This album is of the few chrome pieces I have on the truck. Chroming is the reason I got into making/using stainless steel parts in the first place. I like the look of chrome but got so disappointed with the quality of a lot of it and how it just doesn't last anymore. Let alone the price you have to pay to have it done.
I have used several different shops on this. I always take the extra step to mirror polish my stuff so that part of the quality equation is taken care of. If something is wrong there I know who to blame. It's basically a dip and go for the chromer and they like that.
The last shop I used I asked if they would give a discount if I mirror polished everything. He said he doesn't like doing that as sometimes people mess things up but he said go ahead and try a couple pieces and we'd go from there. I took a couple pieces in for my "trial" and I guess I passed his test as he said, "You can polish out anything you want." He has offered me a job everytime I have gone in since so I took that as a compliment.
I start by sandblasting the piece if rusty. Then grind it out if it's a sand cast piece. Hard to reach areas I'll use a Dynafile, Dremel, die grinder or modied soft backed sanding pads. Start with 80 grit and sometimes I'll go clear to 2000 grit before polishing.This part is VERY labor intensive and this is where a lot of labor charges normally come in on a rough piece. The parts basically look chromed before I take them in.
Album by Kevin Foust. Photos by Kevin Foust. 1 - 35 of 35 Total. 2558 Visits.
1 This is the original Pintle hook and it a VERY rough sand casted steel part as you can see.
2 Close up shows how this thing was beat up and had to do a fair amount of welding to get everything back.
3 The webbing on this makes it a difficult piece to do. Let alone all the lines that you have to be careful not to take too much off of. The Dynafile will get a work out on this one.
4 After sandblasting I started welding on it to build up the edges. Then ground them to look right again.
5 While doing this piece It became apparent I was in for it. When cast it had a LOT of voids that would have to be filled. I researched and found a nationally recognized shop that uses copper to fill and said it would be no problem so I didn't mirror polish this piece out. This is how I sent it out.
6 You can see the blended, smoothed edges that have been restored. The inside is still rough cast and will be painted black once chromed.
7 The inner part of that center web is a bear to get smooth.
8 Here is a close up and you can see the black spots are actually voids that need to be filled.
9 The hook after sandblasting. This should be a breeze after doing the main body. Looks like a Toucan bird doesn't it?
10 Casting lines on the top.
11 Here it is after grinding, sanding and polishing it out. This has NOT been chromed yet, this is just the polished out steel surface.
12 Cast lines are all gone.
13 The latch assembly took a while as well. No real problems on this so it should be easy to chrome.
14 This piece had some welding on it too but wasn't too bad to do. It is polished out and ready for chrome.
15 Here they are back from the chromer. What an ordeal this was. The "toucan" and latch were fine but they messed up the main body. I paid to have it filled and smoothed but they didn't do it.
16 I sent it back and months later it came back WORSE than the first time with yellowing, pits showing and build up on mounting areas where it wouldn't mount flush. Sent it back again and owner said he would personally inspect through every phase till completion.
17 I took over 1 year to get it done from when first sent out. They got it right but I can not recommend them. How it got out the door the second time is unacceptable to me. I made up new stainless pins and end caps that are held on with button head allen bolts.
18 Ready to assemble and this is what I had hoped for in the beginning.
19 All assembled
20 Quite a change from what it did look like.
21 Up next was the Stock Chevy 1 ton hooks. My plan is to run both the Chevy hooks and Dodge Hooks. Chevys were down and the Dodge's were up so it will make it look like a Rhino when done!
22 I'll work these down the same as the pintle and mirror polish to find any flaws before sending to chromer.
23 These are pretty prominent on the front end so I'll make them nice.
24 Forging lines are pronounced to say the least.
25 After a lot of work hook is to 320 grit and I'm grinding the flat areas on the surface grinder. I'll go to 600 grit before staring to polish.
26 Here they are polished out. World of difference in them.
27 All marks are gone and this will be a cake job for the chromer.
28 No distortion in flat ares as you can see.
29 "I love" truck art.
30 Now I'll do the original top hooks from the Dodge. They have some recesses in them which will make it harder.
31 Sharp ID corners like this are a bear to do.
32 Casting marks abound and I'll use the same processes described above to get it done.
33 Same piece in bare steel polished out. There is no chrome on this yet.
34 Recess took a fair amount of hand work and polishing with small bobs.
