copper lines for fuel and oil

[pisten-bully]

Well, this is another question that I cannot seem to find an answer to: the copper lines for fuel and oil on a Chief are normally seen as silver colored, though you often see them as bare copper, too. So what's correct?

One member told me the lines were simply painted silver... and I had never considered that! I figured they were plated... so which is it? Thanks!copper lines.jpg

[Chris Haynes]

I can't speak for Indian. H-D's pre 1942 copper lines were nickle washed.

[gsottl]

On Indians they were cadmium plated (from the mid 1930ies up - exact year?) - the cadmium was simply washed/polished off over the years on the old lines pictures, but there are small spots of cadmium left on some of them as far as I can see.

[sirhrmechanic]

You can simulate that Cad 1 (silver cad) plating pretty well with some of the 'home plating' kits that you can find in Hemmings or companies like Griots. The Nickel Wash that Chris talks about is basically a dull/unpolished nickel, which goes easily right on the copper. The home plating kits can use nickel or even zinc that simulates the cad very effectively.

Last winter I had to do lines for my EL... and after trying to buy lines (none of which fit), I ended up just bending/soldering and finishing myself. There are few substitutes for being able to fit, tweak, fit... to get them right. As long as you are good with silver solder, you can make great lines at home.

BTW... I am also here in Vermont. PM me if you want. Always like to hook up with local vintage bike folks... especially those who are building their own!

Cheers,

Sirhr

[pisten-bully]

Thanks for the replies! I suspected they were plated and not painted, yet paint would have been an easy in-house solution. I've looked at the do-it -yourself plating kits (Caswell) and then wondered, for something like a lengthy oil line, if it would require doing one half and then flipping it over to do the other half. Because with a small kit you wouldn't have enough in the tank to completely submerge the piece.... and then with the cost of a larger quantity in a bigger kit that it simply makes economic sense to send out the parts and let the pros do it. I'm going to play around with some other copper tubing and some solder to see if I can get an even coating of solder on it that replicates a cad finish, but chances are I'll be sending them out!

[sirhrmechanic]

On the home plating kits... make some long tanks for lines using pieces of PVC pipe that has been cut down the middle. Glue caps on it, cut it and, presto, you have a long tank perfect for doing lines. You can also do them vertically, again in pieces of PVC pipe.

Cheers,

Sirhr

[Steve Slocombe]

Dear Harry, on the 1930-36 Harley VLs the original oil lines are flat nickel plated copper with unstepped nuts at each end. It's easy to get confused because I've seen wartime nos ones with stepped and unstepped nuts, in steel and copper, and silver painted instead of plated. The modern repros are cadmium plated steel with stepped nuts, and the judges usually deduct a quarter point per line.

[phillie]

I talked with Bob Stark this winter he said he has been painting them forever with Industrial paint. He showed me when I was out visiting his shop.

[Robin--M]

INDIAN OIL AND GAS LINES
On Indian oil and gas lines, they were nickel plated even up through and including most of the war years. And a lot of the 46's. Around late 46 and 47, Indian cadmium plated them. They must have had a very light coating of cadmium or didn't have them prepped correctly, a lot of the cadmium came off through the years. After 48, you see the plating, normally cadmium, holding up a lot better. You can paint these oil and gas lines if you go to the model airplane hobby shop and buy the aluminum fuel proof dope, that way the gasoline doesn't eat it off. If you don't put 16000 coats on, it looks like cadmium plating.

Robin Markey