chrome over stainless?

im about to weld up a part for a good friend of mine .it needs to be welded back together before it goes to the chrome shop. i want to tig it, but all i have is stainless rod(ER316L) non-magnetic .will it stick to the welded area.... FYI this is not a load bearing part...

 

I wouldn't do it like that.
Chrome is too much money to take the chance.

 

All it has to do is conduct for chroming, which stainless will. We have a lot of chromed stainless guide railing the brewery. Should be OK. It's not great to use different metals, but I've done it in a bind, worked fine. My .02. I'm sure there are some experts here that could spout something a little more technical...

 

I'm curious too. Any other input?

J.

 

Go buy the right rod to do it...it's cheap enough.
Chrome plating costs too much to take a chance like that!

 

If you use stainless filler for carbon it should be 309L. I would recommend against it however in this application.

Welding dissimilar metals together sets up a galvanic reaction which corrodes in the heat effective zone. This is often times accelerated by a subsequent plating process.

End result will likely rare its ugly head as bubbles in the chrome.

John

 

i don't know a damn thing about what he said..but i do own a very nice fire extiuguisher..ya a fire putter outter that is chrome over stainless..

 

Don't use stainless steel weld on a steel part if it needs chromed. It creates problems for the plater and may not adhere properly on the weld.

It is possible, but certainly not typical. S.S. can be hard chromed with no problem (chrome only, no copper or nickel underneath.) The steel needs the protection of the nickel, the S.S. doesn't.

S.S. can also be activated to accept copper or nickel plating, but it depends on the shop, and could damage the steel in the process.

Chroming is too expensive to not get the proper welding wire.

 

I took some stainless mufflers to the chrome shot to get them polished and thru a communications fowl up he thought I wanted them chromed and he said they wouldn't plate. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

 

You have a brewery????

Could I be your friend?

 

Took my 32 Ford grill (not shell) to the chrome shop. S.S. ring mild steel slats. Said they had a special process. Turned out great. Twenty + years still looks great.

 

Someone did that with a bumper on here, said it cost WAY more to have plated 'cuz he used SS rod