Hard-chrome steel platen

[t1mpani]

I'm sorry if this has been covered before, I couldn't find it if it was, but I was just curious if anyone had tried industrial hard-chroming a steel platen. I am aware of the glass platens, but the fact that even the makers of them warn you that "this thing could fly apart at any time, sending shards of glass out in all directions" kind of gives me pause. Having had plenty of luck with hard-chromed firearms over the years (both the internal wear points and also being basically immune to kydex holsters which mark the hell out of other finishes) my thought was it might be a good way to reduce the coefficient of friction without introducing a very fragile structure into a high-speed operating environment. I have a couple guns I was considering getting chromed, figured I could remove my flat grinding platen and put it in the box too...

 

[Bill DeShivs]

I don't think the plating would hold up very long.
HC is about 72 Rockwell. You could just use steel hardened and tempered just slightly to keep it from being too brittle.

 

[navman]

I know of at least one company that hard chrome radius platen. Not sure how well they hold up compared to unplated hardened ones.

 

[Stuart Davenport Knives]

I have a glass platen and absolutely love the thing. At no point in time do I ever think that it would, or even could, "explode". I don't even know what would cause that to happen.

 

[t1mpani]

Ah yes, the Behnke platen. I remember looking at those but the hole spacing wasn’t right for my setup. Interesting, though…my whole thought is that the coefficient of friction is so much less than bare steel that the belt would have a hard time wearing it, but I could be very wrong.

Edit to add: it may just be internet rumor, but some bladesmiths have reported cracking in the glass platens over time, and there have been some comments about what would happen if/when the belt pulled a piece off and then slammed it into the lower pulley wheel at high velocity.

 

[navman]

I never had an issue with cracking on a tempered glass platen...but with wear. I use a carbide flat platen now and love it.

 

[Crag the Brewer]

I never had an issue with cracking on a tempered glass platen...but with wear. I use a carbide flat platen now and love it.

Ditto
My glass platen lasted maybe 3 month?
I was dishing it out. Sucks.
I grind with ceramic belts. High hardness steels with High, Hard carbide volumes. Post heat treating.

Now, I use a Carbide platen. I Love it. Want to buy another
I don't believe regular hard steel, chromed would last long

 

[t1mpani]

Where are you finding carbide platens? I looked and looked…is my google-fu THAT weak?! I found links for them but they’re all sold out.

 

[Crag the Brewer]

Where are you finding carbide platens? I looked and looked…is my google-fu THAT weak?! I found links for them but they’re all sold out.

@RD-knives

 

[Crag the Brewer]

@RD-knives

RD_knives

 

[t1mpani]

Thankya!