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Is it okay to Cadmium plate over chrome plate?

Q. I have a landing gear cylinder part that has been chrome plated in the port bores, and a little bit of the inner diameter. Can I Cad plate all of the external area of the landing cylinder? Would it create any bonding issues over chrome?

Ron B [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Tampa, Florida, USA
February 17, 2016

A. Firstly your chrome plated areas should be masked before you attempt to cad. plate the part as this will probably require grit blasting of the surface before cad.
Secondly cadmium will not adhere to a chrome plated surface.

Frank Dunleavy
Aerospace - Dublin, Ireland.
February 18, 2016

A. Hi Ron,

In a previous job we used to plate a lot of helicopter landing gear struts. The drawing requirements were for the cadmium to overlap the chrome in pretty much every case. If the surface is prepared sufficiently there should be no adhesion problems.

Brian Terry
Aerospace - Yeovil, Somerset, UK
February 18, 2016

February 2016

For the second time this week we have strongly contrasting opinions on a subject -- that's the way it goes sometimes. Much of my plating process knowledge is just book knowledge rather than hands-on, so when one source says it perhaps can't or shouldn't be done, and the other source says they've done it, I personally have to go with the person who has done it :-)

Regards,

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

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