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General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Canuck750 on October 10, 2022, 02:10:00 PM

Title: Need chrome bolts?
Post by: Canuck750 on October 10, 2022, 02:10:00 PM
One thing I learned from my visit to the Benelli / MotoBi Museum this summer is that for the most part the fasteners on the bikes appear to be chrome with no face stamping.

(https://i.postimg.cc/C18Qv6pY/A2508883-8-AD6-467-E-8-DF9-9-EDC8-E7-F2412.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/wy62M2Bb)

The fasteners on my project were badly corroded and I did clean them up and have them cad platted but the finish is nowhere as nice as the chrome bolts I would like to have, but chrome is very expensive and I have had bad results in the past trying to get bolts re-chromed. So for this bike I bought a bunch of new stainless steel bolts and nuts but the faces are stamped and the stainless is not bright polished

(https://i.postimg.cc/zDMD168m/9-D537442-AC68-4715-AED9-A6-DAD6-FAC570.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/V5qPq7J4)

I filed off the face stamping, then I ran a foam pad random orbital sander with 240 grit over the face and slightly domed the top surface followed by a buffing on a coarse polishing wheel with white polish

(https://i.postimg.cc/wTmqx2j1/9-FAD5014-FD12-4-B11-9-F07-657-DE8-FA9681.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/rKqXQSWT)stores open 24 hrs near me (https://gasstation-nearme.com/open-24-hours)

I replaced all the 6, 8 and 10 mm bolts and nuts, the results are hard to tell that the fasteners are not chrome

(https://i.postimg.cc/ht8KTGxg/A3423292-57-C4-4-D46-A835-596280858-B8-F.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/sMXFRsw0)

(https://i.postimg.cc/Rh3MHQ1b/22-F50-E87-230-A-4-AFC-BBC9-73-EC78-AC6-C9-E.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/2LDRpWK4)

(https://i.postimg.cc/KYZxNyrT/F917-D8-A7-6-A55-4-C70-9257-E16-AF19-E8-CED.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/NKP3sSnG)

it is a cheap and easy alternative to sourcing chrome bolts



Title: Re: Need chrome bolts?
Post by: guido guzzi on October 10, 2022, 03:06:43 PM
Thank you Jim!
Some of my V7 Sport's chrome bolts are getting a little rough-looking.   :thumb:
Title: Re: Need chrome bolts?
Post by: Antietam Classic Cycle on October 10, 2022, 03:33:28 PM
I stick stainless bolts up in the lathe and turn the head clean, plus start the polishing process there as well.
Title: Re: Need chrome bolts?
Post by: AJ Huff on October 10, 2022, 03:36:37 PM
Does Stainless Cycle still exist? He was a Guzzi guy at one time. He put together polished stainless hardware kits. I bought one for my Ambassador years ago. Still in the box LOL. Never got around to replacing stuff. But was a well put together kit.

-AJ
Title: Re: Need chrome bolts?
Post by: Antietam Classic Cycle on October 10, 2022, 03:39:27 PM
Does Stainless Cycle still exist? He was a Guzzi guy at one time. He put together polished stainless hardware kits. I bought one for my Ambassador years ago. Still in the box LOL. Never got around to replacing stuff. But was a well put together kit.

-AJ

Yes, mostly sells on ebay now. https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ssn=stainlesscycle
Title: Re: Need chrome bolts?
Post by: Canuck750 on October 10, 2022, 03:48:37 PM
I stick stainless bolts up in the lathe and turn the head clean, plus start the polishing process there as well.

That is how I do it but I described an approach for those who do not have a lathe. I run the lathe while applying the palm sander over the bolt face at the same time, makes very fast work of it.
Title: Re: Need chrome bolts?
Post by: kballowe on October 10, 2022, 04:05:07 PM
I chuck 'em up in the drill press.  fast & easy.  A lathe would be nicer, though.

 :thumb:

Title: Re: Need chrome bolts?
Post by: berniebee on October 10, 2022, 06:45:42 PM
Plus if these SS bolts get somehow tarnished or scratched, it's easy to get them right back to new!   Great idea.
Title: Re: Need chrome bolts?
Post by: bigbikerrick on October 11, 2022, 12:03:32 AM
Beautiful attention to detail! I dont think I have the patience, to do that, but its nice to know it can be done to perfection. I usually just run a brass wire wheel over the bolts head to clean it up a bit, and thats it. If I am feeling "spunky"I may polish the head with a little wenol metal polish and  #0000 steel wool.
Rick.