Anyone Know a Suitable Grade of Silicon-Bronze Wire for Chroming repairs

[Ashley Derrick]

Always done repairs on my motorcycle parts to be rechromed using 55% silver, silver solder.

However, I do have a MIG, that is set up for Silicon-Bronze wire with pure argon shielding gas.

I did try a small repair last year with it but the chrome peeled away around the repair area .. damn!

I have heard of people successfully using silicon-bronze for chrome repairs though, so maybe there is a specific grade of wire /rod to use. (I also have a 200A AC./DC TIG.

Any ideas/suggestions please?

 

[zzr1200]

@Fazerruss might be able to advise more

 

[Kram]

I cant see why the repair material would make the slightest difference as usually chrome plate follows a nickel layer, that follows a copper layer and copper will stick to anything. It may be more an issue with cleanliness.

You could try pure copper wire - note that being soft, a spool gun is the only sensible way to feed it... Or use tig.

Out of interest... What sort of parts/repairs?

Personally I have a dislike of chrome, but my bike is a cbr6.

 

[Ashley Derrick]

I think there are different compositions of silicon bronze and maybe there is a metal in some that is not compatible with nickel plating. It's all new to me though so any advice gratefully received. I didn't know you can braze with pure copper. I do have a spool gun but to be fair never really used it. The beauty of the MIG silicon bronze is that you can deposit as small braze on a deep pit and fill with material, without heating a relatively large area.

I have LOTS of classic Honda bikes from a 1964 C110 50cc Sports to a 1969 CB750, all have which have quite a lot of chromed parts.

 

[Fazerruss]

If the chrome is peeling off around the weld then potentially your chrome company is crap. I have seen similar issues with chrome peeling even from a non repaired part. The possible reason is lack of prep by the chrome company.
Just about any brass, copper bronze ect rod will chrome just fine. The only metal that can't be chrome plated by the normal process is stainless steel but it can be done.
As for filler rod then most are fine. Solid copper wire works absolutely fine too.


Here are some photos of a set of absolutely knackered exhausts I did 2 weeks ago. They all needed extensive welding and minor brazing for surface defects.

These pics are of the pipes before I started....







These are after a shed load of work...

 

[Ashley Derrick]

Wow that's one hell of a repair job !

To be fair the chroming that peeled was done via a friend and not the normal people I use.

I will do a test sample with my Silicone Bronze MIG wire and take it to the people I normally use and trust and see what they think.