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AMT 61 Chevy SS. The kit has been in my stash for a couple years. Decided to build it and noticed all the chrome is spotted. It's worse and most notable on the bumpers and grille. What's the best way to deal with it. I tried cleaning with alcohol but it did nothing.

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The "Chrome" on parts trees is actually vacuum-deposited layer of aluminum, only few atoms thick.  Aluminum is a fragile metal, susceptible to being attacked by chemicals (even the sweat on human hands can live permanent fingerprints). What you see is likely that some caustic liquid accidentally sprayed on those parts etched the aluminum away exposing the bare plastic color.  Nothing can be done to fix that other than having the parts refinished (or replaced).

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You could place an ad in the wanted section…maybe someone has a spare one they’d be willing to part with. Or, you could strip it, clean up the flash and paint it with Revell Chrom. You might not even need to strip it, but I would just to be safe…that stuff’s not cheap.

Edited by NOBLNG
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2 hours ago, peteski said:

The "Chrome" on parts trees is actually vacuum-deposited layer of aluminum, only few atoms thick.  Aluminum is a fragile metal, susceptible to being attacked by chemicals (even the sweat on human hands can live permanent fingerprints). What you see is likely that some caustic liquid accidentally sprayed on those parts etched the aluminum away exposing the bare plastic color.  Nothing can be done to fix that other than having the parts refinished (or replaced).

Yes, it looks like the black bare plastic showing through. But it must have happened before it was bagged. I just opened the kit, it was still sealed and already like that.

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7 minutes ago, NOBLNG said:

You could place an ad in the wanted section…maybe someone has a spare one they’d be willing to part with. Or, you could strip it, clean up the flash and paint it with Revell Chrom. You might not even need to strip it, but I would just to be safe…that stuff’s not cheap.

I'm thinking of stripping it, getting a molotow pen refill and spraying it.

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11 minutes ago, bluestringer said:

I'm thinking of stripping it, getting a molotow pen refill and spraying it.

I don't want to rekindle THAT discussion, but I would use Revell Chrom myself if I couldn't get a replacement tree. Round2 is still selling the kit, hopefully they can help you and you won't have to worry about long-term durability.

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I've gotten a few kits with spotted chrome like that, it tends to be the old Lindberg kits mostly. Before you strip the whole thing you might want to try just touching up the spots with Molotow. Patching spots on chrome tends to blend better that trying rechrome the entire part sometimes, especially if the patch is on the bottom where the light doesn't directly hit it.

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After checking on molotow refill and Revell Chrome, the prices are out of my budget. I was going to email Round2 but then remembered I had bought a can of Krylon Original Chrome spray at Micheals about a year ago. I decided to try it. It's not as bright as the kit chrome, but I think it looks ok.

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4 hours ago, bluestringer said:

After checking on molotow refill and Revell Chrome, the prices are out of my budget. I was going to email Round2 but then remembered I had bought a can of Krylon Original Chrome spray at Micheals about a year ago. I decided to try it. It's not as bright as the kit chrome, but I think it looks ok.

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Looks better than it did. The other two you mentioned I use for detail chrome painting along with AK super chrome. They’re not worth using otherwise unless it’s something you’re never gonna touch afterwards or hardly touch before hand.  They’re way too delicate for my liking, but that’s just me. 

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On 6/15/2024 at 6:57 PM, Dpate said:

Looks better than it did. The other two you mentioned I use for detail chrome painting along with AK super chrome. They’re not worth using otherwise unless it’s something you’re never gonna touch afterwards or hardly touch before hand.  They’re way too delicate for my liking, but that’s just me. 

If you mean you can't touch the Revell stuff, sorry but that's total BS. You just need to wait longer then normal for it to completely dry. Also you can give it a coat of Future after a week if you are really impatient.

I sprayed this rad back in February and gave it a coat of Future a few days later.  I've been handling it the same as any other part I would be using on a complicated build, meaning a lot of test fitting and it still looks the same as it did when I coated it.

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I also have some stuff laying around I had attached wheels to when I sprayed them last year with no clear on them of any kind and I can not rub the Revell spray off it or dull it by touching or rubbing it with my fingers.

 

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I've been handling the bumpers and grille I did with the Krylon and it's holding up well. And from some of the photos I've seen my 6 dollar can of Krylon Chrome looks just as good as the Revell and Molotow stuff.

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2 hours ago, bluestringer said:

I've been handling the bumpers and grille I did with the Krylon and it's holding up well. And from some of the photos I've seen my 6 dollar can of Krylon Chrome looks just as good as the Revell and Molotow stuff.

As long as you're happy with it James, that all that matters.👍

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