Tools, what is under the chrome?

[tcreeley]

I have a new bumper pull horse trailer- this spring, and I was taking the tires off and doing some undercoating. It didn't come with a tire wrench or jack, so I got the wrench from the dealer and the jack elsewhere.
So today I've got it up in the air and am taking off the third tire using the tire wrench - really a 1/2" socket wrench with a sliding handle that allows you to increase leverage. Not a brand name, and made in China. As I am pulling the 13/16ths deep socket (separate buy) on and off I noticed that the tire wrench looked a little less shiny on the end. I looked closely, and the chrome was worn off the eges and the color of copper was shining back up at me!
So is this a tire wrench made of copper? some alloy? Is it as tough as steel? I think I need to start looking for another wrench!

Anybody else see this- chrome plaited copper tools that are made to look like steel?

 

[adventure bob]

Its a layer of copper added to the metal to allow the chrome plate to adhere better. When done right it increases the surface adhesion of the chrome plate. When the chrome goes on thin, you see the copper. The tool isn't made of copper, its just another plated substrate.

 

[OldMasterTech]

Its a layer of copper added to the metal to allow the chrome plate to adhere better. When done right it increases the surface adhesion of the chrome plate. When the chrome goes on thin, you see the copper. The tool isn't made of copper, its just another plated substrate.

Exactly what Bob said. If a leverage tool was made of copper it wouldn't make it past the first use.

 

[DFB]

Chroming is done so cheaply too today. At one time a layer of nickel was applied over the copper before the chrome. The quality of 40 year old HD chrome far surpasses most offshore work you find on parts today. I worked in plating shop many years ago.

 

[jaotguy]

steel bar with a copper coating ... the copper is used to make it easy to polish out imperfections before plating .... not to make the plating stick better ...

in either case , the unit wasn't plated correctly ... just a visual thing ....

 

[tcreeley]

That's good to know that there is steel underneath it all! I can live with that. I was kind've disappointed that I was going to be replacing it, works well.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

We have an old Soda Fountain Oak table and bent wire chair set that I'm guessing is about 100 years old. It was in pretty bad shape when we got it, so I re-finished the Oak and repainted the bent wire frames after removing all of the finish/paint. I noticed the same phenomenon, i.e., steel with a coating of Copper. I don't know if the original finish was a black Chrome plating, or some other kind of plating, or just paint. In any case, it's painted now.

 

[300UGUY]

Chroming is done so cheaply too today. At one time a layer of nickel was applied over the copper before the chrome. The quality of 40 year old HD chrome far surpasses most offshore work you find on parts today. I worked in plating shop many years ago.

I worked for the Cadillac Motor Car Company. Our plating was copper / nickel / chrome. Cheaper cars skipped either copper or nickel, I forgot which.

 

[caver]

I thought you were gonna say it was chrome plated plastic under the wrench.

 

[CrownHawg]

That's good to know that there is steel underneath it all! I can live with that. I was kind've disappointed that I was going to be replacing it, works well.

If it was solid copper, I'd buy it from for a small price!!

 

[CrownHawg]

That's good to know that there is steel underneath it all! I can live with that. I was kind've disappointed that I was going to be replacing it, works well.

If it was solid copper, I'd buy it from for a small price!!

 

[Danno1]

steel bar with a copper coating ... the copper is used to make it easy to polish out imperfections before plating .... not to make the plating stick better ...

in either case , the unit wasn't plated correctly ... just a visual thing ....

My understanding was that the steel is somewhat flexible and the chrome is brittle. The copper is a soft layer in between to take the up the difference so the chrome won't crack.


.

 

[jaotguy]

the copper is a softer metal to polish out the imperfections in ... before chroming

quicker and easier to smooth out copper than steel

plating process was to make the steel tool.... plate with copper , smooth out the copper , then plate with nickel ( hard and durable ) , then Chrome ( shiny ) ....

the nickel plating has been eliminated in the cheaper tools.... in fact the new chrome plating is so thin on some tools , you can actually rub through it by hand in a few strokes ....

 

[adventure bob]

If you ever get a flake of cheap chrome jammed under a finger nail or sliced through the palm of you hand, you'll think twice about budget tools. Have had HF tools flake the chrome and cuss the whole time I waas bledin. Never did that again. The cheapest tool I'll go is Craftsman and even some of those will flake. At least Crafstman will replace thiers.

 

[LD1]

Certainly not copper as others have suggested. Copper is about 25-30 times more expensive than steel. It would cost them a fortune to make it out of copper.

If you ever get a flake of cheap chrome jammed under a finger nail or sliced through the palm of you hand, you'll think twice about budget tools. Have had HF tools flake the chrome and cuss the whole time I waas bledin. Never did that again. The cheapest tool I'll go is Craftsman and even some of those will flake. At least Crafstman will replace thiers.

I have had tools of about EVERY brand flake. Usually on sockets. I have several craftsman, Mac, proto, and even snap on sockets that have had the chrome flake.

Never really had any issues with wrenches, but then again, I dont like the high polished ones ether. I like the "raised panel" ones that are somewhat textured.

As for sockets, No chrome for me anymore. Impact grade only.

 

[jaotguy]

impact grade is actually softer than the hand "chrome" stuff.....takes the hammering better ( still tough stuff )

 

[DarkBlack]

Hardness and toughness are different things. Most consumers think hard metals are 'better', when actually a less hard, but tougher metal would work better and last longer in many applications.

The soft, tough hammer breaks the hard rock with ease...

 

[DarkBlack]

I've gotten bloodied fingers from hard chrome chips pealing off my 'good' quality Craftsman tools, and those are some that are of age when they were still made in the US.