grinding pot metal

[mdelapp]

I just found and installed a tri-star on the hood of my 53. Appearently due to some earlier hood work (probably an nose job) the shape is not exactly correct for the fit. the points are slightly above the metal and will probably scratch my wife when she polishes it. I am considering marking the high spots that touch, removing it and carefully grinding down those spots until the points meet the metal and should have a nice fit. A few on-and-offs and i hope to fit it. Any tips on grinding down pot metal. I dont want to spall off the chrome or crack it as the chap on ebay got a good buck from me. it is NOS.
Thanks
Mike
With all your help I am really getting along on the car

Mike DeLapp
Barrington, IL
53 Commander Hardtop

[DEEPNHOCK]

Once you grind through the layer of chrome, nickel, copper...
You will 'open up' the plating and it will peel back over time.
You will also get corrosion in between the base pot metal and the first layer of plating.
Having a good plating shop 'strip' the plating off of the pot metal, and then having it replated would be the best way to do this.
Hope the info helps.
Jeff[8D]

quote:Originally posted by mdelapp

I just found and installed a tri-star on the hood of my 53. Appearently due to some earlier hood work (probably an nose job) the shape is not exactly correct for the fit. the points are slightly above the metal and will probably scratch my wife when she polishes it. I am considering marking the high spots that touch, removing it and carefully grinding down those spots until the points meet the metal and should have a nice fit. A few on-and-offs and i hope to fit it. Any tips on grinding down pot metal. I dont want to spall off the chrome or crack it as the chap on ebay got a good buck from me. it is NOS.
Thanks
Mike
With all your help I am really getting along on the car

Mike DeLapp
Barrington, IL
53 Commander Hardtop

DEEPNHOCK at Cox.net
Homeless[u]</u>
'37 Coupe Express (never ending project)
'37 Coupe Express Trailer (project)
'61 Hawk (project)
http://community.webshots.com/user/deepnhock

[DEEPNHOCK]

Once you grind through the layer of chrome, nickel, copper...
You will 'open up' the plating and it will peel back over time.
You will also get corrosion in between the base pot metal and the first layer of plating.
Having a good plating shop 'strip' the plating off of the pot metal, and then having it replated would be the best way to do this.
Hope the info helps.
Jeff[8D]

quote:Originally posted by mdelapp

I just found and installed a tri-star on the hood of my 53. Appearently due to some earlier hood work (probably an nose job) the shape is not exactly correct for the fit. the points are slightly above the metal and will probably scratch my wife when she polishes it. I am considering marking the high spots that touch, removing it and carefully grinding down those spots until the points meet the metal and should have a nice fit. A few on-and-offs and i hope to fit it. Any tips on grinding down pot metal. I dont want to spall off the chrome or crack it as the chap on ebay got a good buck from me. it is NOS.
Thanks
Mike
With all your help I am really getting along on the car

Mike DeLapp
Barrington, IL
53 Commander Hardtop

DEEPNHOCK at Cox.net
Homeless[u]</u>
'37 Coupe Express (never ending project)
'37 Coupe Express Trailer (project)
'61 Hawk (project)
http://community.webshots.com/user/deepnhock

[Roscomacaw]

Are you sure you got one for a C-K car??? They were of a different shape for a sedan and the contour of the hoods was different.[B)]

As Jeff says - BAD IDEA to grind on that thing at ALL if you don't plan on having it rechromed afterwards

Miscreant adrift in
the BerStuda Triangle!!

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe

[Roscomacaw]

Are you sure you got one for a C-K car??? They were of a different shape for a sedan and the contour of the hoods was different.[B)]

As Jeff says - BAD IDEA to grind on that thing at ALL if you don't plan on having it rechromed afterwards

Miscreant adrift in
the BerStuda Triangle!!

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe

[Studenut]

How do you get your wife to polish your car??


Jerry Buck
Racine, Wisconsin
'53 Champion Coupe - C (owned since 1956)
'61 Lark VI Convertible

[Studenut]

How do you get your wife to polish your car??


Jerry Buck
Racine, Wisconsin
'53 Champion Coupe - C (owned since 1956)
'61 Lark VI Convertible

[CHAMP]

I can'nt get my wife to polish her own car!

GARY H 2DR.SEDAN 48 STUDEBAKER CHAMPION NORTHEAST MD.

[CHAMP]

I can'nt get my wife to polish her own car!

GARY H 2DR.SEDAN 48 STUDEBAKER CHAMPION NORTHEAST MD.

[mdelapp]

Thanks for the tip. I remember chrome stripping off of old bumpers when I was a kid. I am reasonably sure this is a CK the fit is very, very close and only misses a little. Top left point fine. Top right up less than 1/16" and bottom up about 1/8th. Lays flat in some areas. Stripping it would really make me feel like a nut as I paid $275 for the darned thing. Had I suspected the fit, I would have gotten an old one, fitted it and then chromed it. I think I am stuck. Poor wife, I will get her heavy gloves and a gross of Band-Aids. Seriously I was looking forward to fitting it by grinding off a little but SO GLAD I checked here first.

Mike DeLapp
Barrington, IL
53 Commander Hardtop

[mdelapp]

Thanks for the tip. I remember chrome stripping off of old bumpers when I was a kid. I am reasonably sure this is a CK the fit is very, very close and only misses a little. Top left point fine. Top right up less than 1/16" and bottom up about 1/8th. Lays flat in some areas. Stripping it would really make me feel like a nut as I paid $275 for the darned thing. Had I suspected the fit, I would have gotten an old one, fitted it and then chromed it. I think I am stuck. Poor wife, I will get her heavy gloves and a gross of Band-Aids. Seriously I was looking forward to fitting it by grinding off a little but SO GLAD I checked here first.

Mike DeLapp
Barrington, IL
53 Commander Hardtop

[Jeff_H]

Pure speculation here....

If the hood was "shaved" at some point and you re-drilled it for the star studs there may either be some warpage of the metal if the holes were brazed and leaded it or there is a lot of filler there making the contour wrong for the star. My car I had the original star replated and it fits perfectly (one of the few things that did!). I recall there being visible spot welds and indentations in the hood under the star there where the bracing plate is attached to the outer sheet metal. They get covered with it installed. Maybe studebaker designed the star's casting to fit with that in mind?? If you haven't painted the car yet and are still prepping the hood, maybe worth stripping all old paint/filler off that area and seeing whats under there.

You'd definately know if you have a sedan one, I've got a rough one in my junk collection and the contour is so different I bet the center would sit at least 1/2" off the hood with the 3 points touching.

Jeff in ND

'53 Champion Hardtop

[Jeff_H]

Pure speculation here....

If the hood was "shaved" at some point and you re-drilled it for the star studs there may either be some warpage of the metal if the holes were brazed and leaded it or there is a lot of filler there making the contour wrong for the star. My car I had the original star replated and it fits perfectly (one of the few things that did!). I recall there being visible spot welds and indentations in the hood under the star there where the bracing plate is attached to the outer sheet metal. They get covered with it installed. Maybe studebaker designed the star's casting to fit with that in mind?? If you haven't painted the car yet and are still prepping the hood, maybe worth stripping all old paint/filler off that area and seeing whats under there.

You'd definately know if you have a sedan one, I've got a rough one in my junk collection and the contour is so different I bet the center would sit at least 1/2" off the hood with the 3 points touching.

Jeff in ND

'53 Champion Hardtop

[rockne10]

With what plating costs today vs. contouring and repainting the hood it may be six of one half a dozen of the other. Stripping and plating chrome does induce some heat and it's possible the star may have just warped a little.

Explanations aren't solutions but before deciding, you may want estimates from a chrome shop and a body shop (both of whom you trust).

Brad Johnson
Pine Grove Mills, Pa.
33 Rockne 10
51 Commander Starlight
53 Commander Starlight

previously: 63 Cruiser, 62 Regal VI, 60 VI convertible, 50 LandCruiser

[rockne10]

With what plating costs today vs. contouring and repainting the hood it may be six of one half a dozen of the other. Stripping and plating chrome does induce some heat and it's possible the star may have just warped a little.

Explanations aren't solutions but before deciding, you may want estimates from a chrome shop and a body shop (both of whom you trust).

Brad Johnson
Pine Grove Mills, Pa.
33 Rockne 10
51 Commander Starlight
53 Commander Starlight

previously: 63 Cruiser, 62 Regal VI, 60 VI convertible, 50 LandCruiser