Y’all need a vacation.
On different coasts.
My understanding is that to chrome plate a magnesium alloy wheel actually requires cyanide to be involved in the process along the way, and that eventually, the practice was only being done by some dodgy firms in Mexico. Hence, the demise of the trend.
Certainly, at a purely scientific level, chrome plating a magnesium alloy wheel is an interesting thing. I’m pretty sure (and I’m more than happy to be corrected on this) but it’s actually a 4 plate process. Firstly, the alloy has to be copper plated. Only copper will plate with mag alloy I’m told. Then it has to be nickel plated on top of the copper. But cyanide comes into this process somewhere too. And then, the chrome is plated onto the nickel.
Obviously, not a cheap thing, nor an environmentally friendly thing to do.
But just as one final bit of trivia - a dear friend of mine is an engineer. He used to work for PBR Brakes in Melbourne in the late 60’s, early 70’s - and he has told me the story many a time of how the various PBR engineers used to experiment with various metal compounds to ascertain what would work under extreme heat and stress loads. He’s often told me about how they used to take forged steel and cyanide harden it. They even had a special cyanide bath which could take huge amounts of forged components at a time.
I never knew this process existed. I always thought that cyanide was purely used as a poison and that was that. But no. It’s quite well known in the field of metallurgy I’m told. However, as to it’s precise uses, I’m not an expert sadly.
Certainly, if anyone knows more, I’d love to hear it.
Kalhoun, I don’t think Chrome will always be in style. It’s no longer on dashboards, and what it is, there isn’t much. Rare is the sedan these days that has a chrome bumper, yet any pre-1970 car had that as the norm. Same goes for chrome rearview mirrors, those are only on big pickups and semis these days. Even semis aren’t showing as much chrome as they used to. My '63 Chrysler Newport had chrome in several places whose only explainable purpose was to show more chrome. That just isn’t the case these days.
Come on, man. Chrome wheels never went out of style. Just like the New Kids on the Block and Ricky Martin and…
…oh. Never mind.
Cyanide is common in metal finishing. The potassium cyanide salt (or sodium for the matter) readily forms a stable covalent bond with metal. K[Au(CN[sub]2[/sub])], for example.
The hardening process is just a spin off, and is in reality old-fashioned carbon hardening. The cyanide salt will readily decompose, releasing carbonates; the carbon from which penetrates the surface of the steel.
Hydrogen cyanide and arsenic tryhidride are different compounds and work by blocking the function of hemoglobin in the blood.
I don’t know much more, even though I am a metallurgist by training (now a patent attorney). Cyanide baths can be used for “case hardening” steel - getting extra carbon just into the surface layer of the steel to harden it, while leaving the interior steel at its original composition and temper (generally to preserve toughness - hard things tend to be more brittle). There are a variety of case hardening techniques, including the ancient one of packing a part in charcoal and heating it. I would expect that cyanide baths would be useful when you need to get a uniform treatment of a complicated part, since the liquid gets in everywhere and can be held at a constant temperature.
Cyanide-containing solutions can also be useful for getting copper to plate to a variety of surfaces. I believe that they’re usually used just for an initial thin layer, and then other materials are used for building up the copper thickness.
But cyanide is far from the nastiest solvent used in metallurgy. I worked in a lab that did a lot of work with aluminum and its alloys - go look up “aqua regia” if you want to read about some really nasty (incredibly useful) stuff.
They’ve made their way over to Europe now, too.
Just the other day, me and my (American) girlfriend exited a gas station where we bought a soda, and walked back to my car. To the left of it was a brand new Porsche Cayenne that just came to a stop.
It had the spinning chrome wheel cover thingies refered to by ccwaterback. It looked, simply put, ridiculous.
Now, first off: anyone, and I do mean anyone, who buys a Porsche Cayenne is a fucking tosser who deserves to have his scrotum nibbled off by hungry gerbils. No, really. This isn’t about me being jealous: if you have a 911, I respect and admire your good taste in fine sports cars. If you have a BMW M5, I think you’re a tosser all right, but it’s your problem, not mine.
But anyone who buys a PORSCHE SUV is an unmitigated idiot. Period.
So, while I’m getting into my car, I snort, and comment to my GF (in English), “Check out the ghetto wheels on that car!”.
Now, this was dangerous on a couple of levels. First off, it assumed the driver didn’t speak any English, which is unlikely in this country. Secondly, it assumed the driver wasn’t within earshot.
As I pulled out, I noticed it was a UK-registered, right-hand drive Porsche Cayenne, with the driver behind the wheel, and the windows rolled down.
Priceless. 
I stick by my friends, even through times when I really want to choke them.
We’ve been friends for over a decade.
Anyone who would buy a Porsche Cayenne and then equip* it with those things would take that as a compliment.
- Using that word in the loosest possible sense
That’s the most ridiculous argument? Please. I once did three solid days, complete with cites, on the exact geographic location of Bedrock.
I lived through that era. Yes, yes she would have. Perhaps more than if she wore leg-warmers.
Does this mean that since I have 2 air conditioners in my apartment I’ll get twice the babes? Something’s not working right then…
BTW, chrome may come and go, but Two-tone paint jobs, fins, and dagmar bumpers will rule forever
I’d just like to add that as a motorcyclist, I hate those wheels that keep spinning when the vehicle is stopped. It makes it very hard to judge vehicle movement and whether someone is just about to pull out and cream you.
Carry on.
Anybody old enough to remember the Baby Moons? I think they were hot in the early 60’s. I remember if you had an early 50’s car (cars that were still big and round), even if the car was in terrible shape, the Baby Moons made it look neeto.
Racing Stripes, Fins, Vinyl Seats, In Dash Cassettes, Detroit Muscle Cars, Slicks, 8-tracks, Directional Headlamps, AM only radios, Turbo Charge, Baby on board, The Thing,…
Yeah, chrome wheels are here to stay, especially the ones that spin while the car is stopped.
I’m not a motorcyclist but I agree completely! Those fucking things should be illegal!
They’re damn ugly too.
Actually, I think you are confusing style and fashion …
Ray? Is that you?
Yeah Cisco, you should move to California. Then you can hang out with me instead and we can argue about stuff that really matters.
What’s the difference?
Is that the time you aren’t moving, but still pull the brake in as far as it goes since you think you’re moving? I almost pushed my break through the floor when I was parked at a shopping mall.
Oh sorry, back to the topic- chrome rules. Every cool car has to have some chrome under the hood, or at least on the seat belt.