Topic: Quick metal identifying Q?

[strangedaze39]

I have a extra pair of headers for my bike (not related to the one I have for sale) that are flat black and from the 70's, I decided I would strip the old paint and restore them. Well now that I've stripped the black paint I'm starting to see a shiny "chrome" like finish underneath the paint. Some parts are dull others look like new, but the main problem is it looks like scotch brite scratches are on the metal.

If it's chrome there is probably no way to clean those small scratches up and I'm just going to go ahead and restore them to there black finish, but if it's steel (maybe stainless steel?) I'm going to buff them back out and try to use them with a set of mufflers I have coming.

What's a fast way to check if it's chrome or some kind of steel? (I can chip it on a non important part if you think thats the way to go, I really have no idea since the it's old and worn)

[scunny]

if it's stainless a magnet wont stick to it
if it's plain steel it will flash rust pretty quickly(spray some water on a bare patch)
my bet is it's chrome, scuffed up so paint will adhere

[strangedaze39]

Magnet sticks, so it's not going to be stainless steel. Still not sure if it's chrome or steel.

[754]

Probably chrome.. if you could get it off with a knife, there would be none left on it today..

Your choices, clean & repaint.

 or..

 Scuff up everywhere with Scotchbrite and you can run brushed, matte chrome..

[strangedaze39]

The knife actually showed it to appear completely solid (I didn't detect any sign of plating) I did it in a part no one can see so don't worry, I'm not going to butch the exhaust 

I'm leaning towards it's chrome now only because the magnet stuck, but I still would love to find out for sure.

Thanks for the reply 754.

[rbmgf7]

poor quality stainless is magnetic, good stainless isn't. we were taught in out metallurgy class that using the magnet trick is a quick way to determine if it is a good or poor quality stainless.

yeah, if it's flaking, probably the chrome layer giving up. if you abrasively remove the chrome, wear a resiprator.

[strangedaze39]

poor quality stainless is magnetic, good stainless isn't. we were taught in out metallurgy class that using the magnet trick is a quick way to determine if it is a good or poor quality stainless.

yeah, if it's flaking, probably the chrome layer giving up. if you abrasively remove the chrome, wear a resiprator.

The metal isn't flaking, the paint is starting to flake now (I took aircraft stripper to it yesterday). I think I'm just going to try and polish it after all the paint is off, if it doesn't go anywhere I'll end up painting it black again I suppose.

Thanks for the reply :-)

[754]

Give it a matte or brushed finish.. sorta in these days..