Technical SHINY STROMBERGS, A QUESTION

It was your comment in your first post about the time it takes to dis-assemble the carburetors. If they aren't assembled now, what are you waiting for ? The time that it took for your post, and all the following comments shows that you should have just left the carburetors at the chrome platers, and you would probably have them done , or almost done by now.

 

What process does the chrome shop do to isolate the inside areas and ports that you wouldnt want plated?

 

I agree, I had a gunsmith do these headlight stands I built. A nice hue, leans towards goldish

Headlight stands, nickle plated | The H.A.M.B. (jalopyjournal.com)

 

My $0.015: they are butt ugly polished and/or chromed..

 

I don't think there's much of a problem with the chromium entering the oro-faces. Because it's an electromagnetic process, it doesn't "throw" into openings very well.

Just wanted to say, Billy... that I'll be much happier if you chrome them. So you might want to take that into consideration.

 

Got it! I wanted them chromed in the first place, my chromer just liked the way they polished. That is why i turned to the HAMB to see if they would stay like this. I am glad I asked.

I haven't a clue. Uncle Max is doing the carb building once I have them finished the way I like. He'll know what to do.

I like the nickel finish a lot but I heard it won't last without repeated polishing either. Maybe I heard wrong?

Well everyone is entitled to my opinion , so, yes, they are beautiful aren't they?

I live to please others, sir. Kinda gives a whole other meaning to happy finish tho.

 

Plate them while they're clean. They pretty much need to be polished before plating anyway, and if you run them for a while they will tarnish and need another polishing. Another good polishing will remove more of the detail in the lettering cast into the carb.

 

Sounds like you're already on the way to chrome them but this is another good point towards chrome plating. The more they get polished, the more fine detail they lose. I worked at a chrome shop and this was always an issue we were contending with.

That, and the tendency of these carbs to leak meaning probably more polishing than just from tarnishing is going to wear them down. Just do the plating now and never regret it.

 

I dropped them back off at the chrome shop on my way into the office today.

 

Read the replies in my old thread on Nickel. It holds a polish really well. Think about nickel plated fire arms they see a lot of wear from holsters and hold up well. .

 

I do like the look of nickel plating. I'll review your thread. Thanks Tman

 

Wish I had better pics of them on the car.

 

Not to mention the nickel plating on 20s cars. Can still see an old radiator shell winking in the sun out in a pasture.

 

Oh goody goody goody...

Seriously, good discussion.
Nowhere else can I listen in (and interrupt sometimes) to all the little particulars from those with such experience on so many pertinent subjects.

 

Your opinion is worth far less than you think. It’s actually in the negative range and if you keep it up you will end up owning myself and Bandit Billy some cash

 

I accept Pay Pal, friends and family of course.

 

Me too
Have to cover the chrome and polish bills somehow

 

My brother had a 30 DeSoto 4-door with beautiful, filigreed door and window handles. Sent them all to the plater to be redone. Picked 'em up a few days later. They were beautifully smoothed out. Oh, well.

 

Of course 'chrome' plating consists of relatively heavy nickel plate that is then flash coated with chrome to get that clear 'blue' finish rather than nickle's yellow tint. Nickle is doing the heavy lifting in both cases.

 

Actually tarnish on a polished surface is more obvious and more frustrating than an unpolished surface. If you notice a plated bolt has tarnish after say 5 years, your polished surface will annoy you much sooner. Especially with water spots, any possible fuel leaks, etc., you'll be chasing it whether it's chrome or polished. The chrome will just be easier to get back to a nice luster.

I'm glad you decided to get them chromed, it doesn't sound like you'll be happy with the polished finish. I have an aluminum Holley and aluminum Demon, I can confirm that they require elbow grease to keep looking nice.

In the photo you're referencing, there's nothing in the carb bodies.

 

Yeah, I have had that kind of thing happen in the past. A polisher with ah heavy hand and compound in his eyes can cut through just about anything.

Originally my carbs were painted to match the car with chrome linkage but the paint is not surviving on them. Clive did the paintwork before shipping them to me, he felt bad the finish was failing so he sent me these as a warranty replacement and offered to pay Uncle Max to swap out the internals to assure they are done correctly. I am in charge of the chrome bit.

It is so late in the season now I will likely wait until winter to tear the carbs off the roadster so I can enjoy the car during summer. I'll post up some pictures of the finished carb bodies.

 

Either get 'em chromed now, while they are still sitting on the workbench.......
or bolt 'em on, adjust 'em to run like a Swiss watch, and live with how the polish job holds up.
Any kind of do-overs, in-between tear-downs, or rethinking shoud'a'dones are best avoided.

 

Amen to that!

 

I LOVE that gold tint!

 

Hell, just get them GOLD plated! You know you want to!

 

Or you could do what I did and have Clive paint them gold.

 

@Blue One those do look tasty!