The International Cessna 170 Association

Does anyone know what type of chrome Cessna originally used on the control wheel tubes? I was told it was called "New Chrome." Tanks in advance.
PS Ordered four of the original rivets.

If you are planning to chrome-plate your tubes.... be certain to "normalize" them immediately afterwards by baking in a 400-degree oven for 4 hours, then cooling to room temperature. This is to avoid "hydrogen-embrittlement", a common problem with chrome plating steel. Your plating shop should know about it (or you've chosen the wrong shop.)

NU Chrome is a process used on engine cylinders wherein the process is interrupted before channels are created. Your tubes should be chromed with ordinary chrome (which in some circumstances require copper-plating first.)

I was told by the guy who re-chromed mine that they were originally "hard chromed" which is less shiny, more expensive, and requires a specilized process, but wears better. I went with regular chrome (like car bumpers) because the chrome shop could not do "hard chrome", whatever that is.

"Hard" chrome is related to the Erin Brockovich controversy in that it involves "hexavalent" chromium, so many plating shops are either ill-equipped or reluctant to use that process.
Chrome plating uses hazardous chemicals as electrolyte and the vapors and waste is dangerous. A visit to a plating shop is an interesting tour we should include in a future convention.

I agree, a tour to a properly run plating shop would be very interesting. The plating shop that used to be in Anchorage would have been a Superfund site if it had been a little bigger. It was absolutely nasty and would take your breath away when you walked in the door. The EPA finally shut it down. I would be surprised if the owner is still alive after breathing those fumes for all those years.

Thank you for the information, I have numbers for chrome shops in Ft. Worth will start calling tomorrow.

Checked with three chrome shops in Ft. Worth. All of the shops only do the regular bumper type chrome.

Talk to your IA about replacing the tubes with stainless.
It's not as strong but more than sufficient for the task. And they will never rust again.

rusty wrote:Checked with three chrome shops in Ft. Worth. All of the shops only do the regular bumper type chrome.

There is nothing wrong with "bumper chrome" if done properly. Mine have held up very well for 11 years now with no evidence of scratching or failure.

My original chrome had flaked off where pilots had placed their hand over the middle of the control wheel for years and the shafts were rusty (no pun intended). Even with the cleanup process to remove the rust which left some surface irregularities, they look great now. I would not hesitate to use bumper chrome again.

I haven't checked... so this is speculative... but I wonder if a cylinder shop that does chroming mightn't be a good source for "hard chroming"...??
The way they typically create "channel chrome" is to reverse electrolysis before removing the cyls from the vat. You'd likely want to remove the tubes before/prior to that.
Sentry cylinders in Ft. Worth still did channel chrome in the late 90s, I believe. Don't know who still does that process in the area.

Aerospace Plating in Grand Prairie, Texas did hard chrome in the early 2000's but I never called to ask if they would do a small retail job.

You might try a google search for hard chrome plating in DFW.