Alocrom scratches: clear warning on visible defects

Summary for alocrom scratches Discussion

Alocrom make the appearance of scratches worse is the core issue here: Paul Finnegan asked whether a supplier could be right in saying scratches were not caused by them, but only became visible after Alocroming. The reply explains that most finishing processes, including chromate conversion coating, tend to emphasize existing scratches rather than hide them. That means the treatment can make defects stand out more clearly, but it does not prove who caused the damage. The practical takeaway is that the scratches likely existed before the Alocrom process, yet the coating itself may have made them easier to see. The answer does not accuse the supplier of lying; it simply notes that the process can reveal prior surface damage without identifying when or by whom it occurred.