Parkerizing - cad plating - painting 1947 Harley FL

[samsmc1]

Can anyone tell me where in Bruce Palmers books or anywhere else I can look at one page or two to determine exactly what needs to be parkerized, cad plated or otherwise?
It would really help if I could do all the Parkerizing at one time.
I figure that if I'm going to do a frame up restoration on this old dog, I might as well do it correctly.
Also I'd like to see if any of you can give me first hand references to shops that I can send this frame to to get checked out prior to me having it blasted and painted.
Thanks
Sam

[T. Cotten]

Haven't you a copy of Palmer's, Sam?

Even an old one?

It doesn't matter, because the park'ing never matched everywhere on a machine anyway.

image_44681.jpg

It should get the judges' stinkfinger if it does.

....Cotten
PS: Blasting the frame is just the first inspection step, but helps you make decisions; If there is no obvious structural damage, you can do your own alignment inspection with the help of the Service Manual.

[otis71]

I do my parkerizing in smaller batches for 2 reasons; first because any contamination isn’t good so I take it straight from the blast cabinet to the heated solution handling with gloves and second I would loose interest in blasting long before I could do everything on a bike. And as Tom said different parts take different shades, I assume by alloy.

[samsmc1]

Cotten
I've just spent the past 2 hours looking thru Palmer's books and on the net looking for any kind of chart showing what type of plating goes on various pieces of this '47 Knucklehead.
All I've found so far is on page 790-793 showing various parts that look mostly like 45's to me. This helps but is very incomplete.
There has to be a chart somewhere so a more common bike like a Knucklehead being judged can be properly authenticated.
I know if your getting a Model T or Model A judged, they have books like Palmer's that show even the proper cotter pins and their finish.
Where can I get this information? I know I've seen this somewhere in the past but where.
I understand what you and Otis are saying about not doing everything in one batch

Sam

[T. Cotten]

Cotten
I've just spent the past 2 hours looking thru Palmer's books and on the net looking for any kind of chart showing what type of plating goes on various pieces of this '47 Knucklehead.
All I've found so far is on page 790-793 showing various parts that look mostly like 45's to me. This helps but is very incomplete.
There has to be a chart somewhere so a more common bike like a Knucklehead being judged can be properly authenticated.
I know if your getting a Model T or Model A judged, they have books like Palmer's that show even the proper cotter pins and their finish.
Where can I get this information? I know I've seen this somewhere in the past but where.
I understand what you and Otis are saying about not doing everything in one batch

Sam

Ford folks, Sam,...

Must be like AMCA judges who think the people who made these things were infallible godz.

A lot of variation in park'd finishes can be attributed to not only different recipes of moly, zinc, etc, but also whatever they were 'oiled' with afterward. We can presume much went straight into Cosmo, and Indians' didn't exactly match productions for HDs:

COSMOS1.jpg

Its all about faking it authentistically; Pick a shoepolish to fit your tastes!

...Cotten
PS: Most people also realize that original cad darkened naturally, much of it to the point of appearing park'd.
(My modern provider warned against storing fresh cad in closed containers.)

[Rubone]

Cotten
I've just spent the past 2 hours looking thru Palmer's books and on the net looking for any kind of chart showing what type of plating goes on various pieces of this '47 Knucklehead.
All I've found so far is on page 790-793 showing various parts that look mostly like 45's to me. This helps but is very incomplete.
There has to be a chart somewhere so a more common bike like a Knucklehead being judged can be properly authenticated.
I know if your getting a Model T or Model A judged, they have books like Palmer's that show even the proper cotter pins and their finish.
Where can I get this information? I know I've seen this somewhere in the past but where.
I understand what you and Otis are saying about not doing everything in one batch

Sam

Not sure what you are looking at or where but Palmer's has every finish for every year listed by year. Occasionally new info is found, but it is pretty close to exact.

[BigLakeBob]

Cotten
I've just spent the past 2 hours looking thru Palmer's books and on the net looking for any kind of chart showing what type of plating goes on various pieces of this '47 Knucklehead.
All I've found so far is on page 790-793 showing various parts that look mostly like 45's to me. This helps but is very incomplete.
There has to be a chart somewhere so a more common bike like a Knucklehead being judged can be properly authenticated.
I know if your getting a Model T or Model A judged, they have books like Palmer's that show even the proper cotter pins and their finish.
Where can I get this information? I know I've seen this somewhere in the past but where.
I understand what you and Otis are saying about not doing everything in one batch

Sam

From your reference of pages 790-793 you are in the 2nd edition. Just go to pages 903 thru 905. I would suggest going thru your parts manual item by item and if its not on those pages that say parkerize, cad plate, black paint, etc., then look elsewhere in Bruce's book under those items or then ask those specific unfound items finish requirements. Sorry, but yes, a little effort is needed here, be thankful Bruce has done what he has done!! 3rd edition will even help you more.

[otis71]

Even in the appendix where all finishes are listed by year it seems some parts aren’t included. Usually a look in previous years gives you a clue. Speaking of variations in shade, I’ve had parts with different shades done in the same batch together.

[samsmc1]

I found it
Thanks

[Chris Haynes]

Palmer's new Revised Third Edition is being shipped by the printer, hopefully, tomorrow. He survived the hurricane but is without power and his property is a mess so give him some time before ordering.

[exeric]

Different alloys of steel, temperature, and chemical proportions will affect the color of Parkerizing. H-D employed many different alloys of steel based on application; and production schedules created variations in vendor supplied materials, especially post WW2 as American manufacturing struggled to keep up with consumer demand. This influenced ALL manufacturing including auto production so I don't think anyone can write biblical documents that will be 100% correct regardless of product. Bruce Palmer has made everyone an expert with his H-D restoration books which are peer reviewed and updated accordingly by Bruce. Be glad he has handed this stuff to us on a silver platter.

[KNUCK]

Some times you can see in the photos of the bikes he took what the plating is even if it is not specifically mentioned. I have a photo of a brand new 1946 Harley EL that was taken when the bike was new with the dealers wife sitting on it dressed in her new riding gear. Will try to find it.

[KNUCK]

Here it is, but not a 1947. As you can see no license plate on it and fresh looking. The dealer is Swim Harley Davidson! DSCN4332.JPG DSCN4335.JPG

[Rubone]

Here it is, but not a 1947. As you can see no license plate on it and fresh looking. The dealer is Swim Harley Davidson! DSCN4332.JPG DSCN4335.JPG

And with an aftermarket fender tip already installed!

[RichO]

Rubone, I know the lifter towers, and oilpumps were painted white during the war year knuckles and this is a really early 46 ( black gas caps and painted badges etc but I had never seen the white painted retaining nuts on the oil lines were they mount to the oil tank nipples.