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  for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Small motor cylinder plating question

I am wanting to plate an Aluminum bore of a two cycle motor (Al 7075 being the parent material). The bore is 34 mm ID. I am leaning toward a low phosphorus electroless nickel for the type of plating but I am not 100% sure as I do not know if this is the right choice. The motor will be turning in excess of 22000 rpm (yes that was 22000), so if somebody has some advice they could share with me I would be very appreciative.

Best Regards,

Matthew Waldron
M&D Designs Racing - Cincinnati, Ohio
2002

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2002

Many many moons ago I was a petrolhead into tuning motorcycles, I tried a nickel based plating but had terminal problems with it flaking off, never cured that, some years later I found out that was a common problem and only the best platers could get a non flaking coating, you're probably better off getting a well known cylinder replater to do it, only one I think of off the top of my head is stan stephens in the uk, not sure if he's even still in business.

I did find a diy way, not plating in the normal sense, exploding wires, using a big and very deadly 700V capacitor bank I vaporised pieces of piano wire in an argon atmosphere, worked very well once wire size and energy dumped into it were tweaked, I had to do several coats as I only had a few thousand joules to play with (!), I suspect trying to do it in one go might be a bit too violent for an ally cylinder anyway. Neighbors don't appreciate this gunshot noise.

George Ingram
- Swansea, Carms, Wales