Removing Chrome Plating

[hardhitter]

i use bleach super cheap stuff from the dollor store lol i leave it over night and then run water over them clean and done

[CrazyGirl]

well 29 hours soaking in Clorox and nothing happened , in fact it made the part shiner

[slusher]

If its clorine bleach it should work.

[crazyjim]

Wesley's tire bleach!!!

[CrazyGirl]

going to buy some of that today Jimbo !! , btw did you find the compressor on Amazon , 189 dollars

[crazyjim]

Sounds good, Anne. Yes, I checked out the compressor. It appears Chicago Airbrush has it for $159.99 with no shipping cost. I haven't ordered yet because I'm waiting for a price from Team Hobbies.

[DPink]

I tried clorox bleach and let parts sit in it for a week and it still didnt do anything

[MrObsessive]

Clorox will do absolutely nothing to remove chrome plating! The one thing that works for me and I've been using it for years is Easy Off Oven Cleaner in the yellow can. The fume free stuff is worthless and does nothing. Some have mentioned Castrol Super Clean......I've not tried that, but I like a product that not only removes the chrome, but also removes the coating underneath that they use so the chrome will adhere.

I found out the hard way if that base isn't removed, one can run into big problems later.

Also, it goes without saying that you want to keep in mind all the safety precautions when using this stuff. The ingredients are rather nasty and can do a real job on your skin!

[Casey]

Clorox will do absolutely nothing to remove chrome plating! The one thing that works for me and I've been using it for years is Easy Off Oven Cleaner in the yellow can. The fume free stuff is worthless and does nothing. Some have mentioned Castrol Super Clean......I've not tried that, but I like a product that not only removes the chrome, but also removes the coating underneath that they use so the chrome will adhere.

Roger that.^^^ Easy-Off is the only thing which I've found removes the clear undercoating, and the AMT stuff is a real paint to remove at times. Easy-Off strips paint well, too, so it's all I use.

[myscreennamesucks]

am i the only one that just sands it off? doesnt get the nooks and crannies too well...still learning haha

[Chuck Most]

I swear by Plowboy's discovery... LA Totally Awesome. Strips the chrome AND the clear undercoat in less than a day 90% of the time, some of the Round 2 kits take a little bit longer. I keep it as close to or above room temp as possible in a sealed imitation Tupperware-type container. In the summer I'll take it out on the porch and let it sit in the sun- that REALLY speeds up the reaction.

[Brett Barrow]

Why do folks keep insisting bleach makes a good chrome stripper? It just removes the vacuum plating! What really needs to go is the clearcoat underneath, then you get to see all the beautiful sharp details buried under the thick layer of clear. Strip it and paint it the correct metal finish if it's a part that doesn't need to be chrome. Alclad/SpazStik it or send it out for re-plating if it does. We deserve to see all the sharp detail we paid for!!!

That said - like a lot of folks, I use original Easy-Off (yellow cap) or the generic store brand of same.

[CrazyGirl]

I just tried what Dr Cranky did on youtube , Drano ,, took the chrome off in under 15 seconds , the clear ,,, so far 3 hours , but it's getting soft now , Easy Off I will try next

[Brett Barrow]

Drano's purty much the same thing as oven cleaner - lye (aka caustic soda).

Be extremely careful with it, it will do nasty things if you get it on your skin, and it can blind you if you get it in your eyes. But it's totally plastic friendly and safe to pour down the drain!

[Ace-Garageguy]

Easy Off does the trick, but I seriously recommend you scrub the parts with Comet, hot water and a toothbrush afterwards. Easy Off or Drano can both leave a soapy residue on stripped plastic parts. Scouring parts with Comet also provides a nice "tooth" for black undercoat to adhere to before you shoot your Alclad, and the bristles on the toothbrush and the Comet get into all the little nooks. The Easy Off also makes a dandy paint stripper, but won't touch Testors lacquers (in my experience, anyway).

[CrazyGirl]

_{clean clean clean no junk on it , i'll stick with Drano ,oh and I used soft scrub and my Oral B , good thing I have a dozen toothbrushes}

[crazyjim]

I have to ask a question. What's the big deal if you get the clear coat under the chrome off or not?

[Ace-Garageguy]

I have to ask a question. What's the big deal if you get the clear coat under the chrome off or not?

It's just like an additional layer of paint and tends to soften detail a little.

[Brett Barrow]

I have to ask a question. What's the big deal if you get the clear coat under the chrome off or not?

Not sure if they still do, but for years the chrome trees were actually dipped in the stuff, and it is usually really thick. On a bumper or something smooth it's not a big deal, but on something like a carb or valvecover or grille it can obscure a lot of detail. I've stripped bumpers that had little soft "bips" on them only to discover under the clear layer, those bips are actually sharp, well defined carriage bolt heads. I've even seen things like recessed letters or fine scripts get totally filled by the stuff. Then when we do our own Alclading or send it to a model car-specific plater, the undercoats are much thinner and won't obscure that detail.

Plus, if you try to strip the plating, the undercoat can get softened or halfway stripped and lead to problems down the line. Best to get it all the way down to bare styrene, remove any mold seams and sprue bits and finish the part appropriately with with paint or fresh plating.

[pandamonium2112]

I did a few more parts from the Lola last night. You can do the hours or overnight and some scrubbing thing if you want... but the Zep purple degreaser works perfectly in seconds. Hope that helps.

Zep Industrial Purple

After looking all over town and not finding CSC. I stopped into the Home Depot and found "Zep Industrial Purple" It is a concentrated package.

I put some sacrificial parts in for a test run.

Chrome: Clean in 2 minutes (Including the nasty under coating)

Paint: Clear coat gone in 2 minutes. 3 layers of paint gone in 2 hours. Gold spray paint held out the longest (24 hours on that)

Over all: Love it. $10.00 for a gallon. I left an old hood in it for 5 days and it had no side affects on the plastic.

Edited April 12, 2013 by pandamonium2112

[myscreennamesucks]

You can also use Windex or just straight Amonia.........either one will work without harming the plastic...........

freakin magical. even offbrand stuff, it was freakin perfect, thanks man.

[Hrsbaby]

I use acid takes about 10 min ,and cleans the plastic real good .make sure it's PVC safe

[Hrsbaby]

Zep Industrial Purple

After looking all over town and not finding CSC. I stopped into the Home Depot and found "Zep Industrial Purple" It is a concentrated package.

I put some sacrificial parts in for a test run.

Chrome: Clean in 2 minutes (Including the nasty under coating)

Paint: Clear coat gone in 2 minutes. 3 layers of paint gone in 2 hours. Gold spray paint held out the longest (24 hours on that)

Over all: Love it. $10.00 for a gallon. I left an old hood in it for 5 days and it had no side affects on the plastic.

This is good too the only thing it turns to cristals and its also a form of acid it will burn you

[scalenut]

non-acetone fingernail polish remover will take off the lacquer undercoat.. I have soaked parts in it between 15-30 minutes and the undercoat wrinkles right off.

one warning be carefull the plastic can be damaged if you poke or scrub on it too hard to get in the little nooks .

let the parts dry fully and any remainder will flake off..the surface of the part can be scratched/damaged while it's still wet.

[Brutalform]

I've always used bleach, and never had a problem with it until now. I have a Ford SOHC engine from the AMT 68 Shelby GT kit, and it really must be some stubborn chrome. Usually it would take minutes to an hour, but this has been soaking for three days!!! Got to give another cleaner a try.