Removing Chrome Plating

[Rolandm925]

This stuff removes chrome right in front of your eyes in about 1 to 2 minutes. Removes paint from parts in about 5 minutes. Walmart. $6 bucks

[Sidney Schwartz]

I've also used Super Clean for removing chrome and it works great, even on complex parts.

[StyreneAddict420]

So I normally use windex to strip chrome off of styrene, but it doesn't get that yellow coating off underneath! I've tried a bunch of stuff from Brake Fluid to Simple green to Purple Power! You name it I've tried it.mthey all seem to just get that first layer of chrome off and that's it. Does anybody know of a product that strips BOTH Coatings? And does anybody know what that yellow stuff actually is? Any info on this would be greatly appreciated?

[lordairgtar]

It's lacqour clear. Different companies use different formulas. 91% Isopropyl alcohol might be your best bet to remove it. Scuf it a little with a scotch brite pad and the other solutions might work.

[Ace-Garageguy]

So I normally use windex to strip chrome off of styrene, but it doesn't get that yellow coating off underneath! I've tried a bunch of stuff from Brake Fluid to Simple green to Purple Power! You name it I've tried it.mthey all seem to just get that first layer of chrome off and that's it. Does anybody know of a product that strips BOTH Coatings? And does anybody know what that yellow stuff actually is? Any info on this would be greatly appreciated?

This has been answered multiple times on this forum. I use EasyOff oven cleaner in the yellow can (TOXIC, use gloves and eye protection !!!), then thoroughly scrub with a toothbrush, Comet and hot water.

Scotch Brite pads can damage fine details...if you care.

Edited April 10, 2015 by Ace-Garageguy

[Toner283]

This has been answered multiple times on this forum. I use EasyOff oven cleaner in the yellow can (TOXIC, use gloves and eye protection !!!), then thoroughly scrub with a toothbrush, Comet and hot water.

Scotch Brite pads can damage fine details...if you care.

This has been answered multiple times on this forum. I use EasyOff oven cleaner in the yellow can (TOXIC, use gloves and eye protection !!!), then thoroughly scrub with a toothbrush, Comet and hot water.

Scotch Brite pads can damage fine details...if you care.

Almost the same method I use. I also put the parts or parts sprue with the parts still attached (like the revell engine parts paks) into a large ziploc freezer bag, spray the Easy Off into the bag so enough is in there to give a good coating on the parts to be stripped, squeeze out as much air as possible and then seal the bag. This keeps the easy off juicy and working well. For some of the tough to strip stuff it might be in the bag for up to a week. It also allows me to agitate the bag to help strip the paint or plating.

I also sometimes place the bag near the furnace register to allow a *little bit* of heat to help the process. (I find it helps anyway). Please note that I have no small children or pets to get into the bag of toxic goo.

Other than that, I use the same steps as Ace. This method has worked well for me for several years.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Yes, excellent advice from Chris (Toner283). The baggie does indeed keep the stuff from drying out, and agitating it keeps fresh material in contact with the parts.

The method also works well for stripping extremely stubborn paint from old parts too.

[StevenGuthmiller]

I use "Super Clean". I've never had any problems stripping it down to shiny bare plastic.

Steve

[Ace-Garageguy]

I use "Super Clean". I've never had any problems stripping it down to shiny bare plastic.

Steve

Which exact product? I see they have several in their line.

[StevenGuthmiller]

Which exact product? I see they have several in their line.

This is the stuff I use. I'm about out. I need to get some more. This gallon has lasted me about 3 years.

Steve

[danman6677]

I use bleach but it seems that it weakens over more parts you dechrome.

[Speedfreak]

Like Steve, I've been using Super Clean lately, (same thing he shows in the photo) , and it takes the top layer of chrome off in minutes, then I let it sit in the stuff for several hours, sometimes over night , and it's down to bare plastic, best stuff I've used so far. Beats the BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH out of bleach.

Edited May 11, 2015 by Speedfreak

[Richie]

Ive taken chrome plated parts and put them in a sandwich bag. Spray some purple power and let it sit overnight. The chrome just melts right off. You might have to rub off the excess but more than not it usually just comes off by itself!

[Force]

I can also recomend Super Clean, I have tried it and it works like a charm.

[Sean W]

I'm going to toss my two cents in here.  I'm working on the Testors/Franklin Mint 1/9 scale Harley soft tail, and wanted to do it Night Train style, so the chrome had to go.  First on list was Bleche White tire cleaner, I bought a bottle just for this.  Not good results, if I had left it in overnight, maybe.  Next was oven cleaner, big zero, didn't do a thing to this chrome.  Next up was bleach, which has been my "go to" stripper in the past, removed most of the plating on a few parts, but left about half the plating on the majority.  I have never had such a hard time with chrome stripping before.  So we come to purple Super Clean.  A few hours in there, every speck of plating, and the clear under it, gone!  I have a new "go to", and this stuff strips paint also!  Great to have a one bottle solution to these tasks.  Happy modeling everyone

[RickRollerLT1]

Purple Power is for me babs! Not only does it take off chrome in less than 5 mins, but can strip off the worst and thickest of paints within 3 days or so. If the paint is Testors one coat lacquer or the icky enamel sprays, its about a day or so if it was applied without a primer underneath (with it, maybe a little longer).

[LowFatJR]

I simply use household bleach and scrub it with toothpaste and an old toothbrush. that seems to do the job

 

[JARRNO88]

  I have tried using many products for chrome stripping but I have found what works best is what  Toner283 and Ace use .  That is using (EASY OFF).  JARRNO88

[youpey]

i use diet coke (regular coke works too, but seems diet works a bit faster). no joke. it takes 2 days or 3, but there is always soda in the house and there are no toxic smells and it doesnt make the plastic brittle like some of the other cleaners. It is usually one of the first things i do since it takes a couple of days

i havent tried it with paint, just chrome parts. 

[peteski]

11 hours ago, youpey said:

i use diet coke (regular coke works too, but seems diet works a bit faster). no joke. it takes 2 days or 3, but there is always soda in the house and there are no toxic smells and it doesnt make the plastic brittle like some of the other cleaners. It is usually one of the first things i do since it takes a couple of days

i havent tried it with paint, just chrome parts. 

Colas contain phosphoric acid which is likely what dissolves the very thin layer of aluminum that gives the chrome-like finish.  Colas can be used for lots of things (like removing rust).   Just do a Google search for "uses for cola".

Your method will likely not work on all "chrome" parts.  Some of those parts trees are coated at the factory with a clear lacquer (to protect the fragile layer of aluminum).  It is doubtful that the weak acid in Coke will attack the clear lacquer.

 

[StevenGuthmiller]

47 minutes ago, peteski said:

Colas contain phosphoric acid which is likely what dissolves the very thin layer of aluminum that gives the chrome-like finish.  Colas can be used for lots of things (like removing rust).   Just do a Google search for "uses for cola".

Your method will likely not work on all "chrome" parts.  Some of those parts trees are coated at the factory with a clear lacquer (to protect the fragile layer of aluminum).  It is doubtful that the weak acid in Coke will attack the clear lacquer.

 

Agreed.

I personally like to have one "go to" for everything if at all possible.

Super Clean will not only remove the chrome AND the underlying lacquer coat, but I have yet to find a better paint remover for all types of paint.

Not only that, but it's a great household cleaner/degreaser to have around the house.

I've used it for everything from removing 30+ years of grime & discoloration from vinyl car seats, to carpet stains!

It's really pretty amazing stuff!

Why have a half a dozen different cleaners/strippers on hand, when one will do the trick?

If Super Clean won't do it, chances are nothing will.

 

Steve

[youpey]

11 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Agreed.

I personally like to have one "go to" for everything if at all possible.

Super Clean will not only remove the chrome AND the underlying lacquer coat, but I have yet to find a better paint remover for all types of paint.

Not only that, but it's a great household cleaner/degreaser to have around the house.

I've used it for everything from removing 30+ years of grime & discoloration from vinyl car seats, to carpet stains!

It's really pretty amazing stuff!

Why have a half a dozen different cleaners/strippers on hand, when one will do the trick?

If Super Clean won't do it, chances are nothing will.

 

Steve

 

as of now i have used it on my revell and amd kits and it stripped the chrome off completely without fail. 

[peteski]

1 hour ago, youpey said:

 

as of now i have used it on my revell and amd kits and it stripped the chrome off completely without fail. 

So, they don't use a clear top coat.  But under the "chrome" is also a  layer of clear lacquer (as a glossy base coat for the metalization) which Coke will not strip.  Depending on how fastidious you are, you might want to strip that too, so you end up with bare plastic parts.

[StevenGuthmiller]

5 minutes ago, peteski said:

you might want to strip that too, so you end up with bare plastic parts.

That is ultimately what you want.

If you're planning on re-plating the parts, most chromers will likely not guarantee outcome if the parts are not utterly "naked".

Even if you're planning on just painting the parts, the more you get off of them, the less likely you will be to wind up hiding detail.

That "under coating" can be very thick on occasion.

 

Steve

[Wm David Green]

UK 'Chrome' Remover

If anyone is wondering what is suitable for removing model chrome here in UK, this stuff works well, if not quickly, in my opinion.

Takes the chrome off in approx. two hours in some cases, and also the glue/varnish stuff in about 12 hours, depending. 

For example there was the same sort of yellow brown discoloration on the chrome for both an AMT '71 Duster ( 2001 Walmart style box), and the AMT '57 Chrysler 300C (1999 issue).

Both sets went in to the Mr Muscle Power Gel on Saturday afternoon.

The Duster chrome and glue took less than a day, however the 300C parts are still in the gel, chrome was gone yesterday (Sunday) morning but most of the glue was still there late afternoon.