February 4, 201016 yr Just wondering if there would be dangers involved in useing steels that had a chrome plating on them for forging. Dangers along the same lines as galvanized metals.
February 4, 201016 yr I'd leave it alone. Could be pretty nasty if you throw it in the forge and inhale some fumes. I try to stay away from anything of that nature. I suppose you could strip it but not worth it to me. Something from google Hex Chrome Someone more experienced have input some input?
February 4, 201016 yr There has been a lot of warnning about Hex Chrome from the welding industry in the last few years. Resperation-Resperation-Ventalation.
February 4, 201016 yr I have several holding pins for down hole drilling tools, they are chrome plated. I heat them up to almost yellow then let the cool, so far so good. I guess you could also grind the chroming off, in a well vented place.
February 5, 201016 yr Just wondering if there would be dangers involved in useing steels that had a chrome plating on them for forging. Dangers along the same lines as galvanized metals. Unequivocally I would not muck with it. Really, there is no piece of metal on earth that is chrome plated that is worth forging as is to get to. If for some reason this piece(s) of metal is just something you have to use then your going to have to use a very caustic pickle (a bath of acid) to strip the plate from it. Or you'll have to use abrasives to completely sand it. There are also de-plating process. Again, you really gotta ask yourself why? Ask anyone on here, fume hazards are serious business.
February 6, 201016 yr Do yourself a favor.. look up the elements nickel and chromium. See what the facts are about melting point, burning point, toxicity, nature. I say nickel,. because it is often plated before chrome, to make the chrome stick better. Hex Chrome or Hexavalent chrome, chromium (VI) is a whole different animal. Search that as well. I asked this same question about 2 years ago. I have a 7 foot long 1 1/2 " diameter hydraulic piston I wanted to make things out of. The long and the short is, the answers I got were mixed, mostly "I wouldn't mess with it, but I don't really know.." I cut a piece, heated to yellow, gave it 2 flat sides, annealed it, gave it a grinding and filing, (WITH RATED RESPIRATOR!! AND SAFeTY GEAR!) and now have straight pein I been wanting for a long time. Not a recomentdation, just what I did.
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