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Removing Chrome Plating


Casey429

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  • 7 months later...

I might be late to the game, and this might have been mentioned already....

I finally had to strip chrome the other day. I looked on Youtube and found a guy I follow uses this stuff called LA's Totally Awesome.

LA's Totally Awesome is sold in a gallon jug at Lowes or Home Depot and it's only about $9 for the gallon. It smells a lot like Castrol Super Clean or Purple Power, but it is yellow.

I soaked some chrome parts in this stuff and in 5 minutes the chrome was gone. Rinsed the parts off with water and they were ready to prep and paint. It worked great!

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  • 2 months later...
On 4/23/2020 at 5:42 AM, stitchdup said:

Any household bleach should remove the chrome

😊😊😊

So I also thought.....   Tried using some of the wife's "low odor/no splash" bleach, SIX WEEKS and still no de-chroming.....   Went back out to WallyWorld and got a bottle of the "concentrated" bleach (where you can smell the ammonia),  90 minutes later,  no chrome!!!!!   Live and learn....   Hope this helps somebody else from repeating my error....

DJ

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 9/7/2006 at 11:20 AM, KT EASTMAN said:

As an alternative to CSC. I use Purple Power. Rumor has it that it doesen't last as long as CSC, but I personally have not noticed. I get it at the local Advance auto parts in 5 Gallon form for about $17.00. I also use it to scrub the oil stains off my driveway. As for chrome, it strips it off in a matter of minuites. It takes a lot longer to strip the laquer coat though. I usually like to leave the laquer coat on if I am going to use something like alcad II because the surface is already smooth. Just a coat of gloss black,than Alcad!!! For removing the laquer coat, it may be best to use oven cleaner if you are in a time crunch!!! KT

Yep. I like the clear lacquer left behind for that exact reason. Alclad is hands down my favorite re-chrome. Their black gloss primer is the best. Purple power is also a great ultra-sonic parts cleaner fluid. Wait a minute! try the purple power in the ultra-sonic cleaner for chrome removal??!!

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  • 4 months later...
On 10/12/2023 at 11:39 AM, Rattlecan Dan said:

I use Krud Kutter. Works great on taking the chrome off right down to bare plastic.

I will have to try it. I have had some kit chrome (Salvino modified wheels) that oven cleaner, CSC, bleach wouldn't touch.

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43 minutes ago, bobss396 said:

I will have to try it. I have had some kit chrome (Salvino modified wheels) that oven cleaner, CSC, bleach wouldn't touch.

Salvino's may not be using vacuum metallizing if the normal chrome strippers won't work. Trumpeter model car kits had plating that didn't respond to the traditional products used to strip kit chrome.

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  • 3 months later...
Quote

Can the Alcad be brushed on? Alclad II 4107 Chrome for Plastics 4oz

On 9/7/2006 at 11:20 AM, KT EASTMAN said:

As an alternative to CSC. I use Purple Power. Rumor has it that it doesen't last as long as CSC, but I personally have not noticed. I get it at the local Advance auto parts in 5 Gallon form for about $17.00. I also use it to scrub the oil stains off my driveway. As for chrome, it strips it off in a matter of minuites. It takes a lot longer to strip the laquer coat though. I usually like to leave the laquer coat on if I am going to use something like alcad II because the surface is already smooth. Just a coat of gloss black,than Alcad!!! For removing the laquer coat, it may be best to use oven cleaner if you are in a time crunch!!! KT

 

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39 minutes ago, CA Whitecloud said:

Can the Alcad be brushed on? Alclad II 4107 Chrome for Plastics 4oz

No Calvin, that will not work.  Well, if you have a factory "chromed" plastic part and you just need to touch up a small area (like where you cut off the gate that held the part to the parts tree), then you could dab some Alclad II Chrome to that area using a very fine brush.  But not if you want to brush paint the entire part.

You shouldn't tack on questions in a thread which is covering different subject.  Just start a new thread/topic.  I know you are new here, that is why I'm trying to give you a hint.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 9/6/2006 at 8:24 PM, MrObsessive said:

Easy Off works well for me........however if you use this, be sure to get the Easy Off in the yellow can!

 

The Fume Free doesn't do a dang thing and it's a real waste of time! :x

 

What I like best about the Easy Off is that it will also take off the clear lacquer that the model companies use in the plating process. I'm not sure the CSC or Westley's does that.

 

As with all these products MAKE SURE you're wearing rubber gloves as each of these products are nasty to your skin!

I also use oven cleaner and agree about not using the fume free version. I bought a can of the blue cap fume free thinking it would work and had to leave the parts soaked in a zip loc sandwich bag overnight. It did work but not as good as the normal cleaner. 

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22 hours ago, nickfzr61 said:

I also use oven cleaner and agree about not using the fume free version. I bought a can of the blue cap fume free thinking it would work and had to leave the parts soaked in a zip loc sandwich bag overnight. It did work but not as good as the normal cleaner. 

The original formula uses Lye (sodium hydroxide) as its active ingredient.  Lye is what dissolves the thin aluminum "chrome" layer, and also softens the clear lacquer base coat. The no-fumes formula I believe uses another chemical.

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I decided to clean up a chrome grill from the Mustang AWB kit. I opened it up from the back so it could be seen through. I didn't even try anything else, I went to oven cleaner, gave it a 1 day soak, took it out and brushed all of the loose plating and got some of the under-coating off. I threw it back in and just rinsed/brushed it off. No sign of anything left behind. The trick was giving it a full 2 days in the oven cleaner.

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