Excellent, Keith and Chuck. Those were the explanations I needed to read to put the pieces together, and correct my errant thinking.

Your statement, Chuck, that hard chrome and decorative chrome are not the same metal is very enlightening. I may do some digging into that more, to learn the actual differences.

Thank you both for posting what you actually know about the process(es).

SRH

May God bless America and those who defend her.