[TheForge] Forging of Chrome plated steel

[Dave Brown]

At 15:49 03/19/02 -0600, you wrote:
>Are there any serious risk's involved with forging of Chrome plated metal,
>such as old car bumpers?  Seems to me I remember toxic problems similar to
>forging galvanized mentioned.  Thanks!
>
>Larry

Larry,

I've looked around and can't find anything on the web about toxicity 
problems from chrome.  A lot of steel alloys contain chrome and are safe to 
forge, and there are even chrome bearing electrodes used in welding.  So I 
would think that chrome plated objects could be forged safely, but I don't 
know for sure.  Also the thickness of the plating would be a factor, I'd 
think.  Bumpers have pretty heavy chrome deposits, while other things have 
pretty thin deposits.

There is a machine shop not far from me that rejects a lot of chrome plated 
1/4"rnd rods.  They are 3' to 5' long and there are always plenty of 
them.  I've always passed them by but often wondered if they could be 
used/forged.

So far, and all jokes aside, it seems that no one here knows any more than 
you or I do concerning this subject.

Dave B