The Cessna 120-140 Association Forum

Is there any place to get control tubes IPC fig. 19-33 page 39 (PN) 0411223. Or is it possible to get them re-chromed and have the correct outside diameter still? The ones that came with my plane are rusted pretty bad.

I know that you can get almost anything rechromed, Not too long ago it was common to have cylinders chromed as a way to return them to new tolerances, so if a cylinder can be chromed to those exacting standards, surely a tube can.

I’ve run into two different types of chroming, the pretty stuff and it used to be that motorcycle shops “Harley type” were a good place to get things sent off to be chromed as they often have parts chromed, then there is hard chroming that’s I guess you would call an industrial process.

I think I would go the pretty route and if the tube is slightly larger, there is available as an STC what I believe are teflon balls to replace the ones in the instrument panel, they would be very simple to make the holes slightly larger.

I don’t think it would matter in this application, but I think that chroming can or will change the properties of the metal being plated, it makes it more brittle or something ?

I think I would try to find replacement tubes and send them off

Found this old thread, I’d go the titanium route myself under the using the concept of it exceeds original strength and fatigue resistance of the factory part.
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=926&start=10

On edit, Titanium can be polished to look like chrome and it stays that way, I have a Lightspeed bicycle from early90’s that is still highly polished.
I believe titanium actually oxidizes pretty much instantaneously and the oxidized layer is what keeps it from corroding.
It’s a Bitch to machine though, but drilling holes ought not be too bad.

Just to update that previous thread, I was having no luck finding a shop here in Canada that was willing to do the work and the hard chroming required. Decorative chroming shops said that their chroming would not be suitable for this application. I did go with the titanium and had a machine shop cut it to length and drill the holes. I installed them using bolts instead of the OEM rivets. No issues at all so far.