Stude chrome..!?

[Mike Van Veghten]

Is Studebaker chrome...really chrome...or just nickle plate ? Chrome plating of steel is a three step process.

1. Copper (soft, for smoothing light imperfections and giving the Nickle plate a good base to adhear to.
2. Nickle (soft, the "Bright" part of the equasion, kind of a yellowish color)
3. Chrome (hard, to protect the nickle plate...and give the finished product that blueish tint that most like so well. The thicker the chrome plate, the darker or blue'er the finished surface is.

In messing with my 54 wagon this past weekend, I found the front bumpers "chrome" plate to be VERY soft. I have two other bumpers that I believe to be "not" replated...same thing...soft plateing, same with the rear bumpers.
The bumpers on my other 54 have been replated, they have a MUCH harder plating.
I know that decorative chrome is in the 65/72Rc hardness range. This old Stude stuff isn't even close, more like paint..!

I've read about the Studebaker chrome from different locaals being softer...chrome is chrome.. While there are different chrome alloys, only one is used for "decorative" (automobile usage), and it's all hard, even if it's thin..

I'm guessing that 1, because of the basic color, and 2 because of the apparent hardness (or lack of), that the Stude "chrome" is only a nickle plate with no real chrome on top of it.

It seems that the Stude chrome is the opposite of the hugely hard, Stude blocks cranks and heads...kidding....!

Mike

[StudeRich]

I think it may depend on the particlar piece you are looking at, the '62-'63 Lark Grille mouldings and '62-'64 Hawk are an example of good chrome with plenty of of it on there.
I am pretty sure there IS Nickle and Chrome on all of it, maybe the bumpers cheaped out without the Copper?
Avanti Bumpers are extreamly good Chrome.

[candbstudebakers]

I have seen cheap bumper jobs with no nickel and it would peel off showing the copper if they used any, pot metal should be copper, nickel, and chrome with lots of prep work between each one, the 52 chrome had no nickel used because of the war. Jerry should peep in and set us all straight.

[t walgamuth]

chrome from 54 might still have the soft Korean war chrome too. I had a 53 caddy which had very soft chrome. I think there may have been more carryover on the studey bumpers than some other makes.

[Welcome]

Is Studebaker chrome...really chrome...or just nickle plate ? Chrome plating of steel is a three step process.

1. Copper (soft, for smoothing light imperfections and giving the Nickle plate a good base to adhear to.
2. Nickle (soft, the "Bright" part of the equasion, kind of a yellowish color)
3. Chrome (hard, to protect the nickle plate...and give the finished product that blueish tint that most like so well. The thicker the chrome plate, the darker or blue'er the finished surface is.

In messing with my 54 wagon this past weekend, I found the front bumpers "chrome" plate to be VERY soft. I have two other bumpers that I believe to be "not" replated...same thing...soft plateing, same with the rear bumpers.
The bumpers on my other 54 have been replated, they have a MUCH harder plating.
I know that decorative chrome is in the 65/72Rc hardness range. This old Stude stuff isn't even close, more like paint..!

I've read about the Studebaker chrome from different locaals being softer...chrome is chrome.. While there are different chrome alloys, only one is used for "decorative" (automobile usage), and it's all hard, even if it's thin..

I'm guessing that 1, because of the basic color, and 2 because of the apparent hardness (or lack of), that the Stude "chrome" is only a nickle plate with no real chrome on top of it.

It seems that the Stude chrome is the opposite of the hugely hard, Stude blocks cranks and heads...kidding....!

Mike

The Rockwell-Standard Plant in neighboring Mishawaka, IN, stamped & plated most Stude bumpers from the '50s & '60s. Our very own SDC Forum member "JDP" worked there so hopefully he will soon chime-in on your thread.

[Bo Markham]

Your really don't expect show quality chrome plating from 1952 production line flash chroming, do you? Especially with war time shortages of both copper and nickel. That is of course the reason that 52 and early 53 models showed up at the dealerships with rusty bumpers, bubbling, peeling and off colored bright work.

[Mike Van Veghten]

""I have seen cheap bumper jobs with no nickel and it would peel off showing the copper if they used any, pot metal should be copper, nickel, and chrome with lots of prep work between each one, the 52 chrome had no nickel used because of the war.""

This just ISN"T so..
If you read my post...it IS the "nickle" that make the silvery color...NOT the chrome. Look up the chrome process.

Yea...Korean chrome..heard that one before. Chrome is hard, no matter where it comes from..! It comes out of the ground that way..! Maybe it coulda been a VERY thin layer, maybe more on the .0005" to .001" range..?

""I think it may depend on the particlar piece you are looking at, the '62-'63 Lark Grille mouldings and '62-'64 Hawk are an example of good chrome with plenty of of it on there.
I am pretty sure there IS Nickle and Chrome on all of it, maybe the bumpers cheaped out without the Copper?""

Again....The copper is the "first" layer, that has nothing to do with the "last" layer...!



And yea, both of my Larks (59 and 60) have nice/real chrome.
Takes me back to the lack of chrome over the nickle on the early cars.
See below, as pulled from a large artical in the internet.

Formerly most decorative items affixed to cars were referred to as "chrome", by which phrase was actually meant steel that had undergone several plating processes to endure the temperature changes and weather that a car was subject to outdoors. The most expensive and durable process involved plating the steel first with copper, and then nickel, before the chromium plating was applied.

Prior to the application of chrome in the 1920s, nickel electroplating was used. In the US for the short production run prior to the entry into the Second World War, plating was banned to save chromium and the decorative pieces were painted in a complementary color. In the last years of the Korean War, the banning of chrome was contemplated and several cheaper processes (such as plating with zinc and then coating with shiny plastic) were considered.

In 2007, a Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS) was issued banning several toxic substances for use in the automotive industry in Europe, including hexavalent chromium, which is used in chrome plating. However, chrome plating is metal and contains no hexavalent chromium after it is rinsed, so chrome plating is not banned.

So much for the "nickle" being a shortage...! It was the chrome that was short..! As I would suspect, as the chrome has much more uses in the miltary thAn does the nickle.

Mike

[bosshoss61]

Am I missing something here...I'm under the impression the difference between chrome plating and the other process is if the metal is magnetic or not. My 50 Champion is pot metal )(so I'm told)and I understood the process is to plate non-magnetic metal. Which was way more expensive than the other chroming pocess...was I steered wrong somewhere? My local chrome shop wanted $2600 to do all the exterior chrome parts on my car.

[t walgamuth]

On my 53 Caddy I once took it to a carwash with felt fingers which swished back and forth while running soapy water over it all and it rubbed off part of the brightwork on the grill. The bumper was good chrome but the grill unimaginabley low quality. I seem to remember it was copper colored under it.

[52-fan]

RE Military usage of nickel. Nickel was important in the production of armor plate. The element Nickle makes hard steel tougher and less brittle. Chromium resists corrosion and, of course is necessary for stainless steel.

[Jerry Forrester]

I think Studebaker plated their bumpers with the same stuff they made their camshafts out of. Soft stuff.

[Jerry Forrester]

I have seen cheap bumper jobs with no nickel and it would peel off showing the copper if they used any, pot metal should be copper, nickel, and chrome with lots of prep work between each one, the 52 chrome had no nickel used because of the war. Jerry should peep in and set us all straight.

I am always here.
I'm learning so much from this thread I may go into the plating business.

[Jerry Forrester]

See below, as pulled from a large artical in the internet.
Mike

Well if you read it on the internet it must be true. They cant put anything on the net that isn't true. I saw that on the net.

[qsanford]

"Korean Chrome" does not imply that inferior chrome comes from Korea. It means that chrome was in short supply due to the demands of the Korean War.

[Flashback]

I am always here.
I'm learning so much from this thread I may go into the plating business.

I think that would be a good idea, Jerry, you might git som biness from members.