Chrome under this paint?
02-06-16, 11:27 AM
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Chrome under this paint?
https://www.markmalmberg.com/motobeca...106_204414.jpg
Non-stock fork on my bike has paint that would look better gone or repainted silver. I assume they chrome the whole fork before painting, but would the steel have been polished on the whole fork, i.e. would the chrome be shiny or dull under the paint? Thanks for any opinions!
Non-stock fork on my bike has paint that would look better gone or repainted silver. I assume they chrome the whole fork before painting, but would the steel have been polished on the whole fork, i.e. would the chrome be shiny or dull under the paint? Thanks for any opinions!
02-06-16, 12:30 PM
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I don't know about how Moto did things but last summer I stripped a 75 Gitane Gypsy Sport. Front fork had chromed crown lug and chromed lowers. Actually the whole fork was chromed under the paint. The chrome was plenty shiny on the upper end but it was not as smooth as the lowers. The factory had not smoothed and polished the steel on the upper legs and that unfinished surface telegraphed through the chrome.
It looks fine from 6 feet away if you put your glasses on upside down, in the rain and let sweat run into your eyes. I left the whole fork chrome and am riding that frankenbike.
A couple of years ago I saw a Raleigh Professional Mk IV that had been refinished/repainted. I had a fully smoothed and chromed fork. Looked good but I don't know if Worksop finished the upper fork legs that they then painted OR if that bike had a replacement fork. Or if the re-finisher stripped the fork, polished the steel and rechromed. That sure sounds expensive, huh?
It looks fine from 6 feet away if you put your glasses on upside down, in the rain and let sweat run into your eyes. I left the whole fork chrome and am riding that frankenbike.
A couple of years ago I saw a Raleigh Professional Mk IV that had been refinished/repainted. I had a fully smoothed and chromed fork. Looked good but I don't know if Worksop finished the upper fork legs that they then painted OR if that bike had a replacement fork. Or if the re-finisher stripped the fork, polished the steel and rechromed. That sure sounds expensive, huh?
02-06-16, 12:34 PM
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They may not have chromed the whole fork... My schwinn super sport has a chromed seat tube, and they managed to do it without even doing the entire length of the tube. The chrome bit was used on the earlier superiors, and painted over on the super sports. It is not very shiny, and might be down to the nickel base in some spots... Not confident i can salvage it.
I would pull the fork and check the steerer. I'd imagine that if they did in fact just chrome the whole fork, part or most of the steerer would have chrome too, like this one. However if you plan to repaint worst case, why not just strip it and find out for sure?
I would pull the fork and check the steerer. I'd imagine that if they did in fact just chrome the whole fork, part or most of the steerer would have chrome too, like this one. However if you plan to repaint worst case, why not just strip it and find out for sure?
02-06-16, 01:58 PM
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Typically, a fork that was chromed and half-painted will have dull chrome where the paint was and fully polished chrome where the paint wasn't. It doesn't look good naked.
Thus:
Thus:
__________________
● 1971 Grandis SL ● 1972 Lambert Grand Prix frankenbike ● 1972 Raleigh Super Course fixie ● 1973 Nishiki Semi-Pro ● 1979 Motobecane Grand Jubile ●1980 Apollo "Legnano" ● 1984 Peugeot Vagabond ● 1985 Shogun Prairie Breaker ● 1986 Merckx Super Corsa ● 1987 Schwinn Tempo ● 1988 Schwinn Voyageur ● 1989 Bottechia Team ADR replica ● 1990 Cannondale ST600 ● 1993 Technium RT600 ● 1996 Kona Lava Dome ●
● 1971 Grandis SL ● 1972 Lambert Grand Prix frankenbike ● 1972 Raleigh Super Course fixie ● 1973 Nishiki Semi-Pro ● 1979 Motobecane Grand Jubile ●1980 Apollo "Legnano" ● 1984 Peugeot Vagabond ● 1985 Shogun Prairie Breaker ● 1986 Merckx Super Corsa ● 1987 Schwinn Tempo ● 1988 Schwinn Voyageur ● 1989 Bottechia Team ADR replica ● 1990 Cannondale ST600 ● 1993 Technium RT600 ● 1996 Kona Lava Dome ●
Last edited by Lascauxcaveman; 02-06-16 at 02:03 PM.
02-06-16, 03:28 PM
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Which most likely means I'll just leave it alone until I have the fork out for some other reason, and then re-paint the upper to match the bike. Thanks all for more or less confirming what I more or less suspected
