| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
Lark Parker
Regal Member
USA
268 Posts |
 Posted - 01/26/2008 : 10:17:19 PM
|
Edited to include links to same subject postings:
https://www.studebakerdriversclub.com/sdc_forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=15554&SearchTerms=Stainless,restoration
https://www.studebakerdriversclub.com/sdc_forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=15349&SearchTerms=Stainless,restoration
https://www.studebakerdriversclub.com/sdc_forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=15234&SearchTerms=Stainless,restoration
https://www.studebakerdriversclub.com/sdc_forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=15153&SearchTerms=Stainless,restoration
https://www.studebakerdriversclub.com/sdc_forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=15021&SearchTerms=Stainless,restoration
https://www.studebakerdriversclub.com/sdc_forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=15067&SearchTerms=Stainless,restoration
Stainless Restoration #7, Insulting Your Intelligence
Copyright 2008 Dale McPhearson, all rights reserved. Published with permission
The following may insult the intelligence of most/many readers but I have encountered some very profound ignorance in the past and to not provide information would be a mistake on my part. For the 99% of you who don't need this info, I apologize for taking up your time.
Two brief stories. While I was vending the STAINLESS service I had a pair of K body (POT METAL) outside door trim pieces that I thought I'd sell to anyone who might need a decent pair for rechroming. They were pitted and barely useable on a driver but they were still plenty good as cores. As they lay there on the table (with all the finished show stainless), one "gentleman" stopped looked at the pitted pot metal pieces and asked with a scowl, "Is this an example of your work?"
After that I never showed anything but stainless pieces at my tables as some people perhaps can't tell the difference.
Story 2: Once, I (reluctantly) accepted a job from several states away on some GTO trim. I did this as a favor to a friend of a friend. Being unfamiliar with GTO's, I asked the car owner to make sure that it was stainless. The car owner assured me on the phone that the trim was stainless. When the long box arrived, it contained 100% aluminum and I sent it back, unfinished, on the next UPS.
Studebaker used a LOT of stainless trim besides the obvious fender, door and side pieces. Some examples are: The hardtop interior garnish moldings ( inside window sills), windshield and rear window outside trim, hardtop (K model) glass edge trim, GT interior roof bows, exterior door handles, wheel covers, Hawk wheel well trim, Speedster hood ornament, stone guards, 1953-1955 C/K quarter panel top trim, Transtar truck exterior door trim, windshield center separator, wing vents, some door step sills, etc.
Pot metal pieces are generally being reproduced when there is sufficient demand. Pot metal applications are too many to make much comment on. Pot metal can usually be identified by their greater thickness, pitting of surface, and their soft back side surface can also be test scratched.
Studebaker stainless is harder than woodpecker lips.
Scratching its backside has about the same lasting impression as scratching your own. A scratch test can be helpful sometimes -- on your stainless, that is.
Other than a few wheel covers I am not aware of any Studebaker stainless pieces being reproduced.
Some prewar Studebakers have a mixture of stainless and chromed pot metal sometimes even in a single continued line of trim on the side. A prewar hood center or side strip might be expected to be stainless because of the long slender shape but SUPRISE! pot metal was often used there. As a general rule don't go sanding on your chromed pot metal pieces.
“So, how do I know what kind of metal I want to make shiny?”
If you are not sure: Try a magnet: Studebaker stainless will be attracted. (I have yet to find a piece that wasn’t.) While the stainless flatware in your kitchen is immune to such attraction, Studebaker stainless trim is not. Your kitchen spoon is of a different stainless alloy that ignores such earthly forces.
In short: Pot metal castings and aluminum trim pieces will not be attracted to the magnet. Studebaker car stainless will be magnetically attracted 99.99% of the time.
It's not hard to be fooled eventually. Once I was given a pair of 1932(?) parking lights to work on as the owner thought they were stainless. I was sure they were stainless because of their "thinness"and I didn't bother magnet testing them. They looked like stamped metal. But -- the dents sure bumped out easy. That was a little odd as stainless puts up a better fight than that. Then, when I started polishing the rough spots they started turning copper color. It appeared like they were nickel plated but there was no copper layer. Then I decided to contact the owner about what he wanted me to do with his brass parking lights. Eventually we decided to make them polished brass, to be chromed later. They sure were pretty.
Aluminum trim pieces on a Studebaker are generally found in the roof pillar side plates on GT Hawk 1962-1964, GT trunk overlays, door sills on several years, truck interior trim strips, and the Lark side trim pieces in 1965-1966. The soft back side surface can be easily test scratched as an identifier.
Just a side comment about door handles: The 1947-1960 exterior door handles were steel cores covered with a stainless skin. The can only be polished and buffed but not de-dented. Trying to remove the cover (to repair dents) is not practical until such time as there are none of them left on earth. Many can be turned upside down and put on the other side of the car with the minor defects out of sight. 1961-1966 handles are chromed pot metal. Interior door handles are chromed and could be steel or pot metal depending on the car.
I don't have a good non-dectructive test for telling chromed steel from stainless other than looking at it.
This was a very boring segment. Maybe the next one will be better as you learn how a simple child's toy can be exploited for your own selfish interest in making your stainless look better.
 Lark Parker
If at first you don't succeed -- you will get a lot of advice.
|
Edited by - Lark Parker on 01/29/2008 10:30:49 AM |
|
|
Andy R.
Champion Member
USA
31 Posts |
Posted - 01/27/2008 : 12:32:16 AM
|
None of these posts are too trivial. We are grateful that you are willing to share what you know so we know what to look for.
Andy R.
62 GT |
 |
|
|
Kdancy
Golden Hawk Member
583 Posts |
Posted - 01/27/2008 : 07:41:18 AM
|
Woodpecker lips ?? |
|
|
|
chocolate turkey
Cruiser Member
USA
207 Posts |
Posted - 01/27/2008 : 08:54:04 AM
|
If you have ever tried to polish woodpecker lips.....arrrg.
Thanks very much for the effort to post this kind of information, I for one lack that knowledge, and really appreciate it.
I'm tired of this cold, wet, dark, miserable winter stuff, gimme some lips......to polish.....
Brian K. Curtis,
1925 Duplex-Phaeton ER
1949 1/2 ton pickup
1963 GT Hawk custom
1966 Daytona 2dr |
|
|
|
Karl
Regal Member
USA
391 Posts |
Posted - 01/27/2008 : 7:46:36 PM
|
I appreciate you taking the time to share your knowledge with us.
 |
|
|
|
Lark Parker
Regal Member
USA
268 Posts |
Posted - 01/28/2008 : 10:16:52 AM
|
quote:
Originally posted by Kdancy
Woodpecker lips ??
Woodpecker lips rank at the top of the Rockwell hardness scale as they are made of weapons grade depleted radioactive unobtanium.
When the Studebaker brothers were clean shaven tykes years ago, woodpeckers existed with varying degrees of bill hardness.
Those with soft bills became extinct when their bills mushroomed on the end and blocked their view while trying for food. Consequently, they starved to death.
Those species whose bills only mushroomed sideways became wood ducks. Their feet became webbed as they blindly pecked for food on the ground and in missing, flattened their own feet.
They gained their name from the early American settlers. The bill-flattened woodpeckers would come down for a BLIND landing and would often nail an unsuspecting South Bend wagon builder. Some people would spot them descending, start to yell a warning "Woodpecker!" and not having enough time, would just finish with "Duck!". From common usage they became "Wood Duck".
There is so much to teach you --- and so little time.
Lark Parker
If at first you don't succeed -- you will get a lot of advice.
|
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
