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Re-Chroming Horseshoes
Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2007 8:01 am
by sashua
I have a few Horsies that I want to re-chrome but I am concerned that the work to strip these and re-chrome them will somehow affect the magnetic properties.
Should this even be a concern?
How do I measure them and what benchmark should I hope to see?
Anyone able to offer sage advice?
Thanks,
Russ
Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2007 2:16 pm
by dale_fortune
Russ...After you have them Rechromed you can get them remagnatized..I'm sure someone will chime in with the info you need about where to have it done...There's a place in Indiana that makes Di'Marzio's magnets....
Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2007 2:52 pm
by elysrand
Hi Russ! Hey, I know this one
It is in my "field" of professional expertise...
A DC current is passed through the piece into the electrolyte bath during chrome plating. Although it is a good amount of current at low voltage, the induced EM Field is negligible.
So plating will not demagnetize the shoes.
You can easily touch up the magnetic "charge", if you feel the shoes are weak, by placing each shoe into the coils of a nice size arc welder, 100 to 250 amps or so, and then shorting out the welder leads for a few seconds at a time until the full magnetic "strength" is back.
Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2007 4:03 pm
by dale_fortune
Hey Elys..Doc Kauffman only shorted the leads for about 2 seconds at a time for 2 or 3 times. By shorting the welder leads for few minutes, would this not damage the coils or break the circuit on your meter box? And,,,,,that beautiful 4005 is all but finished...Would you like me to ship it or bring it to the S. Cal. Rick-O-Fest?
Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2007 5:24 pm
by elysrand
Oops, typo! Dale is right, I meant seconds and not minutes
Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2007 5:38 pm
by johnallg
I wondered about the minutes thing when reading the other thread in the Bass section - you might want to correct that one too.
Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2007 6:51 pm
by elysrand
Good point, John, thanks!
Sorry again for the typo there, and thanks again Dale for catching it. I am a little distracted, as I am working from a wireless laptop down at my 6-week old son's hospital "room" which is really a lounge outside the neo-natal unit.
Yippee!!! Dale, please, email me some photos of her in full MG glory, and the way it is shaping up we will probably need to ship it
I don't think I will be able to leave town for a whole weekend, at this rate, anytime this month. I couldn't even spare time to drive up to Dave Pascoe's tomorrow for a 6 hour trip, and now Darren will be disappointed too
Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2007 7:01 pm
by dale_fortune
That's fine Elys...I hope everything is fine with your son...
Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 12:05 pm
by johnallg
No parent should have to see their son (or daughter) in a NICU. BTDT and it ain't fun. Best wishes, Elys.
Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 7:33 pm
by sashua
O.K. then, Elys is our winner on this one. I will have them re-chromed and understand that this may be no problem...BUT....what measurement tool do I use to measure the strength (is it a Gauss meter?) and what reading would ideally be correct for vintage horseshoes? I'm going to check no matter what just to satisfy my own curiosity.
Elys, better warm up your arc welder...
Hope your son is on the mend papa bear.