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ted_yosem
Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ
finishing.com -- The Home Page of the Finishing Industry

  The authoritative public forum
  for Metal Finishing 1989-2024
  mfhotline


  -----

Black Chrome Plating Q&A, Problems & Solutions



Q. We are sourcing a product from a company that has a black chrome nut assembled to it. Recently we had some customer complaints of their hands were getting dirty (black) when handling. Since you appear to have great knowledge in black chrome, I thought I would ask if there is a residue that comes off during handling? Here is my supplier's response.

3606-9

"I believe what they are describing is that their hands are getting black from the mounting nut. The mounting nut is finished in Black Chrome. Black chrome has an inherent black film (almost like soot) that does come off on your hand. This is the only way black chrome is made. So -- the customer is right but that is a normal condition of black chrome."

Craig Helton
Product Manager - New Hampton Iowa
March 16, 2022


A. Hi Craig. I don't think I agree. Decades ago when smoked glass was "in", black chrome was a popular finish for the tubular metal frames and legs of coffee tables and dining tables, and I don't recall complaints of it rubbing off onto hands or white clothes, and I had such a table. I don't want to raise suspicions, but can't tell just from the picture that the finish is actually black chrome plating rather than, for example, a cold black oxide which is very well known for its smuttiness.

But what is fact is that the current finish is not satisfactory to your customer, so action must be taken in one direction or another. The major plating process suppliers will often plate sample parts for you for free (perhaps in an effort to get you to switch to their chemistry). I think you should get some samples from a process supplier or another plating shop to determine whether black chrome can satisfy your customer or whether you need to switch to a different finish.

Luck & Regards,

ted_yosem
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey




Q. John Wolf: In your discussion about Black Chrome what is the B400 in the bath ?

Bob Gillingham
- Naples Florida
September 1, 2022


A. Hi Bob.
John's posting was from many years ago, so we don't know if our notification to his e-mail will work, but all suppliers of black chrome processes have addition agents to produce the black color. Since John is from Malaysia, the B400 he refers to might be an addition agent from JCU Corp in Tokyo.

Luck & Regards,

ted_yosem
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey




⇩ Related postings, oldest first ⇩



Q. Black Chrome, is there such a thing, and how similar is it to regular chrome (other than color of course)? Interested in Black Chroming Cobra Kit Car parts that would normally be regular chrome.

Wayne McAllaster
Fremont, California
1999


A. Black chrome is a beautiful color, is very weather durable and is done by a fair amount of shops. It does have a tendency to show a silver color if it is significantly scratched, but nowhere as bad as black nickel or dyed or chromated parts.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida


Q. Thanks, James:

So then, there is such a thing as Black Chrome! Is it basically the same process/product as regular chrome? I wonder why more of it isn't seen on custom car/bikes? I have not been having any luck finding any shops that do it, and haven't had any luck on the net finding out more information about it. I've been told that there is no such thing, and that black nickel or dyed chrome is most people refer to when talking about Black Chrome. Your input will stimulate my quest, thanks again. Wayne

Wayne McAllaster, returning
Fremont, California


A. Hi, Wayne. Check our jobshops directory for plating shops that do black chrome

'Black chromium' has a couple of different looks. If you are old enough to remember when smoked glass was "in", there were residential and commercial dining tables and coffee tables which were 'black chrome' plated and the chrome looked like gray tinted glass--hard to describe--bright, sort of like chrome, but smokey. That's for decorative use like on a car.

The reason it is "out" is that tastes change and it's costlier than bright chrome. But it's having a resurgence of popularity.

There also is "optical" black chromium; it looks almost like carbon black, sort of like black wrinkle paint this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] but with exceptionally fine wrinkles; it is used to absorb light and stop reflections on the inside of optical stuff like microscopes and binoculars. Black chrome finishes also make for effective passive solar collectors.

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey


thumbs up signI just wanted to thank you guys for having this thread here! I have been trying to get my wheels black-chromed for months! What a great resource...Thanks again!

Tony (Vipermad) Rickard
- Newport, Rhode Island




Q. Is Black Chrome used on handguns, and is it as durable as other normally used gun protective items? Thank you

Steve Bukovac
- Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
2001


A. I'm not real familiar with handguns, so I can't say too much, but I have heard of it and I don't know any reason why black chromium wouldn't be an excellent finish for a handgun.

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey




Q. CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME WHAT WEBSITE I CAN CONSULT, TO COMPARE BLACK CHROME AND BLACK NICKEL, I WANT TO SEE DIFFERENT COLOURS AND SHADES THEREOF, AS WELL AS PRO'S AND CONS OF EACH.

JOHANNES JACOBUS LE GRANGE
- KLERKSDORP, SOUTH AFRICA
2004


A. Hi, Johannes. Sorry, I don't know of comparison pictures on line, and pictures of reflective items don't work well anyway. Black nickel can be used for interior decorative parts, and it can be used for exterior wear parts, but I don't think you'd find it satisfactory as a decorative finish for exterior parts.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey


A. JOHANNES of KLERKSDORP, SOUTH AFRICA asked about comparison pictures. This is a website I stumbled upon that may help. It shows different types of chrome plating done by one plating company.

www.reliableplating.com/blackchrome.html

Click on the dropdown list to see some other type of plating.

I hope it helps.

Rob McCarthy
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
August 13, 2009


thumbs up signHi, Rob. Thanks. These appear to me to be just computer generated graphics rather than actual photos  :-) ... but I guess anything is better than nothing. Thanks again.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey




sidebar
House of Kolor paints
house_of_kolor_paint
on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

I've been looking into black chrome because I have a z3 BMW that I've been working on for a car show coming up. There is a chrome paint that after you spray black base on the car and then again chrome is sprayed on and then cleared. Just to let you know a little about black chrome paint, House of Kolor has this paint ⇨

Raye Storts
- West Texas
2006


Thanks, Raye. Some of this site's supporting advertisers offer chrome-look paint as well, but we like to call it "chrome-LOOK" rather than "chrome" or "spray chrome" so that readers don't get misled and confused..

adv.
Gold Touch [a finishing.com supporting advertiser],
G.J. Nikolas [a finishing.com supporting advertiser]

Black chromium electroplating is one thing, while paint that looks something like it is something very different -- just as "gold-tone" paint is very different than real gold.

A possible application for chrome-look paint is to color an entire automobile because for actual plating the metal must be precision polished or every weld line, seam and mark will show, whereas painting the car with black "chrome-look paint" may be far more practical.

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey


thumbs up signTo all inquiring about black chrome, It is absolutely beautiful! I have a "06 R1 and I just bought a set of custom black chrome rims for it this summer.First ones from this dealer special made. Ten times prettier than chrome! Almost as someone said like the tables or windows you see (like a mirror but black too, a must see).

TODD ANDREWS
- WAREHAM, Massachusetts




Q. Can a part that is already chromed be re-chromed with black chrome?
I have some parts for my Harley I would like to have done if so.

Glenn Puzino
- Brick, New Jersey
2007


A. Yes, Glenn. The shop will strip the existing chrome, probably buff and activate the nickel plating, then do black chrome plating on the parts.

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey




Q. Does the original perfect condition chrome have to be removed prior to applying Black Chrome? Are there different shades of Black Chrome? (lightly tinted to solid black).

Bruce Barrett
streetrod interiors - Arrington, Tennessee
2007


A. Yes, the chrome must be removed; but ninety nine percent of the plating is the underlying nickel, and it will probably be possible to save that. Both "smoked glass" look and jet black are available, Bruce. Feel free to listen to our Podcast Interview with Willie World. We also have an Introduction to Chrome FAQ that you might find interesting.

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey




thumbs up sign I have a bicycle that's black chrome straight from the Schwinn factory in 1988.

black chrome plating 1  black chrome plating 2  black chrome plating 3

RIC
- La Canada, California
2007


A. The Japanese motorcycle manufacturers used black chrome during the 80's. I just put on a set of Russel steel braided lines that are that way.

David Harrod
- Leavenworth, Kansas
April 8, 2008


A. Chrome has a history . The original chrome was brighter and more a blue tint. The original chrome process had a number of limitations. Notice most recessed areas of older vehicles were painted or hidden. The term chrome rob means the chrome did not go there, so you would see a chrome color to nickel color definition line. A new chrome -more environmentally friendly is also chrome but less in brightness, longevity, and scratch resistance. The new chrome being thinner tends to not show the nickel definition line as well. The new chrome has more a gold or brown tint. Black chrome is an extension of the new chrome. Therein relatively speaking the black chrome will scratch like the new chrome and the scratch will be more apparent because it is a darker color on nickel. The typical attraction to black chrome is the change in degree of black brought on by the surrounding change in light. Platers have their own individual black so be careful with a generalized request or expectation for black chrome.

Trevor McBride
- Conneaut, Ohio


Shadow Chrome Black-out Coating
(paint to simulate black chrome)
black_chrome_kit
on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

Thanks, Trevor. Lots of good info in your posting. But you are not correct that black chrome started with the new environmentally-friendly trivalent chromes. Black chrome was around long before the more environmentally friendly trichrome (I was with Atotech when we were marketing CromOnyx black chrome, way back when, and later on when we became the first supplier of trivalent chrome plating). I'm confident that most black chrome is still hexavalent chrome -- but that is not to say that trivalent chromium, which is a normal contaminant in hexavalent chrome plating, plays no role in the blackening.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey


! We put in a black chrome plating bath in early 2008 and the process has been well accepted by several of our customers. We also did the wheels on the first 1 of 50 Hurst Vipers that recently sold at Barrett Jackson for $275,000.

black chrome plating

Cost is about 30% more than regular chrome.

Don Unrein
- Santa Ana, California
January 23, 2009




Q. I am in the process of restoring a 1950's Schwinn Bicycle. It was mentioned to me that I should consider black chrome for some parts of this bike. Specifically I was thinking about black chroming the sprocket and crank. This would go nicely with the black anodized rims I am working with. I am wondering if you think it is worth the expense given the short longevity of this particular plating method I have been reading about? If you do think this plating method would work well with this particular application could you refer me a plater that could do justice to my current project? I also work with custom Harley Davidson choppers, so I have the potential to bring the right facility a good amount of work.

Thank you for your consideration.

John

John Gladhart
hobbyist refurbisher - Monrovia, California
April 5, 2009

Ed. note: Sorry, this RFQ is old & outdated, so contact info is no longer available. However, if you feel that something technical should be said in reply, please post it; no public commercial suggestions please ( huh? why?)


A. Hi, John. Black chrome is quite durable, but I can't say what is worth it to you. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey




Q. If black chrome is an electroplating process, is there any reason it would need to air dry to fully cure? I'm getting some parts black chromed and this is what the plater told me, but it doesn't sound quite right.

Chris Hughson
- Rochester, New York
June 11, 2009


A. Hi, Chris. It sounds to me like you are a getting chrome colored paint, not real chrome plating. Please see our Introduction to Chrome Plating for a fuller explanation. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey


A. Here's a picture of a black-chromed wheel, next to a standard polished wheel.

www.hummerproducts.com/Black-Chrome-Wheels-Both-We.jpg

If you go to Google Pics, and try "black chrome", you'll get a tremendous selection!

Hope the link works.

Ted DeWeese
- Utica, Pennsylvania
August 24, 2009

Ed. note May 2016: Sorry that link is now broken.




Q. Hello, Can this finish be applied to an aluminum part that also has some rubber seals attached to it (i.e., window trim pieces) These are the window surround trim off a BMW.

Thanks

Jason Homrighaus
- Amsterdam, New York
February 8, 2010


A. Hi Jason.
Anything is possible, but detaching those rubber seals and re-attaching them is probably a lot more practical.
Luck & Regards,

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey


A. I noticed a question here about black chrome finish on firearms. Back in the 1960's, black chrome was a pretty popular custom finish on firearms, particularly handguns. It has excellent resistance to wear and corrosion, and looks a lot like a blued finish. With the popular use of stainless steel in firearms today, you just don't see much plating being done.

Walter Jarboe
- Tifton, Georgia, USA
April 9, 2010


Q. My understanding of the use of coatings on firearms is that it is not a plating at all, as that would chip and scratch too easily. Firearms are coated with titanium nitride (for a gold color) and titanium aluminum nitride or titanium carbon nitride (for a gray color). These are the same coatings used to harden machine tools and actually integrate into the substrate rather than surface coat it.
Hope this is accurate - can anyone else confirm this?
Andy G.

Andy Gravelle
- Santa Rosa, California
June 24, 2010


A. Hi, Andy. PVD coatings like those that you mentioned can be used on guns, and sometimes are, but the rest of your statement isn't quite accurate.

Well done electroplating can adhere perfectly. There is a mechanical procedure called the Ollard test which can be used to attempt to pull the plating off the part; when the plating is perfect, the plating or the substrate will rip apart rather than the interface between them. The inside of gun barrels, including huge caliber naval "guns" is often chrome plated. Electroplated coatings chemically "grow" on the surface so that there is actual metallurgical connection to the substrate (as opposed to paint, which adheres only through mechanical keying). Nickel plating, electroless nickel, and chrome plating are very commonly applied to firearms, but lower reflectivity black coatings like black oxide and salt bath nitriding are ofter applied as well.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey




Q. Hi,

Regarding the black chrome plating, what would happen if I only do a 1 minute nickel strike (instead of a proper bright nickel plating) before I have my workpiece go into black chrome?

We've tested 1000 pieces samples and have 20% of them defected with peel-off problem.

Is that the main cause of such high volume of NC?

Thanks

John Wolf
- Malaysia
October 29, 2010


A. Hi, John.

No, I don't think that is the problem. Heavier nickel plating produces more brightness and reflectivity, but the thickness of the nickel plating should not drastically affect the adhesion. You haven't yet described the substrate, the pretreatment, the other layers of plating, etc., and I think the problem is elsewhere. When the plating peels, what do you see on the inside of the blister and on the substrate underneath the blister?

But remember that chrome plating without good nickel plating under it doesn't have much corrosion resistance. Regards,

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey


Q. Hi Ted

I was amazed by your quick response, and yes, I should give more details.

Here's my process :

1. Ultrasonic soak clean
- UDYPRxx 110 = 55~65 g/l
- Temp = 60 ~ 70'c
- Duration = 5 min

2. Normal soak clean
- UDYPRxx 110 = 55~65 g/l
- Temp = 60 ~ 70'c
- Duration = 5 min

3. Cathodic clean
- A-CLxxN = 10~15
- Sulfuric ACID = 10~12%
- Temp = Room temp
Duration = 30 sec

4. Acid dip
- HCl Acid = 10~12%
- Temp = Room Temp
- Duration = 30 sec

5. Nickel Strike
- Ni Chloride = 200~220 g/l
- HCl Acid = 60~90 g/l
- Voltage = 3~5v
- Temp = Room Temp
- Duration = 45 sec

6. Activation
- Chromic Acid = 3gm/l
- Duration = 20 sec

7. Black Chrome
- Chromic Acid = 400~430 gm/l
- B400 = 25~35 gm/l
- Voltage = 5~8v
- Temp = 18~24'c
- Duration = 7 min

8. Hot water rinsing
- Temp = 70~80'c
- Duration = 5 sec

* there are 2~3 water rinsings after each process

I hope this should help

John Wolf
- Malaysia


A. Hi, John. This sounds like a robust treatment cycle, but not a very corrosion resistant finish. I am not an expert in your treatment cycle, but I don't understand why the nickel plated parts are "activated" in chromic acid. It would seem to me that a dip in an oxidizing acid would tend to passivate the nickel rather than activate it. Also, your "cathodic clean" step is a bit unusual (depending on the substrate) -- most treatment cycles would have an anodic alkaline electroclean step instead. What is the substrate you are plating onto? Thanks.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey


A. 1. The activating step in 6 using chromic acid would seem to passivate the nickel. I thought so too at one time. But (for conventional bright chrome plating) I've dipped my parts in the first drag out of the chromium tank (10 secs), followed by regular chromium plating, seems to somewhat improve the chrome coverage.
2. Yes. The acidic cathodic clean seems a bit unusual to me as well.
3. The woods nickel strike in 5 , suggests a high probability of a substrate of stainless steel.
4. I've plated black chrome directly on stainless steel using below process sequence with water rinses in between :
a. Soak Clean
b. Anodic Clean (VERY IMPORTANT)
c. Acid Dip (HCl)
d. Black Chrome

SK Cheah
- Penang, Malaysia

Ed. note: Thanks for the insight, Cheah, you are almost surely right that the substrate is stainless steel.



I've got a black chrome Raleigh burner. Here's a pic --

black chrome plating 5

Alan harwood
- Lowestoft, U.K.
January 31, 2011




Q. I am looking at purchasing some parts for my truck that I would eventually like to get black chromed. The 2 finishes the products are now available in are either polished stainless steel and powdercoated carbon steel.

Which would be more conducive in terms of longevity (against chipping/flacking/peeling/rusting/etc) and which would be easier/cheaper to get black chromed?

Any other advantages or disadvantages with stainless vs carbon steel?

Much appreciated!

Christopher Grotjahn
- Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A.
April 27, 2012


A. Hi Christopher.

Getting the powder coating 100% off might be an issue, so if you are intending to one day apply black chrome, I'd go with the stainless steel. Stainless should also prove very corrosion resistant. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey




Q. We are a small arms manufacturer and are looking for coatings for a conceal carry gun. I have been told to try black Chrome but cannot find any info on it.

Jim Bruchas
- Pevely, Missouri
November 13, 2012


A. Hi Jim. We appended your inquiry to a thread about black chrome plating which should answer most of your early questions. Feel free to follow up with further questions.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey




Q. I was just wondering why black chrome isn't seen more on auto parts, besides wheels. Would it work okay on vehicle bumpers?

Cameron Latham
- Abilene, Texas, USA
April 7, 2013


A. Hi Cameron. I have seen black chrome plated decorative trim on automobiles, although I don't recall seeing a black chrome bumper. There was a time, back when I first started driving, that bumpers were bumpers, and expected to occasionally kiss, so a scratch in a black chrome bumper, which revealed shinier nickel plating under it might have been a problem. Today, it seems that cars are never expected to touch each other, and reimbursement of damage is expected if they do; so "bumpers" is an oxymoron today, and black chrome bumpers are probably acceptable.

But color matching may be another issue, as black chrome ranges from a very subtle smokiness to quite dark.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey




Q. Hi I just stumbled across your forum, I have a Black Chrome problem. If you can help me it would be gratefully appreciated.
I have restored a classic 80's motorcycle and have an original Black Chrome exhaust, it has been rubbed or polished out in an approx. area of 170 mm x 120 mm so the coating has lifted and the lighter coat is showing through. This is really bugging me; if you have any suggestions or advice it would help me sleep at night.
Thanking you in advance.

Frank

FRANK JONES
Printing - Hertfordshire, England
September 27, 2013


A. Hi Frank. Short of sending it back to a plating shop, trying a very light spray of high temperature paint is probably your only fix.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
September 27, 2013


thumbs up signThanks Ted I thought as much I best leave it alone, over in England we don't seem to be big on black chrome plating. I appreciate the reply

All the best.
Frank

FRANK JONES
Printing - Hertfordshire England




Black chrome plating on stainless steel

3606-7

Q. Please suggest me the successful procedure to do Black Chrome on stainless steel parts. With little bit wear resistance property and consistent and uniform color.

Complete step by step procedure will be better for my understanding. Also tell me the testing criteria of Black chrome.

shafi mirza
manufacturer - sialkot, Punjab, Pakistan
May 9, 2014


A. Hi cousin Shafi.

In principle, you clean the parts, activate them with a Wood's nickel strike process, bright nickel plate them, then chrome plate them in a chrome plating solution that has been deliberately contaminated with materials that cause the deposit to be black.

Taber Abrasion Tester
taber_abrader
on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

The testing methods are not arbitrary, but are done to try to insure that the finish will meet your needs, and we're not sure what those needs are: Are you trying to make internal optical parts for binoculars, telescopes, & cameras, or are you trying to impart a decorative look to automotive or bicycle components? Are they interior automotive parts or exterior? Why is wear resistance important -- is it a machine part, or do you just want reasonable resistance when people touch it? Generally a CASS accelerated corrosion test is run, informal adhesion tests like bending sheetmetal around a dowel to look for peeling and/or more formal adhesion testing is usually done, and there are wear tests like Taber abrasion, but they may be more severe that the chrome can withstand or needs to withstand.

Although hundreds of friendly & knowledgable readers would like to help you, your request for "complete step by step procedure" is probably not fully reasonable. Chrome plating books run well over 200 pages. If you want an answers that can be given in fewer words, fine; but if you don't already have substantial plating experience, try to find someone in Pakistan who knows how to do black chrome plating and retain them ... or you're looking at months of work. Best of luck!

Regards,

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey




Q. I am restoring an '82 Suzuki and it has what I thought was black chrome on the exhaust pipes, however I bought a genuine old stock new exhaust heat guard to replace the one missing on the bike. The finish on it looks like some sort of black dye. It is definitely not paint.

3606-8a 3606-8b

The whole exhaust system has been done the same way so the coating is able to tolerate high heat temperature. Do you know what this coating is and how can it be replicated?

John Irvine
- Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand
July 20, 2014


A. Hi John. Going just from appearance, while ruling out finishes that are not suitable for exterior automotive application, my guess is that it is indeed black chrome plating.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey




Q. Hi,

I'm looking to get some Black Chrome plating done of some high-powered rifle cartridges, made of brass. Is it possible to apply this coating to brass parts? And is it possible for me to do it? (I have a fairly good grip of inorganic chemistry), if so, I imagine I'm going to need to read a book or two about it, so do you have any pointers of where I might be able to go to acquire the information I will need to plate these cases?

Thanks

Kieran Chambers
- Perth, WA, Australia
September 10, 2014


A. Hi Kieran. I don't know whether nickel + chrome plating is appropriate for rifle cartridges, both as a finish that will function properly, and as one which will not embrittle the brass.

Further, while nothing is impossible, and a determined artist or hobbyist can achieve wonders, I also don't want to leave you with the false impression that black chrome plating is a casual hobby; it's an industrial science that involves carcinogenic processes, and the whole world is working to minimize or eliminate it :-(

I don't think anyone can even tabulate all the millions of dollars that have been spent by the aircraft industry and the U.S. military in working to find less toxic substitutes for it. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey


A. If you are seeking the black for cosmetic reasons, there are blackening agents that will color/oxidize the brass for you. Otherwise, like Ted said, the process for nickel and black chrome plating is rather not safe.

Justin Brooks
- Rock Island, Illinois USA


A. You could blacken them a lot easier by just dipping them, after cleaning, in some liver of sulfur this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] solution. What effect this would have on the firearm I don't know - but the coating (unlike plating) is of negligible thickness and won't change the dimensions of the cartridge much.

dave wichern
Dave Wichern
Consultant - The Bronx, New York


A. Hi Kieren

When a cartridge is fired, the neck expands to seal the chamber against the high pressure gasses. As the bullet leaves the muzzle, the pressure drops and the neck contracts to allow easy extraction. The spring properties of brass is ideally suited to this which is why it is universally used. Chrome plating is hard and cracks easily under stress which explains why the few 'silver' coloured cartridges are nickel plated.

Ted and others have pointed out the hazards of chrome plating but not the expense of setting up, disposal of used chemicals etc.. It gets worse. A cartridge is a small deep bottle shape and will fill up with each station of the process and transfer contaminating chemicals to the next stage ( there are several!)so each must be plugged (including the primer pocket) and then jigged to get current to each.

I would go with Dave and use a sulfide process - but do make certain the cases are really clean. That is chemist clean not engineer clean!

geoff smith
Geoff Smith
Hampshire, England


A. Kieren, may I ask why you want to plate your brass? If you do your own handloads, that entire process may result in scratching the finish. Cleaning your cases by tumbling will polish raw brass. What will happen with a plated part? It's a known fact that nickel plated cases, like some .357 cartridges I have, show scratches when you resize. When you re-trim your cases to the proper C.O.L. of .010" under maximum length as prescribed by SAMMI specs, you're going to remove any plating at the edge of case mouth. Crimping while bullet seating; if you do that, could also remove some of the plating.

Plating build up in the primer pocket may add enough material to make primer seating an issue, too, provided the plating process will throw enough into that area. It isn't true "blind hole", hence no air pocket to impede flow of the plating bath.

Depending on the rifle, you may even find a definitive scratch at the case mouth from what I believe is caused by the extractor. My Ruger American does this but my Springfield '03-A3 doesn't. Then there's the embrittlement issue that's been brought up previously. Brass cases have enough problems, split cases through work hardening from repeated uses, without introducing a plating process.

But, hey, this is my humble opinion after I checked a bunch of my recent brass that's gone through my tungsten carbide dies maybe 4 times already. Of course, I have no experience with black chrome. When I was in the military connector industry, we used zinc, gold, cadmium, electroless nickel and anodizing on all those connectors you'll find in Boeing aircraft.

Bob Tlapa
- Lombard, Illinois USA




Q. Hi everyone
I have a small workshop in handgun maintenance with nickel and gold, and I want to add black chromium because customers usually ask for it.
I want to ask about black chroming formula and procedures.
Thanks.

goldnickle ali
- Muscat , Oman
April 24, 2015


"Chromium Plating"
by Weiner & Walmsley
chrome_weiner_rare
on AbeBooks
(rarely)

or eBay
(sometimes)

or Amazon
(sometimes)

(affil links)

A. Hi Ali. To my knowledge most black chrome plating is done with proprietary formulas. One of the better known is Econo-Chrome BK, originally from Macdermid / Canning, with operating conditions described in The Canning Handbook [on eBay, Amazon, AbeBooks affil links]. I think, however, that multiple vendors now offer that process.

If you are restricted to generic processes, there are at least some starting points in Weiner & Walmsley's "Chromium Plating" .
There are also some simple formulas in the Metal Finishing Guidebook.

These black chrome processes involve hexavalent chrome plating, which is toxic and carcinogenic, and may not be appropriate to a small gunsmithing operation. Good luck.

Regards,

ted_yosem
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey


thumbs up signWow, I started this discussion in 1999, what great answers/information. Thanks everyone for your input.
Plan is to Black Chrome EVERY piece of regular chrome on a 427 Cobra that will be painted black with pearl blue ghost stripes.

Wayne McAllaster
Medusa's Monsters - Atascadero, California USA
September 10, 2015




Q. What is the process or additives (i.e., other metals) that cause the color to change between normal color chrome and black chrome?

roy Wilson
engineering - tampa, Florida, usa
October 5, 2015


A. Hi Roy. Most shops rely on proprietaries from the major plating process suppliers, and we naturally could not tell you exactly what those proprietaries are, but thread 10818 is concerned with generic additives and operating conditions for black chrome plating. Good luck.

Regards,

ted_yosem
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey




Q. I'm in the process of building a VW Trike. I'm using coil-over shocks on the rear. All I can find are chrome plated on the springs. I'd like to replace it with black Chrome. Can you help me out on the process. I'm hoping it's possible!

Michael Pipe
- Mt.Clemens, Michigan USA
November 12, 2015


A. Hi Michael. If the finish you want on the springs is not commercially available you would have to send them for stripping and replating to a plating shop which offers black chrome plating. Good luck.

Regards,

ted_yosem
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
November 2015


A. Just a humble opinion offered in good faith. I own a 2001 Harley Davidson FXDX Superglide motorcycle. 13 years ago I ordered a set of Mufflers from Cycle Shack in black chrome. Had to send in exhaust pipes and heat shields to match. 13 years later they still look like brand new shotgun barrels. When getting caught in wet weather up in the great northwest, the pipes will turn a blue gray after a few miles of wet roads and rain. Applying WD-40 this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] to a rag and wiping to clean the pipes restores the glossy black properties of the black chrome to it's original sheen.

An inquirer in the Bay area was looking for black chroming. After three weeks I located M&M Metalizing Sales [a finishing.com supporting advertiser] in Westminster, Ca. and they do strip chrome and apply black chrome. No job too big or small. I'm replacing a front exhaust pipe, heat shield and both mufflers after a minor tumble. Thanks for providing this page for lost gypsies who ride like they stole em.

Art Duff
Retired - Battle Ground, Washington
February 16, 2016




Black chrome exhaust pipes for Harley?

I have had my HD Softail Slim for 1 year, it's a smoke gray with plenty of black shiny accents, I call it black patent leather. Headlight & plate, cross bars on handlebars, other misc. parts, more of this than chrome. Pipes are chrome & putting on the normal black pipes would not do this bike justice with shiny & then dull that most of those are. I've been asking a lot of people how do I get black chrome pipes, and am being told it's not possible. Reading this I'm hearing it is? Or only shields for the pipes? Appreciate all the knowledge share on here!
Thanks much Patti

Patti Mohan
- Milwaukee Wisconsin USA
March 29, 2016




Q. Hi,
I am just enquiring as to what is blackened chrome? I see a lot of car wheels (rims) and they are chrome but a black chrome. Is blackened chrome really a thing? I know you can get chrome rims which are the mirror finish but can you get the two-toned rims in chrome, the silver mirror finish and a blackened chrome? The blackened chrome can sometimes look a brownish colour. The new wheels (rims) flooding the market in all their designs is confusing. Any information on blackened chrome would be helpful.
Thank you. Kind regards,

Nicole Knight
- Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
May 27, 2016


Hi Nicole. Black chrome is the subject of the thread so I'm not sure how to answer your question without simply repeating what has already been said : black chrome is chrome plating which has been modified to produce a gray to black tint to it. There is no technical reason that bright chrome and black chrome cannot be combined on a single rim, although it would be more costly because of the need for masking and processing in two different tanks. But I don't know whether the rims flooding the market in all their designs include any that actually combine the two finishes and, if so, whether it's done in a way that would please you. Good luck.

Regards,

ted_yosem
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey




Q. Hi Ted,
I just don't understand how people recommend black chrome paint for solar water still ?
Isn't it life threatening ?
I understand the use for normal heat collection but for stilling ?

br,
Maged

Maged Mohamed Hafez
researcher - Cairo, Egypt
January 11, 2017


A. Hi, Maged. You used the word "paint" but I assume it was a typographical error and you actually meant "plating"? (Chrome plating and "chrome-look paint" are completely different things).

To my knowledge conventional chrome plating is harmless; it has been used in kitchen utensils for many decades (compounds of metals, like chromic acid, are a very different thing than the metal itself). Exactly what contaminant is causing the black coloration, however, might vary... and I've seen black chrome that ranged all the way from a slightly smokey color to a lamp black look. Personally, I would not be much alarmed about black chrome plating in a still but I would want to know more about it like what is causing the discoloration and whether it is tightly adherent.

Regards,

ted_yosem
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey


A. Because black chrome is very, well, black, and not very reflective.

Unlike a paint, it is part of the surface, and is going to conduct heat a little better.

dave wichern
Dave Wichern
Consultant - The Bronx, New York


A. Hi Maged
The black coating is to absorb solar energy. It is most unlikely that it would be used on the internal surface of the still.

geoff smith
Geoff Smith
Hampshire, England


thumbs up sign  I just google searched black chrome out of curiosity and found this ancient thread that is probably older than me (if I knew the month it started I could tell more accurately). Hello from 2018.

Zlatan Ibrahimović
- Bijeljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina
January 9, 2018

Ed. note: This thread started on October 5, 1999, Zlatan :-)
... and hello from July 11, 2024.




Q. Hi, learning lots from this post! I've got an Aluminium part that we've been asked to produce in Black Chrome, is this possible through a Trivalent process or would it be hexavalent (and subsequently banned in the EU). Any advice would be handy. Appreciate there is likely to be variability on finish, what are the key factors affecting this? Thanks!

Huw Jenkins
Lighting - London, UK
February 8, 2018


A. Hi Huw. The black chrome finish is usually done in a hexavalent chrome plating tank, but the finish is not banned anywhere in the world to my knowledge -- since the finish is metallic (zero-valent) chromium metal regardless of what was in the plating tank. However, you might be right that you can't get such a finish done in the EU.

You might investigate whether your customer would be satisfied with black anodizing, since this would be cheaper, more available, and probably just as robust.

Regards,

ted_yosem
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey




Corrosion resistant coating for 1018 Steel motorcycle parts

Q. Hello. I am looking for a better alternative process to coat motorcycle bar ends in a black finish. I've been using powder coating, but that process makes it difficult to achieve a repeatable high quality finish due to the features on the parts. It has also become expensive. I was looking at black oxide, but the corrosion resistance of that finish concerns me. Black zinc seems promising, but I am wondering if it will produce a black enough finish. I could also fabricate these parts in stainless if there is a finish that would work well for that. Thanks for your help.

Steffen Hagene
Designer - San Jose, California USA
March 26, 2018

Ed. note: Sorry, this RFQ is old & outdated, so contact info is no longer available. However, if you feel that something technical should be said in reply, please post it; no public commercial suggestions please ( huh? why?)



A. Hi Steffen. I think you are clearly right to dismiss black oxide; that sounds inappropriate for the tough environmental situation which motorcycle parts will face.

Zinc plating is sort of a decorative finish, but perhaps not decorative enough for use on motorcycles; it probably depends on what kind of parts we're talking about. I suspect that you already realize from this thread that black chrome plating is very expensive.

I don't know what features on your parts are making repeatable high quality powder coating difficult; electrocoating would probably solve that particular problem, but if powder coating is too expensive, this might not help because I would suggest electrocoating followed by powder coating rather than as a standalone finish.

You know more about the cost sensitivity of your product line than I do, but as an old guy I remember so many inexpensive types & brands of accessories that are long gone, replaced by higher quality and far more expensive ones. Speaking of highly visible auto accessories for example, the first few car-top carriers I bought were 'no name' from K-Mart for $19.95 or less; the only ones I see anymore are Thule, costing 20X as much and up. I think the long term trend for most vehicle accessories is upscale.

Regards,

ted_yosem
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey


Q. Thanks for the response, Ted. Expensive is a relative term. The issue for me is that there is only one powder coater in town that will tackle my parts and even he has only one guy that can get the quality level I seek. If he goes away then I'm shut down. I liked that the black oxide process is really repeatable and the finish was acceptable. I understand that I can clear coat with possibly an epoxy paint and that should solve the corrosion problem, but how does black oxide hold up under prolonged UV exposure? I looked at black zinc locally this week. They say the corrosion resistance would be good but that it tends to fade to an olive drab color over time. How is black chrome in that respect ignoring the cost issue? Thanks again.

Steffen Hagene
- San Jose, California USA
March 29, 2018


A. Hi Steffen. Some black zinc uses a silver-based black chromate, which is indeed light sensitive. My understanding is that the chromate on zinc-iron alloy plated parts is silver-free and thus not light sensitive. I wouldn't expect that inorganic, non silver, processes like black oxide or black chrome would be light sensitive.

Regards,

ted_yosem
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey




Q. I may have missed the answer to this question. Do black chrome bolts rust? I installed a set of black oxide bolts on my Harley: first rain storm and they all rusted. I want to purchase a black chrome kit, but am gun shy about rusting. Thanks

Darrell LaRose
- Ojai, California. USA
October 11, 2018


A. Hi Darrell. Although nothing lasts forever, black chrome ought to be just fine.

Regards,

ted_yosem
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey




Q. I have a question about black chrome for a handgun finish. What sort of hardness will black chrome accrue on the Rockwell scale relative to a regular hard chrome finish? Is there a demonstrable difference between the two? (For example, I have been informed that hard chrome is around 60 rockwell...)

Jacob Bazzrea
- San Antonio Texas
December 9, 2020




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