Stainless cleaning/buffing

[Stephen B.]

Re: Stainless cleaning/buffing

Gentlemen
I was first made aware of this just recently. It's a seldom discussed topic,but a much needed discussion.I would like to see some GM documentation regarding this matter. Dates ,parts, models,vendors etc.would be great too. I've encountered parts that I had trouble polishing and had no idea what I was dealing with till I read this forum .
I first ran into it on my dog dish 59 hub caps, which are brass believe it or not. I then encountered it on the inner trim of the hardtop,but none of the external trim.
Please anyone with documentation come forward. Everyone has an opinion that has restored a C-1 or C-2, but I would like to see something in writing.
Stephen Barrett (21558) 59,66,71,73

[Dale M.]

Re: Stainless cleaning/buffing

John, I don't have any GM drawings or processing documents, but when i was doing this for money, everything I did had flash chrome that I needed to remove first. The thing about flash or smack chrome we need to remember is that it is only about .0001 to .0003 thick. (one - three tenthousandths of an inch) It is easy to overlook something that thin.

I tried to get the 63/4 judging manual updated to address it when we did the 5th revison, but the presence of the chrome can be difficult to positively detect on a newly restored/buffed piece of trim if no other chromed pieces are adjacent to it.

I only bring the topic up when someone is having trouble buffing a piece or when I think a person might have a goal of keeping the trim looking nice over the long haul.

A person with a short term goal to restore and flip a car or part will likely skip the flash chrome step all together.

tc

I am learning a lot about SS, Thanks. I would support incorporating this into the Judging Guides even if its difficult or impossible to determine in some cases. It could explain circumstances where the stainless has different color tones. Instead of writing that off as bad stainless, we might all know that it is a condition issue and be able to judge it more accurately. It might made the Judges smarter and that matters.

[Tracy C.]

Re: Stainless cleaning/buffing

Tracy,

In Post #4 John Mattson explains that a guy from Action Bumper told him the difference between "flash" chrome and "smack or strike" chrome. Is that explanation correct in your opinion or through your experience? If there is a difference, which is on the stainless on our cars?

Paul

John is correct but I don't think callling it smack or flash is really that important. I've used both terms myself. The point is that is it is very thin and less "intentional" than the chrome plating used in a triple plate show chrome job.

tc

[Chuck S.]

Re: Stainless cleaning/buffing

..It's a seldom discussed topic,but a much needed discussion.I would like to see some GM documentation regarding this matter. Dates ,parts, models,vendors etc.would be great too...

Flash, smack, or strike chrome has probably been discussed here more than you realize.

Everything I know about flash chrome, and that's not much, I learned here starting with the late Dale Pearman already credited. It was a revelation, but it explained why my buffed stainless trim had that brownish hue. Do a search for flash, smack, and strike chrome...you'll probably get a lot of info, but I expect most of that will be secondhand from restorers or platers.

As for a list of parts by year class with type of chrome, or any GM documentation, I wouldn't hold my breath. The closest to a "list of parts" will be the case by case part experience of restorers in each year class; the closest you'll probably get to GM documentation will be the testimony of members who were actually close enough to the process to know what the drawings spec'd...from their experience, they may be able to offer some general guidelines for what type parts got flash chrome instead of nickel-chrome. Edit: In fact, John has already done some of that for C1/C2...see post #10.