real concern) I would do the following:
1) Using a file or a small sanding drum on a Dremel make a flat about 4 threads long down to the thread root at the end of the stud. This will create an edge in the plating for a die to get started.
2) Run a sharp die down the stud "starting from this side" and then flip the die over and run it up to the end of the threads. The chrome part of the plating should crumble as the thicker, softer-under plating is cut away.
Hope you figure it out.
 
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