Saddam's P.38
 

I wonder if this is really true?
Saddam's P.38

Don't know, but for such an extensive engraving and finishing job it sure is in a really cheap case.

the lusterless nickle looks nice... but, I didn't know they could plate plastic grips?? best to all, til...lat'r...GT

Tac, now, take your medicine, George didn't really cut down the tree, that was his cousin...

:D

ed

Ed, I think Tac is correct. He cut down the cherry tree for the grips. And several spare sets of teeth. I remember reading that someplace. Maybe I read it hear? I don't remember remembering where I remembered it from, but it's possible! I think.......

I figured there was a Lipschitz involved...who knew it would be Moishe! Whatta guy!

Yes, GT, for at least 60 or so years they have been plating anything solid that will withstand a trip through a high vacuum.
There are two processes, It is possible that both are called "Sputtering", One, where the metal is deposited from a small arc using electrodes of the plating material. And in the other method the metal is deposited by explosive decomposition of the metal by blowing a small fuse of the material with a high voltage electrical current.
Similar processes plate many parts of our Spacecraft.
I believe that the metallic coated parts of model kits are treated in a similar fashion.
Viggo

Hi Viggo! Nice to hear from you! I can understand the process...but not the reason... It would seem to me that a custom set would have been more desirable... on the plated plastic..how durable is the coating.. equal to coated metal parts??? I enjoyed reading your post on the 1900 era machine shops.. I learned on some of this type of equipment even as late as the early 70's!!! But in a nice environment!! Best to you Viggo! til...lat'r...GT <img border="0" alt="[jumper]" title="" src="graemlins/jumper.gif" />

Viggo, I dropped you a line, but the e-mail bounced! Wanted to know how you were?

Ed

Saddam had a lot of guns...

I sometimes wonder if he actually ever fired one.

GT and All,
I wish I could speak with more than knowledge that it "just was done", But it was a secret process at the time I was working at NASA.
I do know that there was some work done with the "titanium nitride" tool coating process.
It must have shown some evidence of sucess as one of our NASA Researchers obtained a government patent on the process of "Ti N" tool coating for tool wear resistance.
With 25 years having passed I am not sure that the same processes are now in use for mass production tool manufacture.
viggo

ViggoG,

I seem to recall another proccess for plating plastic that used some sort of Indium compound in solution. This was applied electolessly, followed by a regular copper plating.

Anyhow, with regard to the plated grips on that P38, perhaps someone made them out of metal.

Dean,
I have no doubght that there have been many processes that have been developed in the past 25 years that I would have no knowledge of.
I tried to keep up for a few years while I was doing private research to develope my patents.
however with the passing of my patents into the public realm I have no reason to follow all of the technological developments that interested me in the past.
Just gettin old I guess!
By the way read your PM on "spring tools", If you feel need of more "in depth" information, I'm happy to be at your disposal.
ViggoG

Go to this link then on the left side scroll down to Plating on plastic and select that choice
http://www.4gsp.com/pages/home.html

Viggo,

TiN coating on drill bits for extended wear is common industry practice nowadays. They are priced between the "tool steel" bits and the "carbide bits".