Electropolishing?
 

I am not familiar with this process? Read somewhere you could do this to exhaust systems and other misc parts.... Any info

Re: Electropolishing?
 

Hey Fred, How's that chair run with CMI's? :p

Re: Electropolishing?
 

oops, are those Stellings?

Re: Electropolishing?
 

Not familiar with it, but it doesn't look destructive to welds, etc..

Re: Electropolishing?
 

Fred, I don't think so. I've seen it used quite a bit lately. It's allot like passivating. If the stainless has been heat treated(annealed) after welding it shouldn't cause any problems. I'll read through my SAE book tonight and see if I can come up with anything on the process.

Re: Electropolishing?
 

I have used it for some belleville washers (stainless) I was trying to reduce the thickness of. Like the above post said it is a reverse plating process. They also use it to clean and prep the surface for medical things. It will remove the top super thin surface (.0005 or so) depends on current and time in the tank. It wilnot hurt the welds. In fact by removing the surface irregularities you will actually somewhat reduce the likelihood of stress cracks, (less stress risers). It leaves a great surface on stainless.

Re: Electropolishing?
 

There are different degrees of electropolishing. It is often a specification to be done on high purity pipe or tubing used in medical, pharmaceutical, the silicon industry etc. The process is not cheap. Orbital welding is the perferred method of welding or electropolished tube or pipe. I really can't see where it would be cost effective on an marine engine.