Hi all,
My name is Doug and I own Rock Hard DesignZ, Inc. I have been working for a couple of years perfecting my Rock Hard Boot Guards for H-D Motorcyles.

During my education as a new business, I have learned a couple of basic things about Chrome. I have been asked about my product from this stand point and would like to share with you what I have learned. I DO NOT PROFESS TO BE AN EXPERT, I am just passing on what I have been told by the different manufacturers I have used.

Rock Hard Boot Guards for footboards are currently being made in the USA and are "Show" chrome quality. The difference between a good chrome job and show chrome is the following:

Harley has a spec on how much and what kind of nickle to use over steel. Nickle is actually what you are seeing when you perceive how shiny or reflective your chromed piece is. H-D specifies two methods of coating metal.
There is there PL1 and PL2 spec.

The one that is used on most parts is for a GOOD chrome job.

Basic GOOD Chrome job: This is two coats of nickle (duplex nickle) over steel then chromed. The thickness of these layers is the main difference in these two specs PL1 and PL2. The chrome makes the nickle shine and seals it. H-D requires Hexavalent chrome. This is the chrome that has the blue tint to it. It is the most hazardous chrome to use and the EPA has really cracked down on the manufactures who handle it. There are not that many chromers left in the US that do the hexavalent compare to a few years ago. Hence, it is more expensive to do. A lot of Chromers have started using Trivalent chrome. This has a bit of a yellow tint to it. To the best of my knowlege, H-D has not recognized Trivalent chrome as being within their spec.

If you have a piece of polished steel,as in my Rock Hard Boot Guards, the metal has imperfections in it due to is molten forming. Although very small, these can be seen even after the metal is polished. Nickle shines, but does not level uneven surfaces very well. So even though a piece is shiny, if you tilt it to the light, you may be able to see small imperfections in the steel. A lot of Harley parts show up as having very tiny bubbles under the reflective surface, They are so fine that they look almost like a frosty surface in the backgound under the shine. Backrest side plates are common to show this.

The other method is what is used on ""Show" Chrome" Before the nickle, there are two coats of copper. The copper is used as a leveling agent. It fills all the small flaws and pores of the steel. The copper coat may then be re polished. After the copper has leveled everything, the two coats of nickle (duplex nickle) are added for about the same shine results, but to a much more finished surface. The nickle is then sealed with the chromium layer. A show chrome piece gives a much deeper reflection because the surface below the nickle is basically smoother.

I make a great product. It is the best I have been able to produce here in the USA. I have blown through a boat load of capital just trying to find a chromer that I would put my name on their work.


I hope everyone will blog and talk about my Rock Hard Boot Guards to their friends. Word of mouth is still the best way to bring product recognition. As the touring models are released next week, I will be asking all of my customers to respond with there opinion of the Rock Hard Boot Guards.

I also welcome any corrections in my interpretation of the Chrome vs. Show Chrome.

Also, look for the promo code I will be posting on this site the same day that my new touring Rock Hard Boot Guards are listed on my website. It will give hdforums members a 15% discount on my Rock Hard Boot Guards.

Thanks,

Doug