021912 - What on earth are they made of?

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Greybeard
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021912 - What on earth are they made of?

Post by Greybeard »

Ive been doing a bit of plating of various bits and pieces for my 16MS Green Laner project today. All has gone well except for those two thick 'washers' which go below the headlamp bracket tube and above the lower yoke. They were chromed initially but that has long since left for pastures new. I know when I cleaned them up on the lathe to get rid of the pitting they were phenomenally hard and they now seem completely resistant to plating, just sitting there in the soup, sullenly fizzing away. I didn't leave them in too long in case they contaminated the bath.
I'm just curious as to what alloy they are made of - they could obviously get chrome to stick 65 years ago but zinc/nickel plating wont touch 'em now.
I expect I'll end up giving them a lick of paint unless I can find a bit of stainless bar the right size so that I can make a pair (I'm trying to keep spending in check on this resto as it's eating into the flat-tank fund :roll: )
I see the club replacements are made of aluminium which might be an easy to machine alternative - if I can find a bit.

Steve
Mick D
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Re: 021912 - What on earth are they made of?

Post by Mick D »

Hi

I could be wrong but I think they were originally aluminium alloy - the ones on my 61 certainly are. Perhaps you've had some non original ones installed at some time in the past.

Regards Mick
Greybeard
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Re: 021912 - What on earth are they made of?

Post by Greybeard »

They are magnetic so defintely a steel alloy, Mick, and the inner surfaces suggest they were forged rather than machined. My later G80 has ali ones - not thought to check the '49 80 yet but they do look original. Theres nothing about the bike to suggest that the forks have ever been apart before.

Steve
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1608
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Re: 021912 - What on earth are they made of?

Post by 1608 »

My 58 18 and 60 G12 are both aluminium. I have only ever seen aluminium ones.
bob
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Re: 021912 - What on earth are they made of?

Post by bob »

Try painting with a qood quality Copper paint , then plate onto this .
Triumph-Legend
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Re: 021912 - What on earth are they made of?

Post by Triumph-Legend »

I would not bother mucking about. Grab a bit of ally or stainless and turn up some new parts. Job done.
Greybeard
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Re: 021912 - What on earth are they made of?

Post by Greybeard »

That'll be the plan I think. I was really just curious as to what they were made of. It just seemed such engineering overkill to have made a decorative type spacer in such an expensive way. If it ever gets light this morning and the rain eases I'm going to see what the earlier G80's bits are made of. The AJS is a 55 which seems to be a year of several changes.

Steve
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