jrguar Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 I am expecting my STI to come back from Tripp this week...I post some before and afters as soon as I get the gun back... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasonub Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 my hard chrome already has scratches. is it ok to have it deplated and replated? I read somewhere that i may run a risk in weakening of the slide and or frame if its rehardchromed due to the formation of microscopic bubbles? Myth or true? IF its a myth off with my pistol to the chromer next week. thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hitman Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 Call Tripp and ask. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TreblePlink Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 Okay, about the bearing surfaces - hard vs soft ... correct me if I've got this wrong, but aren't bearing surfaces generally best if one side is hard, and the other soft? I've got a new stainless longslide Limited blaster, and I understand that the (Caspian) slide is somewhat harder than the (Para) frame. I was thinking of using it as-is this season, then chroming the slide, making it harder yet, against the relatively soft frame ... ? What's the conventional wisdom here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wsimpso1 Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 Electro plating processes will introduce atomic hydrogen into the metal. That is why baking a part after plating is necessary - it drives the hydrogen back out of the part. If the plater does not bake the part, the hydrogen moves to the grain boundaries, and causes a brittle failure. The mechanism is called hydrogen embrittlement. The bubbles are microscopic. Any plater worth paying money too will do this automatically as part of their process. It has been standard for a long time... Billski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted March 28, 2007 Share Posted March 28, 2007 Ionbond is boron carbide, an extremely hard, black finish that's essentially wearproof, and, unlike hard chrome, adds no significant build-up that will change the gun's tolerances and possibly lead to functional problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadetree Posted March 28, 2007 Author Share Posted March 28, 2007 Ionbond is boron carbide, an extremely hard, black finish that's essentially wearproof, and, unlike hard chrome, adds no significant build-up that will change the gun's tolerances and possibly lead to functional problems. Is it harder than chrome? The two guns I was going to have chromed are fairly loose. I don't think that a little extra matirial is going to hurt em much. One is a cz and the other a para. Allthough If I like the results I might have my single stack done. Thanks for the info Duane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisMcCracken Posted March 28, 2007 Share Posted March 28, 2007 Ionbond is boron carbide, an extremely hard, black finish that's essentially wearproof, and, unlike hard chrome, adds no significant build-up that will change the gun's tolerances and possibly lead to functional problems. I heard about Ion Bond coating on Matt Burkett's podcast but couldn't find any online information about it. Does anyone have a link with pictures of what the finished product looks like? Also, whats it cost? Thanks Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A_Med Posted March 28, 2007 Share Posted March 28, 2007 Ionbond is boron carbide, an extremely hard, black finish that's essentially wearproof, and, unlike hard chrome, adds no significant build-up that will change the gun's tolerances and possibly lead to functional problems. I heard about Ion Bond coating on Matt Burkett's podcast but couldn't find any online information about it. Does anyone have a link with pictures of what the finished product looks like? Also, whats it cost? Thanks Chris Yes I would also be very interested in more info on this. I've been shooting my Limited gun in the white for about a year now. I'm ready to get it finished but I'm just not sold on hardchrome. I also really like the idea of a black finish on the gun if it would hold up. Angel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted March 28, 2007 Share Posted March 28, 2007 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boron_carbide - just for informational purposes.... Burkett mentions contact info for IonBond in several podcasts... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bear23 Posted March 28, 2007 Share Posted March 28, 2007 (edited) Would you chrome a stainless steel gun?I apologize in advance if this is a stupid question. -Cuz. I had my Springfield Stainless loaded hardchromed. Now the slide and frame fit better and the gun cycles better. It got rid of the galling i was experiencing. Plus I polished to slide to a high chrome finish. Instant Pimp gun. Edited March 28, 2007 by Bear23 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A_Med Posted March 28, 2007 Share Posted March 28, 2007 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boron_carbide - just for informational purposes.... Burkett mentions contact info for IonBond in several podcasts... Very interesting. I wonder is Millenium Customs's PVD DLC finish a form of this IonBond? Angel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted March 28, 2007 Share Posted March 28, 2007 Very interesting. I wonder is Millenium Customs's PVD DLC finish a form of this IonBond? I believe so. STI offers at least one gun w/ a PVD finish, and I think SV has something similar, too. AFAIK, these are all PVD applied, ceramic type finishes, like Boron Carbide, et al... however, I know very very little about these coatings, so... grain of salt... I'm intrigued, though... especially since one can apparently coat the entire barrel with no ill effects... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zhunter Posted March 28, 2007 Share Posted March 28, 2007 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boron_carbide - just for informational purposes.... Burkett mentions contact info for IonBond in several podcasts... Very interesting. I wonder is Millenium Customs's PVD DLC finish a form of this IonBond? Angel My Single Stack that Derek is building has the above finish, it is supposed to be AWESOME!!! Smittyfl has it on his Millennium Custom guns. When the new one gets here, I will most likely have it done to my Stainless Springer Loaded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadetree Posted March 28, 2007 Author Share Posted March 28, 2007 This thread has been so full of useful info. It is making my decision harder. A super hard ware resistant finish preferably not too shiny. Should I have it bead blased first? And I prefer a darker finish. Grey or black would be nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted March 28, 2007 Share Posted March 28, 2007 You can boron carbide a barrel, but according to the folks at Ionbond they don't do the interior of the chamber and bore. The president of my IDPA club had a 1911 boron carbided years ago. I believe it's the gun he's shooting in the near-full page photo in last month's Blue Press article on the 2006 Washington State IDPA Championships, actually. That gun has been in and out of a kydex holster a lot with absolutely no visible wear. As Rick put it to me, "The only thing that can wear boron carbide is boron carbide." Thus the only wear of the finish he's seen since it was applied has been on the frame rails and where the thumb safety moves up and down against the frame while being manipulated. Other than that, the gun looks brand-new. Here is the link to Ionbond's web site: http://www.ionbond.com/ Be aware there's no mention of guns here. My impression is that Ionbond has only recently begun applying their finish to firearms, after years of applying it to other things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadetree Posted March 29, 2007 Author Share Posted March 29, 2007 You can boron carbide a barrel, but according to the folks at Ionbond they don't do the interior of the chamber and bore.The president of my IDPA club had a 1911 boron carbided years ago. I believe it's the gun he's shooting in the near-full page photo in last month's Blue Press article on the 2006 Washington State IDPA Championships, actually. That gun has been in and out of a kydex holster a lot with absolutely no visible wear. As Rick put it to me, "The only thing that can wear boron carbide is boron carbide." Thus the only wear of the finish he's seen since it was applied has been on the frame rails and where the thumb safety moves up and down against the frame while being manipulated. Other than that, the gun looks brand-new. Here is the link to Ionbond's web site: http://www.ionbond.com/ Be aware there's no mention of guns here. My impression is that Ionbond has only recently begun applying their finish to firearms, after years of applying it to other things. Thanks for the link Duane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shred Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 PVD coatings are very cool, but not total magic-- they can be rubbed off, even by softer materials, as anybody with a milling machine knows. It just takes a lot longer than un-coated metal, and the environment in a milling machine is way outside what a firearm sees. FWIW, STI had trouble finding enough PVD capacity to coat any more guns than they do today, so there may be a wait.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 Thanks for the link Duane Yer welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syme71 Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 Very interesting. I wonder is Millenium Customs's PVD DLC finish a form of this IonBond? I'm intrigued, though... especially since one can apparently coat the entire barrel with no ill effects... There's a guy in my club that shoots a Millenium Custom Limited gun with a sight tracker barrel. The whole gun is in the PVD DLC finish including barrel. There's about 20K rounds through the gun and there is no wear whatsoever on the barrel's DLC coating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B.Diddy Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 DLC is the way to go....IonBond doesn't offer a new coating called Titanium DLC but it looks great and offers great wear protection. Hard Chrome= Nitrogen Imbrittlement=cracking and premature failure.....Check with someone with a metallurgy degreee....Hard Chrome is for the bumber on my 73 Caddy not my gun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrguar Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 I am expecting my STI to come back from Tripp this week...I post some before and afters as soon as I get the gun back... Got it back yesterday Looks great feels great.... Picts included....I can't wait to start shooting it Great job Virgil & Team, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singlestack Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 I clicked on the first pic and got very concerned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadetree Posted March 31, 2007 Author Share Posted March 31, 2007 I clicked on the first pic and got very concerned. +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 Yeah, that first pic looks horrible. The other two show us hard chrome as it should look, thankfully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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