Chrome over stainless

[WZ JUNK]

Can stainless steel be chrome plated?   Can you weld non stainless steel to stainless with a mig welder?  Questions, Questions,Questions...  I am trying to make one of those big ugly pipe bumpers for the rear of the Willys and I have this really nice piece of stainless pipe.  The pipe is the flue from the ill fated HAMB Drags pig roast.  I thought it would be appropriate to have it on an old gasser.

[Sean]

I don't know about the Chrome, but yes you can weld Stainless to regular steel with no problems. Chromium is a major ingredient of stainless, so I don't see why you couldn't chrome it.

[av8]

Can stainless steel be chrome plated?   Can you weld non stainless steel to stainless with a mig welder?  . . .  The pipe is the flue from the ill fated HAMB Drags pig roast. . .

Why not use stainless for the brackets and end caps and then polish the entire assembly? Lot cheaper than having it plated.

[WZ JUNK]

Can stainless steel be chrome plated?   Can you weld non stainless steel to stainless with a mig welder?  . . .  The pipe is the flue from the ill fated HAMB Drags pig roast. . .

Why not use stainless for the brackets and end caps and then polish the entire assembly? Lot cheaper than having it plated.

I will keep that idea open as one of my options.  If I can find some of those big bulky pipe caps in stainless then I may try that method.  I guess I will fabricate the parts and take it somewhere to have it welded.  Then I can do the polishing.  I have polished a lot of aluminium but I have never tried stainless.

[Sean]

I guess I will fabricate the parts and take it somewhere to have it welded.

I assume thats because you don't want to buy a whole spool of SS Wire so I will point out that they do make SS Welding Rod, if you have a stick welder.

Our local welding supply house used to sell it in small quantities but quit carrying it because it didn't sell well. You might check around the supply houses down there before you pay somebody to do it for you. I have used them in the past on some Structural Stainless. They weld similar to Carbon Steel Rods, maybe a little more spatter...

[Bruce Dorsi]

I will point out that they do make SS Welding Rod, if you have a stick welder.

==============================

Sean:

I am under the impression that the common rods (6011, 6013) can be used to join the dissimilar metals, but the filler metal will rust.

The stainless rods will prevent the weld from rusting if they are of the correct alloy.

Are these statements correct, or MUST the stainless rods be used to weld stainless?

Thanks!

[enjenjo]

Mild steel rod can be used to weld stainless, but it rusts, as Sean mentioned. Stainless rod won't rust, unless you overheated it while welding. I've used several brands of stainless rod, most of them worked fine. I also have stainless wire for my MIG.

I had a buddy, since passed on at the age of 87, who spent his whole life doing stainless work. He preferred welding it with a stick welder over TIG or MIG  Some of the stuff he made was unbelievable, at guages down to 18, using a stick welder. His preferred rod was Certainium 702, usually 3/32" DC reverse.

We have some real crappy welds in the stainless on the BBQ. I did most of them. Too thin for my skill level.

[C9]

I will keep that idea open as one of my options. If I can find some of those big bulky pipe caps in stainless then I may try that method.

It may be cost effective to do all the polishing you can and have a pair of regular pipe caps chromed if you can't find stainless end caps in the style you want.
If you do find stainless end caps I'd like to know.

Here's an alternative I did on the 2 5/8" x .120 wall 'gasser' bumper I did for my 32.
Powder coated the tube and turned out a pair of matching diameter end caps.  (Been thinking for the next project I may make a pair of threaded aluminum pieces similar to the bulky pipe caps and screw them on - provided I can find the right sized tubing and have it threaded.  Or weld in an internally threaded steel piece and screw the externally threaded machined aluminum caps in place.  Either way (internal or external threads on the caps) wouldn't be noticeable.

The end caps in the bumper shown have an unthreaded internal piece that slips into the bumper tubing and are JB Wlded to the tubing.

Works well, no problems.

[WZ JUNK]

I will keep that idea open as one of my options. If I can find some of those big bulky pipe caps in stainless then I may try that method.

It may be cost effective to do all the polishing you can and have a pair of regular pipe caps chromed if you can't find stainless end caps in the style you want.
If you do find stainless end caps I'd like to know.

Here's an alternative I did on the 2 5/8" x .120 wall 'gasser' bumper I did for my 32.
Powder coated the tube and turned out a pair of matching diameter end caps.  (Been thinking for the next project I may make a pair of threaded aluminum pieces similar to the bulky pipe caps and screw them on - provided I can find the right sized tubing and have it threaded.  Or weld in an internally threaded steel piece and screw the externally threaded machined aluminum caps in place.  Either way (internal or external threads on the caps) wouldn't be noticeable.

The end caps in the bumper shown have an unthreaded internal piece that slips into the bumper tubing and are JB Wlded to the tubing.

Works well, no problems.

The first bumper I made for the car was very similiar to the one in your picture.  One of the options had end caps like that one but I had used freeze plugs of that style on the ends.   The bumper that I actually made had the other type freeze plug welded on the end so that it has a slight convex shape to the bumper end.  I liked that bumper and it is not going on the scrap pile but I will hang on it the wall and use it on something sometime.  To me the bumper that I made looked good on the car but the owner wants a big chunk of pipe and some of the cars of this area had that type of bumper.  I understand that they filled the bumper with lead to get more weight transfer to the rear wheels.

[sirstude]

I have a 34 Ford grill that was fixed with stainless bars.  When I took it to the chrome shop, they would only nickle plate it.  They said that the chrome would show a slightly different color and shine on the bars that were stainless than on the regular steel bars.  The nickle sure looks nice though.

Doug

[av8]

. . . To me the bumper that I made looked good on the car but the owner wants a big chunk of pipe and some of the cars of this area had that type of bumper.  I understand that they filled the bumper with lead to get more weight transfer to the rear wheels.

Sorry I don't have a better picture, but here's a Willys gasser with a ballast bumper. Reminds me of the hose receptacle under the rear of my M/H years ago.

[WZ JUNK]

This is the bumper I mocked up today.   This car has had the bumper slots filled.  Sorry picture as Mr Sun was coming through the window.

[WZ JUNK]

This is the earlier version.