Chrome removal question

[Monty]

Will Simple Green, PineSol or 91% isopropyl alcohol remove model chrome and the undercoating it adheres to?

That's the goal...

[coopdad]

I have had good luck with bleach.

John

[Jordan White]

I use oven cleaner, which does require gloves and goggles. Course, it is the fresh scent and does get rid of the undercoat stuff!

[Marc @ MPC Motorsports]

Monty,

Try Super Clean or Purple Power. It will get the chrome and the undercoat. Works for me!

[LVZ2881]

Monty,

Try Super Clean or Purple Power. It will get the chrome and the undercoat. Works for me!

I use it too, removed chrome and the clear undercoat in minutes, just wear gloves.

[Scale-Master]

Oven cleaner is my first choice. It is the most economical and removes everything down to the plastic. Only use the “nasty†stuff, the low odor brands do not work well, and do use plenty of ventilation, and the aforementioned gloves…

[Monty]

Parts are soaking. Thanks everybody!

[f/liner]

Parts are soaking. Thanks everybody!

new here first one in 35 year just tryed the bleach trick thank you thankyou bets scrapping it off like i use to

[High octane]

Monty,

Go into the laundry room and pour some Clorox Bleach in a jar, add your chrome parts and cover the jar. Nuff said?

[kingiguana]

I used a wheel cleaner we have at work, its in a generic bottle, its made by Car Cleen I beleive. Anyways, its mor of a spoke acid type stuff, I stripped an entire tree of chrome in about 2 minutes. I sprayed it on. agitated witha brush, and rinsed. At this point about 90% of the chrome was gone, I sprayed a second helping, along with a dose on the back side, agitated, rinsed again, ALL of it gone ! I'd wear gloves if You have sensitve skin. I did it in the tubs at work, and rinsed my hands so no ill effects. And no damaged to the plastic, and even the under coating was gone !

[highway]

Here's what I use, and the best is it will not gas you out of the house!!

The valve covers and radiator are from a Monogram Nascar kit, and were dechromed with the Dawn Power Dissolver in about 4 hours. Here are some other parts in the Power Dissolver bath that have been there for about a week, and nothing has been done to them yet.

All that is needed is simple clean up with dish soap and maybe a light scrubbing with an old toothbrush. Since the Dawn Power Dissolver is for dishes, there are no nasty fumes or need for gloves!!

[Eric Stone]

A toilet cleaner called "The Works" also works. Haven't tried any of the generic brands...

[Wagoneer81]

Windex works as well. Just an FYI.

[Monty]

Weird - this topic was dormant for over a month then it gets dug up again. As you can see by the original post, my intent was to see if any of the household products I already had on hand would safely remove model chrome as well as the undercoating it adheres to. I didn't get a direct answer about any of those but Marc Nellis recommended the Purple Power stuff, and, as is usually the case, he was right. That stuff works very quickly. It appears that some of today's posters have found alternate means of chrome removal that worked to their satisfaction. If nothing else this thread may provide some help for future readers with the same question.

[Art Anderson]

Oven cleaner is my first choice. It is the most economical and removes everything down to the plastic. Only use the “nasty†stuff, the low odor brands do not work well, and do use plenty of ventilation, and the aforementioned gloves…

Actually, the active ingredient in both Easy-Off Oven Cleaner, and the active ingredient in SuperClean or Purple Power is exactly the same: Sodium Hydroxide, a/k/a lye (your grandmother knew what that stuff is!). Lye can be had in crystalline form, as Lewis Red Devil Lye, comes in a white plastic can with red labeling, including the requisite warning information as well.

Basically, you add lye crystals to lukewarm water, a teaspoon or so at a time, to get the strength of solution you want (never, EVER add water to lye crystals as the rapid chemical reaction can splatter the stuff on you). Whenever I've used the stuff (and I've used it for right at 60 years or so with GREAT results!) I mix the stuff quite strong, generally 5 tsp of lye crystals to 8 oz of lukewarm water (do not use hot water at all, as the chemical reaction of the lye dissolving will bring it to near boiling, but lukewarm, or about 70F is just fine in my experience. At all times when working with lye (the same caution should be a watchword with Oven Cleaners, CSC or Purple Power!!) be sure to wear both eye and hand protection, in the form of a safety eye shield (lye, whether the straight stuff or as Easy Off, Purple Power or CSC is very caustic, and will cause irreparable burns to the eyes--and I don't want to hear of any modeler being blinded for the sake of the hobby!), I bought my eye shield at Harbor Freight for the princely sum of a Dollar (looks just like those Nuclear Waste sunglasses elderly people wear over their eyeglasses, only in cystal clear). Hand protection is also very much advised, as lye will dissolve skin--my recommendation here is Nitrile Examimation Gloves (the same gloves that EMT's and Police officers use at accident and crime scenes--these are waterborne chemical proof (I use them daily when dealing with fairly strong acid solutions at work, nary even a sting because of those--Nitrile gloves also work to keep paint and thinners off your fingers when painting!).

The lye solution I have described begins stripping "chrome" from plastic parts in just a couple of seconds--I've even seen the chrome float off the plastic THEN dissolve in the lye solution, and in about 10 minutes the clear lacquer basecoat used in the vacuum plating process will lift off, and if necessary, a light scrubbing with an old toothbrush does the trick, washes that clear coating away completely. I do this under warm running water so any debris is flushed away, then be sure to completely rinse the parts, individually, under running clear water to flush away any and all lye residue. It's amazing the level of detail that is under model car kit chrome sometimes!

But, the best thing about Lewis Red Devil Lye Crystals is: It's dirt cheap! The last can I got set me back the princely sum of $2.50 about 3 years ago. As a side-benefit, straight lye is a green chemical--it's made by soaking wood ashes in water, and is completely biodegradable as well--helps keep your drains open (Yup, the key ingredient in Drano (in every drain) stuff.

But, as with any of the solutions I have mentioned, take the precautions, be safe, and of course, enjoy the results you see on your model parts.

Art

[Ddms]

Parts are soaking.

In what?

How did they come out?

[Monty]

In what?

How did they come out?

See post #14.

[charlzrocks]

Bleach works best for me!