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-----Chromate class 3
2007
I own a small machine shop and would like to do my own chromate class 3 yellow.
Can anybody tell me what the process is, equipment needed, good books on plating.
thanks,
machine shop - Lemitar, New Mexico, USA
Yes I have a lot of books on the subject and I've always been interested in starting up a small machine shop so if you could recommend some books, we can both get started on exchanging businesses. I wish it were only that simple! Hexavalent chromate materials are toxic and hazardous. They must be disposed of in accordance with the law and the Clean Water Act - you don't do pouring coolant down storm sewers do you? Last year OSHA lowered the permissible exposure limit for such chromate materials 10-fold - are you going to monitor your workforce to these new more stringent guidelines. Good luck finding everything you should need in a single book or two. Rather than bury you with volumes upon volumes I have another proposition: I promise not to trivialize your job by assuming that it can all be learned by reading a book on it if you promise not to insinuate the same about mine!
Milt Stevenson, Jr.
Plating shop technical manager - Syracuse, New York
2007
Aluminum How-To
"Chromating - Anodizing - Hardcoating"
by Robert Probert
You'll love this book. Finishing.com has sold a thousand copies without a return request 🙂
Treatment &
Finishing of
Aluminium and
Its Alloys"
by Wernick, Pinner
& Sheasby
on Amazon or eBay
or AbeBooks
(affil link)
While your point is certainly valid, Milt, your response is harsh; maybe you're having a rough day. There are many things that people learn to do with little formal training and without permitting, like painting, wall papering, laying tile, and cooking their own dinner -- even though there are professionals in those businesses. A person not familiar with chromate conversion coating isn't going to know how much is involved until he asks 🙂
Plus, in-house chromating is hardly unknown. I'd say that more aluminum sheet metal houses probably chromate in-house than farm it out. And now that hex-chrome-free TCP coatings are widely used, I'd expect the percentage to not decline.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
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2007
adv.
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