So I’ve been thinking about doing some engraving onto my chrome grille in my 90 ls400 but as I’ve been doing research it seems like in order to get a good engraving the chrome has to be high quality and have high copper content or else the chrome will start peeling would anyone here by chance know the quality of the chrome on the first gen ls400s? I wouldn’t want to engrave it and end up having a destroyed grille

 

Chrome is short for Element Chromium...so Copper is sometimes an underplate....

See:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrome_plating

 

ohh i see so do you think the chrome grilles on a ls400 would be able to be engraved on without the chrome peeling off? Or do you think it’d be too risky

 

go try it on a junkyard grill. If you like it put it on and sell your original grill on the internet

 

Relatives involved in polishing and (Chromium) plating. Never once heard of Chrome engraving.

First, Chrome is incredibly hard, so it's going to require an incredibly hard bit and very steady hand.

Second, Chrome plating, as the name implies, is a micro-thin layer of Chromium is deposited on the casting through electro-plating.not a solid piece of Chromium here.

So when you engrave, are going to cut through the thin layer of Chromium and its gonna look like _____t.

Provided the Chrome plating does not chip, it could work if the part is chromed after engraving...but no reputable plating shop will want to be involved

Better to apply an overlay with what you want to say...or get vanity license plates.

 

I would not recommend this. The grille on the LS400 is chrome plated plastic, and I'm not sure what the quality of the chrome is. If you're using heat, you might melt through the grille.

 

correct, as stated by CELSI0R it's chromed plastic which is not true metal chrome.

 

The grille surround on 1999 LS400 sure appears to be a heavy chrome plated casting

The Grille element on my 1999 LS400 is unplated plastic...

The only metallic component on 1999 that could engrave is the surround....

Is OP suggesting to engrave the plastic grille element in some fashion?

 

From what I understand, OP wants to engrave the chrome surround/frame, not the mesh/element.

Last time I checked, all LS 400 grilles (and LS 430, etc) are plastic with chrome plated frames/surrounds. I don't think the chrome plating is thick enough to withstand engraving.

 

The takeaway is you do not engrave plating, because you will cut through to the under plate and, or, substrate material...it's gonna look terrible.

 

Agreed. Better off leaving it alone