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Re: Cadmium Plating Sources

Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2014 5:32 pm
by jagarra
Major you are correct. A major cadmium plater is Burbank Plating in California. if it's legal there it must be OK in most other states too.
I ran into the belief it was outlawed as a Concours judge for Jaguars. It was widely passed around that cadmium was no longer available.

Re: Cadmium Plating Sources

Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2014 5:59 pm
by jjwithers
I know a guy in long beach CA if you are interested. he doesn't do shipping though. email me if you need more info.
jimmyg wrote:Looking for a source(s) for cad plating for a restoration I'm doing. I have some fasteners and some other small parts from a R90s.

Any recommendations would be appreciated.

kindest regards,

jimmy

Re: Cadmium Plating Sources

Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2014 6:35 pm
by Rob
When they outlaw cadmium, only outlaws will have cadmium.

Re: Cadmium Plating Sources

Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2014 4:19 am
by chasbmw
Cadmium Is outlawed in Europe, nasty stuff. Zinc plating is as about as good as it gets but is not so resistant to rusting.

Stainless steel is the way to go as long as you don't want OEM looks.

Re: Cadmium Plating Sources

Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2014 5:16 am
by Major Softie
chasbmw wrote:Cadmium Is outlawed in Europe, nasty stuff. Zinc plating is as about as good as it gets but is not so resistant to rusting.

Stainless steel is the way to go as long as you don't want OEM looks.
None of this is correct.

Cadmium is not "outlawed" in Europe. It has been banned in some products. Electronics, Jewelry, Brazing rods, and plasticware are some of those products. Even in these areas there are many exceptions where it is allowed, such as in the aerospace industry. It has not been banned entirely. Even the jewelry ban is only for new jewelry. The element itself is not banned at all, only new production of a few banned products. Cadmium plated fasteners have not been banned. The significant regulations are available here:
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/ ... dex_en.htm


Cadmium plating prevents electrolytic corrosion between dissimilar metals. Stainless does not, especially in aluminum.

As far as it being "nasty stuff," it actually isn't nearly as dangerous as the lead that your battery is full of. I prefer it to sulfuric acid as well. Your motorcycle is almost entirely made of "nasty stuff."

Re: Cadmium Plating Sources

Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2014 12:10 pm
by Rob
And isn't stainless steel not quite as strong for the rough stuff?

Re: Cadmium Plating Sources

Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2014 2:27 pm
by Major Softie
Rob wrote:And isn't stainless steel not quite as strong for the rough stuff?
Yes, but it depends on the grade of stainless, and the bolt it's replacing. There's no stainless I know of that will replace a grade 8 bolt, and I don't think any are as strong as Grade 5.

Re: Cadmium Plating Sources

Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2014 3:26 pm
by audiowize
There are indeed some stainless fasteners that are rated as being stronger than grade 8. If you search McMaster Carr for 96242A502, it's an example of such a part. (But you'll sure as hell PAY out the whazoo for these)

Re: Cadmium Plating Sources

Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2014 5:22 pm
by Major Softie
audiowize wrote:There are indeed some stainless fasteners that are rated as being stronger than grade 8. If you search McMaster Carr for 96242A502, it's an example of such a part. (But you'll sure as hell PAY out the whazoo for these)
That's not as scary a price as I was expecting. Around double what a Grade 8 costs at the hardware store.

Re: Cadmium Plating Sources

Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2014 4:41 am
by chasbmw
Major Softie wrote:
chasbmw wrote:Cadmium Is outlawed in Europe, nasty stuff. Zinc plating is as about as good as it gets but is not so resistant to rusting.

Stainless steel is the way to go as long as you don't want OEM looks.
None of this is correct.

Cadmium is not "outlawed" in Europe. It has been banned in some products. Electronics, Jewelry, Brazing rods, and plasticware are some of those products. Even in these areas there are many exceptions where it is allowed, such as in the aerospace industry. It has not been banned entirely. Even the jewelry ban is only for new jewelry. The element itself is not banned at all, only new production of a few banned products. Cadmium plated fasteners have not been banned. The significant regulations are available here:
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/ ... dex_en.htm


Cadmium plating prevents electrolytic corrosion between dissimilar metals. Stainless does not, especially in aluminum.

As far as it being "nasty stuff," it actually isn't nearly as dangerous as the lead that your battery is full of. I prefer it to sulfuric acid as well. Your motorcycle is almost entirely made of "nasty stuff."
Just to be pedantic, Cadmium has been banned as a metal plating substance since at least the early 1990s, the few uses still allowed are in the use of cadmium based colouring of various plastics and paints used in aerospace and other safety related items, but in general it's use is much diminished. It's Carcinogenic and it's use was banned due it's effect on the people employed in the plating industry, plus the downstream effects of the metal in the environment. I would not want to build a house on the site of a metal plating factory nor would I want my son to work in one.

I agree that lead is also a heavy metal with bad effects on humans and the world, which is why it's use as a fuel additive has been banned and it's use in paint has been much reduced, and there have been some interesting studies linking the introduction of lead free fuel with measurable changes in population behaviour.

We could speculate as too how long will we be able to operate airheads on public roads......here in the UK we are being given Historic Vehicle status for bikes over 40 years old, this means that we don't have to pay road tax, sounds great but I can see a time when use of such Historic vehicles becomes banned or restricted on public roads for safety and pollution related reasons.

PS always use antisieze when using stainless. If it works on aluminium Yachts, I'm sure it will continue to work on bikes