Joe Valk came by today!!!

[hotglue #43]

We had a good visit!!
  We also discussed welding on tail pipes....
  that is something I have been working on this week....  Spent 12 hours working on 1 tail pipe..out of 6...the weld looked OK til ya buffed it down to make a clean seam for the chromers....
 pin holes in the weld... Worked ALL day on the one pipe, and never got a clean weld.... tried MIG, TIG, STICK....  4 diferent alloys.......  welds were ok except for the pin holes... which would look like crap with the chrome....
  Have made different plans .... !!!!!
Have spent yesterday and today working to mount the Model 55 Boss bags on the Valk!
  Boss Bags make a model 42 bag for the Valk.... which I have...  
Model 42 means it will hold 42 cans of beverage... (adult or not)  
The Model 55 will hold 55 cans each bag....BIG BAGS!!!!!!
  So.. I have been re-inventing the wheel.... cuttin, bending, welding, painting.... and have one side done!!!!!!the second side should be easier.... mirror image!!!... that means" same thing only different"
  Long story short.... I will not be welding on anyone's pipes till I figure out the issuse...  and yeah... I ground completely thru the chrome, nickle, copper coatings....
Pretty frustrating....I have welded chrome before using stainless...  just didn't work on the pipes...
  Great ta see Ya Joe!!!!!!  Yer bike is SWEEET!!!!!


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[Dodis]

HG,

(no hands on experience, but lots of reading...) Do you have access to a slip-roll to put a lip on one side of the joint for a slip fit, then silver solder it? Should fill better without pin holes, and give a smooth metal base for plating. Thought about brazing, but silver should hold up fine to exhaust heat unless it is near the heads.

Mike "Dodis"

[hotglue #43]

Mike, I was making butt welds.... I did have a short section of pipe that fit tight on the inside ot the butted  ends for lineup, and a chill ring for the weld....
  I went ahead and swaged the pipes and they will be slip joints with clamps.  they are under the bags, and the only one that will really be visable is the middle/ outside pipe. 
  I talked to the chromer before I welded them.. he said to make sure the metal on the pipes was simular, or the chrome would look different...... I wonder if silver solder will chrome????

[Dodis]

I would imagine that as long as it conducts electricity, it should chrome, unless there are adhesion issues or electrolysis reactions with the copper base layer over silver solder.

And I don't see how dissimilar metals would chrome and look different, if the above comments are not an issue. Maybe different resistance levels making differeing layer thickneses. But with chroming being a layer of copper, then nickel, then chrome, by the time you get to the last step I would hope it would be the same. (once again, lots of reading no hands-on...)

Good informational questions for the plater.

Mike "Dodis"