Z800 Cafe Chopper Fighter thing...

[Royalratch]

New 300mm Braking discs with no offset. I had quite thick spacers machined to use them already so rather than get new discs again it would probably be cheaper to pick up a set of callipers that are already on the money.

Leaning toward M4s to match the rear and for sheer pimp factor.

[j.wilson]

Quick question- where did your fuel tank come from?

[Royalratch]

It's a brand new original tank from eBay.

[Royalratch]

Exhaust question.

I'm about to order a pretty reflgular 4-into-1 exhaust from ExhaustCraft as I understand he's the biz for Z exhausts.

I was going to go Stainless but he also does Titanium.

My questions is this:

1) I want a black chrome finish - not gloss. Like polished / anodised. How can I achieve this on stainless? Nitriding? Ceramic coating?

2) Can you paint or coat titanium? I know I know why would ANYONE do that. But I think it's more trick / cool to have a stealth Ti exhaust. Get the weight saving and noise but I keep my all black drivetrain look.

[j.wilson]

There are chemical blackening processes for stainless steel- but they are not very black or durable.
The best stuff I've ever seen is the ceramic coating- this is blacker and more durable. However, black finish like most other exhaust finish is not going to stay perfect for long.

Zircotec coating
http://www.subaru4you.co.uk/exhaust/cer ... ting.shtml

[Royalratch]

I'm not so worried about durability - more the type of finish.

Black chrome?

[j.wilson]

Direct zircotec link.
http://www.zircotec.com/page/--custom-b ... ations/163

Hmm, black chrome?

http://www.merridalepolishingandplating ... nickel.htm

[j.wilson]

Not much luck in anodising titanium.

I think that's how they colour it black- but I can't find anyone who does it.

There is also a possibility that there is a black nitride or carbonitride coating. But again no one clearly offering it as a service.

[Royalratch]

Yeh - I spoke to Zircotec a while back but the finish isn't what I'm after. Its still a painted / coated 'uniform' finish.

I'm basically after the finish you see on black anodized USD fork legs. Not the inner sliders, the main outer legs. Its black but you can see its metal - not a 'painted' finish. A sort of semi-polished aluminium then anosdizzed.

Like so:

[j.wilson]

Now, it sounds like you want a plated finish. The challenge is usually making it nice and shiny, but you want a "finish" to the metal.

I think what you may need is to get the black chrome done, but instead of plating after polishing you get them dipped instead.

So, you start with a nice smooth polished finish (very consistent) then you get them dipped in acid (I seem to remember bi-fluoride acid etch is the process) to give a nice consistent surface effect. This is then plated and the plating follows this texture.

I've done really nice tough matt black aluminium like this.
I don't think its the plating that gives the effect- but the treatment of the surface to be plated.

[Royalratch]

I think those fork legs are just anodized black after a mild polishing - just like any gold USD fork out there.

But obviously you cannot anodise Steel and all the things we have been discussing are not really for hi-temp use?

I just can't believe there's 1 finish for exhausts - bare metal or flat black.

[j.wilson]

Check out the last entry on this blog for matt anodizing

http://www.finishing.com/145/45.shtml

"I think those fork legs are just anodized black after a mild polishing - just like any gold USD fork out there. "

Its really difficult to get a good consistent finish in the matt finish if it is just "mild polishing".

I've painted LOTS of matt black stuff for the military and its a difficult finish to get right. My best experience was with a well finished part that was then acid dipped to provide a perfect finish.

The info for the ceramic coating AND the black chrome were both very high temperature treatments.
As for the black anodizing of titanium- I'm not so sure about- but certainly it looks like a very high temperature application process- so it might be fine.

[Royalratch]

Hard anodising will give you a Matt finish too.

But I'm not after a matt finish.

I'd like a semi-shiny finish with the metallic surface coming through underneath. Not painted or coated or plated - anodising is the closest thing I can think of. Or like a very thin layer of paint of chrome?

I'll make some calls to some of these people.

[j.wilson]

So anodising dyes the surface layer of oxide on aluminium.

Is that the process you are looking for?

The black chrome process is depositional- but often is not very jet black so may allow you to get the look you crave. Obviously the finish will quite reflect the finish of the underlying metal and the way it obscures this and how black it looks will depend on thickness. I think they have to pre-coat on titanium.

[j.wilson]

When I said anodizing dyes the oxide surface- I was referring to the fact that it does not necessarily produce a matt or shiny surface- it just reflects the surface on the job to start with.

But if you want it especially shiny or especially matt you may need to think about special treatments. I've seen very shiny hard anodizing.

I think I might go for stainless steel with a surface treatment (like aqua blasting) then the black chrome- and thin ...to give you that grey look of the metal underneath.

The processing will be expensive but at least the pipe will be cheaper than titanium.