I sanded the chrome off my bumper when I purchased my first car. 1975 Chevy Impala. The bumpers were a mess. No money to replace of have them chromed again. I decided to sand them down. I forget what I used to remove the rusted pits but I managed to get them down to bare metal. Sanded from 80 grit all the way up to 1000 grit sand paper. It came out as shiny as chrome. Some 0000 steel wool and spray bottle of water made them even nicer. Dried them the tool metal polish with a polish wheel and they were very close to the chrome when it was new. Lasted about four years before the metal began to rust from the inside of the bumper out. I was then able to afford to have them replaced with freshly chrome bumpers. Just for fun on my down time I repeated the process on the original bumpers and they looked as good as new. I also had a friend who was a welder patch the little holes (pitting) and again repeated it all over and finished with bumpers that looked like new. I later sold the original bumpers to someone who needed new bumpers. He sent them to chromed. The guy asked him why he wanted such nice looking chrome bumpers done all over again. When he told him they were bare metal polished, he asked if he knew who had polished them. I was asked if I wanted to go work for him. I turned him down.
This is an excellent video. The disclaimers are perfect. Too many people do a Google search and think that they can polish damaged chrome and completely restore it. It just doesn’t work that way and this video shows and explains the reasons why. Good job!
Wd-40 sprayed on the surface and then rubbing it with a wadded up ball of cheap aluminum foil is what was used for chrome bumpers as long as the rust hadn't caused any pitting into the surface. This was how my dad had always restored the chrome on all of the multiple different cars he has completely restored and rebuilt over the years. My very first vehicle was already 16 years old when I was born and 30 years old by the time I got my permit to learn how to drive. It was nothing but a completely stripped out and bare metal body when I decided I wanted it. It was a 64 Malibu Chevelle sedan and everything chrome on it was a salvage from junkyards and got the wd-40 and aluminum foil hand rubbed treatment and it was like it was brand new.
I refurbish drum kits and I always use WD-40 & aluminium foil on the chrome, it get's the rust off really well but as you say, it doesn't do much to the pitting.
On rusty chrome that is rust pitted beyond saving, I use a product called S.O.S steel wool pads. They are fine like the wire wool that you showed, but the difference is in the pad itself. These must be used wet as well, but the big difference is the blue soapy material that is impregnated in the pad. They are dry until activated with water which makes them a little messy but the soapy stuff is rather slippery and keeps the part lubricated and reduces scratching. I live in Canada where this product has been marketed as a method of cleaning stainless cookware. It's available at grocery and hardware stores, and has been around as long as I can remember.
Turtle Wax company makes a product called Chrome Polish & rust remover. I use it with a soft microfiber towel. When all the rust is gone I completely wash all areas with soap and water. After dry, I hand wax and polish the areas I removed the rust from. Works the best for me.
WHEN I WAS 16 ,1967 , that summer I worked in a used car lot ,I was told ,a wet rag rubded on the dirty floor dirt and grease . all the rust was removed ,, then a coating of wax IT WORKED AMAZING .. wow good videos thx Ed
If I were attempting something like this I'd use the oooo wire wool, but instead of water, I would always use WD40 as a lubricant, the added bonus is that it is left in the rusty pitted parts and does to a degree help stop the rust getting worse. Also I'd put a good wax polish on top after to try to seal the open rust pits.
The top tip is : Once you have achieved the desired finish - don't neglect to keep on top of it - otherwise it will go back to the rusty state it was in before you spend hours cleaning it in the first place.
Very good vid, faithfully carried out to answer all questions. thx Rust is not in the chrome layer, rust is in the base metal, with cheap metal base you'll always have rust punching through the chrome layer. Regular polishing will get rid of the pin head bits of rust and not allow it to grow to blisters of rust. Thx again for the vid and the other peoples comments Very helpful
Here in the States, I like to use a product called Barkeeper's Friend aka BKF for rust removal. It works very well on plastics and chrome. It consists of a mildish abrasive and Oxalic acid.
This is the only method I use on compromised chrome, except when I use Brillo pads, which are essentially the same thing as SOS. I think it might have done a little better on those remaining pits on the mud guard...maybe. Like the others, I wouldn’t use it on perfect chrome.
I suggest a bath in Evaporust. I treated a pitted chrome bicycle fork and it removed all of the rust stain as well as the rust in the fine pits. Totally harmless to steel and chrome. Leaves carbon from the rust on objects that can be removed with oil like WD40 and a soft cloth. Wish I could post a picture.
Great video! I appreciate the time you took comparing the three options. You answered my questions without having to do the comparisons myself! Good job!!!
I get the best results with steel wool, only I use thin oil instead of water. There is very little phosphoric acid in Coke and citric acid is more important in derusting. In addition, it is always a mess with Coke. But of course it always depends on the degree of rusting.
About time a real pro showed true results of DIY “repairing rust” on chrome, & big damage same means causes on new good chrome. Thanks for confirming no DIY “like new fix”, only facade of less rust damage.
Fill bathtub with water. Submerge part to be cleaned. Scrub with cotton washcloth that has dish soap added. Scrub until surface rust and soil are removed. Remove cleaned part and dry with old, clean bath towel. Scrub with Turpentine soaked cotton shop rag. Polish off turpentine with clean shop rags. Final cleaning with window cleaner and newspaper. Final step is to apply three coats of carnuba wax.
Great video. Once you've removed the rust from the old part, how to you recommend protecting it from future corrosion? Is there a good wax or film? Thank you.
Interesting comparison, especially since you also risked ruining your newly chromed fender! I belive using phosphoric acid is a gentler and more effective process that also leave a protective coating. I finish by spraying a clear coat of paint on the part to further prevent it from rusting again.
I actually experimented on a nickel plated surface with a thick film on it using fine steel wool at first, not crazy about that though it was quick, next used I Brasso and then used Blue magic to go over all the areas. The steel wool did leave scratches and I didn't like that very much. The Blue Magic helped reduce the scratches from the steel wool. I didn't go at it too long since I didn't want to thin out the plating. The item I experimented with didn't have rust pits on it so the Brasso and Blue Magic gave me the fastest and best results. I also tried using the steel wool and Blue Magic together but still got more scratches than I wanted. I have also seen people use aluminum foil and water and that worked fairly well. I have rusty bumpers that need work and I will be experimenting with those as well. I think, when you have rust pitting, you have to use either the aluminum or the steel wool to have the best chance of cleaning those up. Thanks for your experiment.
Using the polish with the steel wool would be better, or the polish with a 2000 grit wet polishpaper, that usually removes most of the small nits, but the chrome surface will naturally still be broken. A good wax treatment should follow.
I have tried all of those methods but recently tried one of those stainless looking pan scrubs from £1 shop with a bit of the pink 'Jizer' degreaser as lubricant...still bodgey really (you can't beat rechroming if pitted at all) but gave the best results. I thought it would badly scratch the chrome but surprisingly it didn't. These guys did my rear mudguard, fork ears and rear lamp bracket from my Honda CB500K0 a couple of years ago. A very professional service plus very reasonable price and delivery time. Would definitely recommend and I have used about 6 UK firms over the years. I only dropped by their stand at Stafford to enquire if another chromer local to them, who I had used in the past, was at the show. Alan just booked in my parts, gave me an instant, written quote and Bobs your uncle.
I've used a gelled rust "converter" based on phosphoric acid before -- just apply, then wipe off with a paper towel and rinse. No scratches, but it can't fix the bumps, and only provides minor protection.
I did my own tests too. Turned pits into scratches with pits! They looked really good rechromed! My lady has a couple of stone bites on chromed wheels. I would like to try good cleaning followed by some king of electroplating. They are not big and bad but I see them every time she drives up.
Best method I've found is to submerge your parts in white vinegar for a day or two then wash down, dry using compressed air and a cloth and polish with Autosol using a buffing wheel. I've done chrome air cleaner tops, rocker covers and other engine parts that way. I use a 50 litre storage tub with a clip down lid. You can keep the vinegar indefinitely, when it gets a little dirty strain it through some cheese cloth or other breathable material and off you go again. Any part that has mild rust pitting, once cleaned dried & polished seal with automotive clear coat (Aerosol can) from your local auto parts store or paint supplier and it will never rust again, the shine will stay and there after you'll be polishing the clear coat and not the chrome plating. The clear coat protects the part from future rust should the part get wet. Clear coat can always be re applied should you polish the part to death.
try this on rusty chrome it works for me i have used it on chrome wire rims you will need a bucket of hot water and some dawn dishwashing soap very fine steel wool/ SOS PADS you don't need much of the soap about 1 cup to a bucket full of hot water the soap helps the steel wool to not scratch as it lubricates the chrome and makes it easy to clean as it will be slippery you do not have to rub hard at all just keep alot of the water mix on the chrome as you lightly rub in strate lines Once you have achieved your desired finish you will need a water bottle with clean water and a micro fiber towel or soft rag to clean and dry as needed
I'd use a combination. 1st coke and alu to "remove" rust and knock down the worst high spots, then steel wool to even out the scratches, and last a much better/less abrasive polish. (and a polishing machine of a sort) It surely will not hold 20-30 years, but for the summer to go to meetings and cruising it will be OK, and then get it done properly in the winter.
a couple of helpful hints: superfine steel wool used gently and dry on a dirty/tarnished surface will bring it up. Adding water makes it cut more, like wet and dry sandpaper, and destroys a gloss finish. I think the metal polish you used was the wrong one? They make a for "chrome" version, but any polish is an abrasive. thx. ps: when polishing anything, don't do circles if you can avoid it. It always leaves swirl marks.
Thank you for the all your testing, I bought a classic bike from a guy who used the same metal polish you used, as brilliant as it looks it does have super fine swirls, that same brand of polish also make an extra fine compound called Shine, being extra fine could it remove the swirls left by the normal polish?
I've been known to apply Autosol polish with the 0000 wire wool, and then I use another metal polish called Mothers which is less abrasive to try and remove some of the swirling. It doesn't make it perfect, as you say nothing short of a replate will, but I've had satisfactory results on a limited budget doing that. As an alternative and stronger source of phosphoric acid you could buy 'Milk Stone Remover' from a farm supplies place - I used that as a rust remover bath for a while but now I find Bilt Hamber's Deox-C is better than anything I can make myself as the parts don't suffer from flash rusting so much when removed from the bath as with the pure phosphoric acid. For that reason, I probably wouldn't put coke or any source of phosphoric acid on a metal part now as I reckon once down in the pits it'll accelerate the rusting after the fact (unless you neutralise it, maybe with sodium carbonate a.k.a soda crystals ?).
The Aluminum has to be turned and cycled as the water conducts the chemical draw from pulling the rust off TO the new Foil. as you may have noticed the foil became brittle as takes a tarnished tint to it.
What an excellent test that you included perfect chrome too. I would however suggest you used the wrong polish and used paper which are not thing someone should do. Obviously, aluminium foil and wire wool do both make rusty chrome look better than rusty chrome, but they both cause scratches as you showed and leave worse results than the best method. What they do is sacrifice the good chrome in order to order to remove rust. There is a better way. The best method is a variation of your polishing method: 1. 24 hour pre-soak in WD40, or coat the part in WD40 and leave for 24h if soaking is not possible 2. Wipe of WD-40 and loosened rust with a clean microfibre towel, ensuring you switch to a clean part of cloth when rust rust or chrome flakes are evident on the towel. This avoids scratching. The part will already look mush improved, it will be clean and you can now see the true extent of any damage 3. Any rust remaining can be knocked off with soft scraper made of wood, like half a traditional springy clothes peg be careful to minimise dragging rust and chrome flakes accross the part. Use lots of WD40 and do not scrape across the surface of good chrome. Any pitting left will be smaller and less ugly than the rust blotch 4. Metal polish the good chrome will come up like a mirror You will only have any damage caused by rust pitting. Any chrome not subject to rust pitting will be as good as new. You will not get such results from any abrasive methods, you will have no good chrome if you cover it in micro-scratches! Never use paper to polish chrome! It's an abrasive material in itself. Different polishes have different properties the best I've found for chrome is CarPro Mettalicut. Obviously you wouldn't need any cut at all on perfect chrome. but you can get mirror shine with this polish. Nothing beats a quality rechrome! And looking after it properly though!
A detailed friend of mine swears by, wheel cleaning acid, I’m not actually sure what that’s made of, maybe it is phosphoric acid, but not for wasted chrome. What I can’t figure out what to use for, is boot or sneaker melted stains.
Why mess w a good, chromed part? also I have used wd40 and aluminum foil on many vintage guitar parts with good results . Best wishes , ill be restoring a few vehicles in the future glad I found this .
I'm a little late to the party here, but just ran across this video. I'm weighing in from the US here, so I don't know how many of the products I will mention (or ones like them) are available in the UK. Regarding your moderately rusty first fender: I would first approach that with a product we have here called "Zud". It's available in many hardware stores and a few supermarkets and its a white scouring powder that contains calcium sulfate hydrate and oxalic acid. I would wet the fender, sprinkle on a liberal amount of "Zud" and work it into a slurry then let it sit for 10 minutes. Then, scrub with a plastic scrubby pad like "Scotchbrite" and rinse well with clear water. As previously mentioned, S.O.S pads work very well and could be used if "Zud" cannot be found. By this time, many of the rust pits will simply be gone and the rest should be invisible from a few feet away. There is also a great line of polishing products available here under the name of "Mother's". They make a great metal polish that doesn't scratch, and they have a special foam polishing spinner called a "Powerball" that is embedded with aluminum oxide bits and is designed to spin on a drill with their polish. After a session with all that, I think it would be hard to see any pitting at all from farther away than a foot or so. Regarding the second re-chromed fender, I find it difficult to believe you'd want to address that with anything more aggressive than a good cleaner wax. As you folks say, Cheers!
I have an old boat bow light that is chrome plated brass. Looks like over the course of 70 years the elements have caused it to have large gauges in it. Is there anything that I can do the remove fill them in before repainting?
Really appreciate the video, learnt a lot! I’ve never like autosol for the exact reason you show. Much prefer a re chrome and use wax products which have no abrasives.
I know I'm not a pro but I use a product called Navel Jelly first it removes the rust on chrome and painted surfaces with out harming the paint or chrome
Thank you for a great video. I always wondered which method is best for golf shafts and heads. Which method protects the chrome from future rust. Can some of the methods be combined to improve the results. Is WD-40 a useful product for removing rust on chrome.
I no longer use steel wool. Found that small pieces will embed themselves and later start rust again. I wondered why i was getting rust on some of my stainless steel and found that on those pieces i had used steel wool. Same on aluminum. So again, i have abandoned steel wool.
Is the metal polish good old Simechrome polish? Use microfiber clothes to add the polish and remove it as well. Steel wool no matter how fine will scratch any chrome surface.
I'd wash it top and bottom with SOS soap pads then put it in a storage container and submerge it in Automatic transmission fluid,....you could leave it there through the off season. And that would probably make it all better. I have a fender that would scare you,....I just bought another off of ebay. My aluminum radiator trim looked terrible I sanded it with 150 grit then polished it and you could still see the salt damage,...I think I'll just paint it.
Coat with iron fallout remover then wire wool honestly much better than water then I’d go over the entire thing with normal car paint polish polish with a glass microfibre and finally protect it with a ceramic coating to slow the pitting reoccurring but use loads of iron fallout and lots of car paint polish to help remove the fine scratching left behind by wire wool if you use it on wire wheels you may need to re wash the wheel to remove left over polish dry it then ceramic coat the entire wheel for wire wheels use maguires spray on ceramic to get it in all the impossible to reach places otherwise use one that comes with an application pad I got a 25 year old Yamaha looking good this way not perfect but perfectly presentable
New or good I’d spray it with a degreaser make sure it’s spotless then go over it with with furniture polish with a glass cloth then go over it with a ceramic coating to maintain it and stop it corroding in the first place
I have a Nishiki 🚲 made in Kawamura Japan. Any methods thst dont require steel wool....or could I use a cotton cloth with the first product you used as to not damge further?
You should wax after you do the buffing i just put monster energy drink on my crome and got cloudy so then im hitting it with lockease lubrication and looks nicer
I have used aluminium foil with phosphoric acid rust treating gel. Doesn’t run off and the rust is treated as well. Follow up with a good fine polish then wax.
The steel wool need more than just water. It needs to be sope water. Then it’s way more protective to the Crome. Here in Denmark you can buy steel wool with sope already in it Then just soke in water 👍😊🇩🇰
I accidentally spilled toilet bowl cleaner on the bathroom pipe which is chrome plated. Now there are few dark (black colored) spots on the chrome pipe. Is there a way to remove this?
Keep new chrome clean with soft clothes and soapy water .... the best way to bring up the first mudgaurd is a citric acid bath and a very light scotchbright or steel wool and a throughor clean off to nuetralise it wipe over with lanotech to protect it
Probably doesn’t make any difference , but I always use something like PB Blaster when I use the super fine steel wool. Really enjoy your content….Thanks for posting!
Is there a product like a wax or something we can restore the micro finish? So if you put a flash light over the work done, you see that the polish, wool and foil takes away that glossy film, tiny scratches. I'm wondering if there is a wax or Something to put over afterwards. Silver polish seems the best and less damaging but leaves a dry finish. I've even tried red and white compound which made a mess of the chrome.
The Coca Cola is unnecessary IMO. Plenty of water and a dash of soap to provide plenty of lubrication as obviously the foil is non-porous. Best to keep dipping the foil into water before applying.
New chrome needs protection - a good wax polish will seal the microscopic routes down to the base metal which causes the pitting when in contact with moisture. A chrome plater years ago stated that Windolene was the best, (no longer available as a pink cream), nothing abrasive like Solvol
Hello. I want to make a transaction regarding my motorcycle. However, I cannot tell whether the coating is chrome or nickel plated. Decorative chrome plating may also be under nickel plating. Should I prepare a separate solution for both or is there a solution that removes both at the same time? Finally, do I need to do chrome plating over nickel plating to get a very shiny appearance? Because I also want it to be durable.
0000 steel wool soap pad....scrub with water.... rinse off.... Cerium oxide... Use a piece of raw leather to polish it... wipe clean with a microfiber cloth. Works for glass and chrome.
I wonder if those new Laser cleaners would do a decent job? It would definitely remove the rust and dirt, and hopefully the Chrome & Nickel would reflect the beam and leave a decent and relatively undamaged finish. Of course you'd have to take a LOT of precautions, as the laser is VERY powerful and reflections would be dangerous. One BIG problem is the Laser itself will cost you around $11,000..... Just a LITTLE more expensive than ANY of the other three, and probably more than Rechroming!
@@ChromeandCarRestoration COOL! I'm new to your channel - I just found it yesterday. It would be cool to see how it does on the rust that "infects" chrome - but if you do try it - PLEASE be careful! And yeah - I just found those videos! SWEET MACHINE!
I've always been confused as to the purpose of chrome plating. I was lead to believe that it is a method of protecting steel that also happens to have a beautiful finish. However, it is obvious that chrome plating is very poor at protecting steel, so I can only presume it is used for aesthetic reasons and much care is required to maintain it. Considering the process required to achieve a beutiful chrome plate, you'd think it would be almost indestructable with rust having no chance of getting through. Can anybody enlighten me here?
I sanded the chrome off my bumper when I purchased my first car. 1975 Chevy Impala. The bumpers were a mess. No money to replace of have them chromed again. I decided to sand them down. I forget what I used to remove the rusted pits but I managed to get them down to bare metal. Sanded from 80 grit all the way up to 1000 grit sand paper. It came out as shiny as chrome. Some 0000 steel wool and spray bottle of water made them even nicer. Dried them the tool metal polish with a polish wheel and they were very close to the chrome when it was new. Lasted about four years before the metal began to rust from the inside of the bumper out. I was then able to afford to have them replaced with freshly chrome bumpers. Just for fun on my down time I repeated the process on the original bumpers and they looked as good as new. I also had a friend who was a welder patch the little holes (pitting) and again repeated it all over and finished with bumpers that looked like new. I later sold the original bumpers to someone who needed new bumpers. He sent them to chromed. The guy asked him why he wanted such nice looking chrome bumpers done all over again. When he told him they were bare metal polished, he asked if he knew who had polished them. I was asked if I wanted to go work for him. I turned him down.
Great story. Thanks for sharing.
^None of that "he wanted me to work for them" ever happened. Stop LYING people can tell.
This is an excellent video. The disclaimers are perfect. Too many people do a Google search and think that they can polish damaged chrome and completely restore it. It just doesn’t work that way and this video shows and explains the reasons why. Good job!
Wd-40 sprayed on the surface and then rubbing it with a wadded up ball of cheap aluminum foil is what was used for chrome bumpers as long as the rust hadn't caused any pitting into the surface. This was how my dad had always restored the chrome on all of the multiple different cars he has completely restored and rebuilt over the years. My very first vehicle was already 16 years old when I was born and 30 years old by the time I got my permit to learn how to drive. It was nothing but a completely stripped out and bare metal body when I decided I wanted it. It was a 64 Malibu Chevelle sedan and everything chrome on it was a salvage from junkyards and got the wd-40 and aluminum foil hand rubbed treatment and it was like it was brand new.
will try ur method on my royal Enfield engine... I have WD40.. Just need the almuniam foil
Would that work on aluminum rims?
@@souvikprofilehave you tried?
I refurbish drum kits and I always use WD-40 & aluminium foil on the chrome, it get's the rust off really well but as you say, it doesn't do much to the pitting.
That's what I do
On rusty chrome that is rust pitted beyond saving, I use a product called S.O.S steel wool pads. They are fine like the wire wool that you showed, but the difference is in the pad itself. These must be used wet as well, but the big difference is the blue soapy material that is impregnated in the pad. They are dry until activated with water which makes them a little messy but the soapy stuff is rather slippery and keeps the part lubricated and reduces scratching. I live in Canada where this product has been marketed as a method of cleaning stainless cookware. It's available at grocery and hardware stores, and has been around as long as I can remember.
We call them Brillo Pads here in UK
@@rattylolsame in the U.S.
Brilliant pads and SOS pads are the same but different. Just like Coke and Pepsi. I can buy either one at the store. (I prefer SOS and Pepsi) 😊
Turtle Wax company makes a product called Chrome Polish & rust remover. I use it with a soft microfiber towel. When all the rust is gone I completely wash all areas with soap and water. After dry, I hand wax and polish the areas I removed the rust from. Works the best for me.
Good to see those methods tested by someone who knows what they are doing. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it
Very good examples to follow thank you
Steel wool puts minute scratchs.if you can find get brass wool no stratchs.@@ChromeandCarRestoration
WHEN I WAS 16 ,1967 , that summer I worked in a used car lot ,I was told ,a wet rag rubded on the dirty floor dirt and grease . all the rust was removed ,, then a coating of wax IT WORKED AMAZING ..
wow good videos thx Ed
Never heard of that method, thanks for the info.
If I were attempting something like this I'd use the oooo wire wool, but instead of water, I would always use WD40 as a lubricant, the added bonus is that it is left in the rusty pitted parts and does to a degree help stop the rust getting worse. Also I'd put a good wax polish on top after to try to seal the open rust pits.
That very interesting to see all methods side by side. I can’t recall anyone ever doing a comparison like this before👍 Really nice, thank you 🙂
Thank you! Cheers!
The top tip is : Once you have achieved the desired finish - don't neglect to keep on top of it - otherwise it will go back to the rusty state it was in before you spend hours cleaning it in the first place.
Youa are correct.
Most people don't even know how to clean and polish their bike at home so it just gets neglected regardless
Very good vid, faithfully carried out to answer all questions. thx
Rust is not in the chrome layer, rust is in the base metal, with cheap metal base you'll always have rust punching through the chrome layer.
Regular polishing will get rid of the pin head bits of rust and not allow it to grow to blisters of rust.
Thx again for the vid and the other peoples comments Very helpful
Here in the States, I like to use a product called Barkeeper's Friend aka BKF for rust removal. It works very well on plastics and chrome. It consists of a mildish abrasive and Oxalic acid.
Thanks for the info.
This is the only method I use on compromised chrome, except when I use Brillo pads, which are essentially the same thing as SOS. I think it might have done a little better on those remaining pits on the mud guard...maybe. Like the others, I wouldn’t use it on perfect chrome.
I suggest a bath in Evaporust. I treated a pitted chrome bicycle fork and it removed all of the rust stain as well as the rust in the fine pits. Totally harmless to steel and chrome. Leaves carbon from the rust on objects that can be removed with oil like WD40 and a soft cloth. Wish I could post a picture.
Never tried that. I feel an experiment coming on.
Never tried that. I feel an experiment coming on.
Great video! I appreciate the time you took comparing the three options. You answered my questions without having to do the comparisons myself! Good job!!!
Happy to help
I get the best results with steel wool, only I use thin oil instead of water. There is very little phosphoric acid in Coke and citric acid is more important in derusting. In addition, it is always a mess with Coke. But of course it always depends on the degree of rusting.
About time a real pro showed true results of DIY “repairing rust” on chrome, & big damage same means causes on new good chrome. Thanks for confirming no DIY “like new fix”, only facade of less rust damage.
Thanks
Fill bathtub with water. Submerge part to be cleaned. Scrub with cotton washcloth that has dish soap added. Scrub until surface rust and soil are removed. Remove cleaned part and dry with old, clean bath towel. Scrub with Turpentine soaked cotton shop rag. Polish off turpentine with clean shop rags. Final cleaning with window cleaner and newspaper. Final step is to apply three coats of carnuba wax.
Thanks for the info!
Thanks! I'm just about to restore some chrome for the first time and couldn't decide which method to use.
Great video. Once you've removed the rust from the old part, how to you recommend protecting it from future corrosion? Is there a good wax or film? Thank you.
This test made by a pro is of great value.
Interesting comparison, especially since you also risked ruining your newly chromed fender! I belive using phosphoric acid is a gentler and more effective process that also leave a protective coating. I finish by spraying a clear coat of paint on the part to further prevent it from rusting again.
Thanks for the info.
Phosphoric acid can protect bare steel so it might help on the pitted part. Where the chrome isn't damaged, no such protection is achieved.
I actually experimented on a nickel plated surface with a thick film on it using fine steel wool at first, not crazy about that though it was quick, next used I Brasso and then used Blue magic to go over all the areas. The steel wool did leave scratches and I didn't like that very much. The Blue Magic helped reduce the scratches from the steel wool. I didn't go at it too long since I didn't want to thin out the plating. The item I experimented with didn't have rust pits on it so the Brasso and Blue Magic gave me the fastest and best results. I also tried using the steel wool and Blue Magic together but still got more scratches than I wanted. I have also seen people use aluminum foil and water and that worked fairly well. I have rusty bumpers that need work and I will be experimenting with those as well. I think, when you have rust pitting, you have to use either the aluminum or the steel wool to have the best chance of cleaning those up. Thanks for your experiment.
Thank you sir for taking the time doing this for me and all the others that are wondering
Thanks
Using the polish with the steel wool would be better, or the polish with a 2000 grit wet polishpaper, that usually removes most of the small nits, but the chrome surface will naturally still be broken. A good wax treatment should follow.
I have tried all of those methods but recently tried one of those stainless looking pan scrubs from £1 shop with a bit of the pink 'Jizer' degreaser as lubricant...still bodgey really (you can't beat rechroming if pitted at all) but gave the best results. I thought it would badly scratch the chrome but surprisingly it didn't.
These guys did my rear mudguard, fork ears and rear lamp bracket from my Honda CB500K0 a couple of years ago. A very professional service plus very reasonable price and delivery time. Would definitely recommend and I have used about 6 UK firms over the years. I only dropped by their stand at Stafford to enquire if another chromer local to them, who I had used in the past, was at the show. Alan just booked in my parts, gave me an instant, written quote and Bobs your uncle.
Thanks for the positive comments.
I've used a gelled rust "converter" based on phosphoric acid before -- just apply, then wipe off with a paper towel and rinse. No scratches, but it can't fix the bumps, and only provides minor protection.
Thanks for the tip
I did my own tests too. Turned pits into scratches with pits! They looked really good rechromed! My lady has a couple of stone bites on chromed wheels. I would like to try good cleaning followed by some king of electroplating. They are not big and bad but I see them every time she drives up.
Best method I've found is to submerge your parts in white vinegar for a day or two then wash down, dry using compressed air and a cloth and polish with Autosol using a buffing wheel. I've done chrome air cleaner tops, rocker covers and other engine parts that way. I use a 50 litre storage tub with a clip down lid. You can keep the vinegar indefinitely, when it gets a little dirty strain it through some cheese cloth or other breathable material and off you go again.
Any part that has mild rust pitting, once cleaned dried & polished seal with automotive clear coat (Aerosol can) from your local auto parts store or paint supplier and it will never rust again, the shine will stay and there after you'll be polishing the clear coat and not the chrome plating. The clear coat protects the part from future rust should the part get wet. Clear coat can always be re applied should you polish the part to death.
Thanks for the tip
Coke and steel whool is a must have in the hood if you got rims, used rims
I found oxalic acid works well on rusty chrome, sold as wood bleach in hardware stores. I just make a paste, brush it on and wipe it.
Sounds good
try this on rusty chrome it works for me i have used it on chrome wire rims you will need a bucket of hot water and some dawn dishwashing soap very fine steel wool/ SOS PADS you don't need much of the soap about 1 cup to a bucket full of hot water the soap helps the steel wool to not scratch as it lubricates the chrome and makes it easy to clean as it will be slippery you do not have to rub hard at all just keep alot of the water mix on the chrome as you lightly rub in strate lines Once you have achieved your desired finish you will need a water bottle with clean water and a micro fiber towel or soft rag to clean and dry as needed
Very much appreciate this video. And actually enjoyed the music that you had playing in the background
Glad you enjoyed it!
I'd use a combination. 1st coke and alu to "remove" rust and knock down the worst high spots, then steel wool to even out the scratches, and last a much better/less abrasive polish. (and a polishing machine of a sort) It surely will not hold 20-30 years, but for the summer to go to meetings and cruising it will be OK, and then get it done properly in the winter.
All those ideas sound good, especially the last one.
Love your videos. I could do without the music. For me, the sound of your voice and the work itself is enough.
😉
Great job on this comparison test,
You even included a scratch test,
Good information 👍
Glad you liked it!
a couple of helpful hints: superfine steel wool used gently and dry on a dirty/tarnished surface will bring it up. Adding water makes it cut more, like wet and dry sandpaper, and destroys a gloss finish.
I think the metal polish you used was the wrong one? They make a for "chrome" version, but any polish is an abrasive. thx.
ps: when polishing anything, don't do circles if you can avoid it. It always leaves swirl marks.
Thank you for the all your testing, I bought a classic bike from a guy who used the same metal polish you used, as brilliant as it looks it does have super fine swirls, that same brand of polish also make an extra fine compound called Shine, being extra fine could it remove the swirls left by the normal polish?
wire wool 0000 then do the polish is what I use. Works great with that combo.
I've been known to apply Autosol polish with the 0000 wire wool, and then I use another metal polish called Mothers which is less abrasive to try and remove some of the swirling. It doesn't make it perfect, as you say nothing short of a replate will, but I've had satisfactory results on a limited budget doing that. As an alternative and stronger source of phosphoric acid you could buy 'Milk Stone Remover' from a farm supplies place - I used that as a rust remover bath for a while but now I find Bilt Hamber's Deox-C is better than anything I can make myself as the parts don't suffer from flash rusting so much when removed from the bath as with the pure phosphoric acid. For that reason, I probably wouldn't put coke or any source of phosphoric acid on a metal part now as I reckon once down in the pits it'll accelerate the rusting after the fact (unless you neutralise it, maybe with sodium carbonate a.k.a soda crystals ?).
The Aluminum has to be turned and cycled as the water conducts the chemical draw from pulling the rust off TO the new Foil. as you may have noticed the foil became brittle as takes a tarnished tint to it.
Thanks for the tip
What an excellent test that you included perfect chrome too. I would however suggest you used the wrong polish and used paper which are not thing someone should do. Obviously, aluminium foil and wire wool do both make rusty chrome look better than rusty chrome, but they both cause scratches as you showed and leave worse results than the best method. What they do is sacrifice the good chrome in order to order to remove rust. There is a better way. The best method is a variation of your polishing method:
1. 24 hour pre-soak in WD40, or coat the part in WD40 and leave for 24h if soaking is not possible
2. Wipe of WD-40 and loosened rust with a clean microfibre towel, ensuring you switch to a clean part of cloth when rust rust or chrome flakes are evident on the towel. This avoids scratching. The part will already look mush improved, it will be clean and you can now see the true extent of any damage
3. Any rust remaining can be knocked off with soft scraper made of wood, like half a traditional springy clothes peg be careful to minimise dragging rust and chrome flakes accross the part. Use lots of WD40 and do not scrape across the surface of good chrome. Any pitting left will be smaller and less ugly than the rust blotch
4. Metal polish the good chrome will come up like a mirror
You will only have any damage caused by rust pitting. Any chrome not subject to rust pitting will be as good as new. You will not get such results from any abrasive methods, you will have no good chrome if you cover it in micro-scratches! Never use paper to polish chrome! It's an abrasive material in itself. Different polishes have different properties the best I've found for chrome is CarPro Mettalicut. Obviously you wouldn't need any cut at all on perfect chrome. but you can get mirror shine with this polish. Nothing beats a quality rechrome! And looking after it properly though!
Very comprehensive suggestion. Sounds very good.
@@ChromeandCarRestoration When I need something rechromed, I'm going to ask you guys!
@@hydorah Thanks. Look forward to meeting you in due course.
A detailed friend of mine swears by, wheel cleaning acid, I’m not actually sure what that’s made of, maybe it is phosphoric acid, but not for wasted chrome. What I can’t figure out what to use for, is boot or sneaker melted stains.
a strong solvent should help get that off an will not damage the chrome
Why mess w a good, chromed part? also I have used wd40 and aluminum foil on many vintage guitar parts with good results . Best wishes , ill be restoring a few vehicles in the future glad I found this .
Very honest and thorough review. Thanks for your sharing your hard work.
Thanks
I'm a little late to the party here, but just ran across this video. I'm weighing in from the US here, so I don't know how many of the products I will mention (or ones like them) are available in the UK. Regarding your moderately rusty first fender: I would first approach that with a product we have here called "Zud". It's available in many hardware stores and a few supermarkets and its a white scouring powder that contains calcium sulfate hydrate and oxalic acid. I would wet the fender, sprinkle on a liberal amount of "Zud" and work it into a slurry then let it sit for 10 minutes. Then, scrub with a plastic scrubby pad like "Scotchbrite" and rinse well with clear water. As previously mentioned, S.O.S pads work very well and could be used if "Zud" cannot be found. By this time, many of the rust pits will simply be gone and the rest should be invisible from a few feet away. There is also a great line of polishing products available here under the name of "Mother's". They make a great metal polish that doesn't scratch, and they have a special foam polishing spinner called a "Powerball" that is embedded with aluminum oxide bits and is designed to spin on a drill with their polish. After a session with all that, I think it would be hard to see any pitting at all from farther away than a foot or so. Regarding the second re-chromed fender, I find it difficult to believe you'd want to address that with anything more aggressive than a good cleaner wax. As you folks say, Cheers!
Thanks for the info.
Very happy I found your channel. God Bless 🙏🏿
I have an old boat bow light that is chrome plated brass. Looks like over the course of 70 years the elements have caused it to have large gauges in it. Is there anything that I can do the remove fill them in before repainting?
Really appreciate the video, learnt a lot!
I’ve never like autosol for the exact reason you show. Much prefer a re chrome and use wax products which have no abrasives.
Thanks for watching!
I know I'm not a pro but I use a product called Navel Jelly first it removes the rust on chrome and painted surfaces with out harming the paint or chrome
Used that stuff on car bodywork in my youth but have never tried it on chrome
Thank you for a great video. I always wondered which method is best for golf shafts and heads. Which method protects the chrome from future rust. Can some of the methods be combined to improve the results. Is WD-40 a useful product for removing rust on chrome.
How about using baby talcum powder. This old method for shining chrome than using metal polish
What Autosol is best for is plain Aluminium parts such as engine covers.
Cant advise you on this as we dont use those sort of polishes.
What do you recommend to clean chrome with out damaging it?
I no longer use steel wool. Found that small pieces will embed themselves and later start rust again. I wondered why i was getting rust on some of my stainless steel and found that on those pieces i had used steel wool. Same on aluminum. So again, i have abandoned steel wool.
You can't use steel on aluminum....you created/added to the oxidation process you were trying to fix.
Is the metal polish good old Simechrome polish? Use microfiber clothes to add the polish and remove it as well. Steel wool no matter how fine will scratch any chrome surface.
Any liquid lighter fluids also lockease worked really fast on my job wasnt something terrible it was starting to oxide pitting
I'd wash it top and bottom with SOS soap pads then put it in a storage container and submerge it in Automatic transmission fluid,....you could leave it there through the off season.
And that would probably make it all better.
I have a fender that would scare you,....I just bought another off of ebay.
My aluminum radiator trim looked terrible I sanded it with 150 grit then polished it and you could still see the salt damage,...I think I'll just paint it.
Well done. Thanks for the thorough experiment.
Thank you too
Nice ideas for people who want a quick look.
Thanks for the comment.
I use CIF on the chrome on my harley in fact on paint work as well used to be called JIF I recall.
Coat with iron fallout remover then wire wool honestly much better than water then I’d go over the entire thing with normal car paint polish polish with a glass microfibre and finally protect it with a ceramic coating to slow the pitting reoccurring but use loads of iron fallout and lots of car paint polish to help remove the fine scratching left behind by wire wool if you use it on wire wheels you may need to re wash the wheel to remove left over polish dry it then ceramic coat the entire wheel for wire wheels use maguires spray on ceramic to get it in all the impossible to reach places otherwise use one that comes with an application pad I got a 25 year old Yamaha looking good this way not perfect but perfectly presentable
New or good I’d spray it with a degreaser make sure it’s spotless then go over it with with furniture polish with a glass cloth then go over it with a ceramic coating to maintain it and stop it corroding in the first place
I have had success with Lime away then using a whitewall cleaner to neutralize the lime away.
Already love it. Mates from across the pond
Thanks
I have a Nishiki 🚲 made in Kawamura Japan. Any methods thst dont require steel wool....or could I use a cotton cloth with the first product you used as to not damge further?
Excellent information and help. I'm working on a similar project.
Good luck with your project.
You should wax after you do the buffing i just put monster energy drink on my crome and got cloudy so then im hitting it with lockease lubrication and looks nicer
I have used aluminium foil with phosphoric acid rust treating gel. Doesn’t run off and the rust is treated as well. Follow up with a good fine polish then wax.
The steel wool need more than just water. It needs to be sope water. Then it’s way more protective to the Crome. Here in Denmark you can buy steel wool with sope already in it Then just soke in water 👍😊🇩🇰
I accidentally spilled toilet bowl cleaner on the bathroom pipe which is chrome plated. Now there are few dark (black colored) spots on the chrome pipe. Is there a way to remove this?
Sounds like it needs a re-chrome. Many toilet cleaners use the same acid we use to remove plating.
how much approximately would it cost for 2 or 3 small overriders off a Daimler ds 420 please??
Keep new chrome clean with soft clothes and soapy water .... the best way to bring up the first mudgaurd is a citric acid bath and a very light scotchbright or steel wool and a throughor clean off to nuetralise it wipe over with lanotech to protect it
Does with work on brushed chrome too?
Probably doesn’t make any difference , but I always use something like PB Blaster when I use the super fine steel wool.
Really enjoy your content….Thanks for posting!
Great idea. PB Blaster is really good stuff. I use it for releasing stuck nuts etc. I should think your method would work well.
Is there a product like a wax or something we can restore the micro finish? So if you put a flash light over the work done, you see that the polish, wool and foil takes away that glossy film, tiny scratches. I'm wondering if there is a wax or Something to put over afterwards. Silver polish seems the best and less damaging but leaves a dry finish. I've even tried red and white compound which made a mess of the chrome.
The Coca Cola is unnecessary IMO. Plenty of water and a dash of soap to provide plenty of lubrication as obviously the foil is non-porous. Best to keep dipping the foil into water before applying.
It is the phosphoric acid in the coke doing some of the work.
New chrome needs protection - a good wax polish will seal the microscopic routes down to the base metal which causes the pitting when in contact with moisture.
A chrome plater years ago stated that Windolene was the best, (no longer available as a pink cream), nothing abrasive like Solvol
Hello. I want to make a transaction regarding my motorcycle. However, I cannot tell whether the coating is chrome or nickel plated. Decorative chrome plating may also be under nickel plating. Should I prepare a separate solution for both or is there a solution that removes both at the same time? Finally, do I need to do chrome plating over nickel plating to get a very shiny appearance? Because I also want it to be durable.
Excelent content! Just subscribed! Best regards and thanks!
Thanks and welcome
So what do we clean good no chrome with Windex and a soft cloth --soap and water
EIther of those will do it, or any silver polish.
Very informative. Thank you for sharing!
It's been said before but you don't use the wire wool without a lubricant or metal polish/cleaner.
0000 steel wool soap pad....scrub with water.... rinse off.... Cerium oxide...
Use a piece of raw leather to polish it... wipe clean with a microfiber cloth.
Works for glass and chrome.
Thanks for the tip
Key is to use the polish with the steel wool
Thanks for the tip
This is excellent comparisons, thank you very much!!
Very thorough 👌🏾
Glad you think so!
What polish did you use?
I wonder how the wool with coke would work. Thank you.
I wonder if those new Laser cleaners would do a decent job? It would definitely remove the rust and dirt, and hopefully the Chrome & Nickel would reflect the beam and leave a decent and relatively undamaged finish. Of course you'd have to take a LOT of precautions, as the laser is VERY powerful and reflections would be dangerous.
One BIG problem is the Laser itself will cost you around $11,000..... Just a LITTLE more expensive than ANY of the other three, and probably more than Rechroming!
You need to look at my channel videos. I have a laser cleaner
@@ChromeandCarRestoration COOL! I'm new to your channel - I just found it yesterday. It would be cool to see how it does on the rust that "infects" chrome - but if you do try it - PLEASE be careful! And yeah - I just found those videos! SWEET MACHINE!
What about wire wool with polish?
Great demonstration! Thank you!
I thought the steel wool was a box of donuts. Blimey, donuts already. Where's the tea?
top man honest hard work thank yiu
How would you polish chrome?
Use diesel with the wire wool as a rust solvent.
Steele whole with lacquer thinner is the best.
I've always been confused as to the purpose of chrome plating. I was lead to believe that it is a method of protecting steel that also happens to have a beautiful finish. However, it is obvious that chrome plating is very poor at protecting steel, so I can only presume it is used for aesthetic reasons and much care is required to maintain it.
Considering the process required to achieve a beutiful chrome plate, you'd think it would be almost indestructable with rust having no chance of getting through. Can anybody enlighten me here?
Zinc plating actually protects steel, acting as a sacrificial anode; chome only gives it a superficial shine.
MR Sheen is what we use on new chrome before it leaves our plating factory, nothing else .
What about coke with a less abrasive cloth or something? I'm going to give that a go.
LOL lovely chrome stained hands i remember that also chrome & caustic ulcers.
Thank, you for your video
Thanks for watching!
Jiff household cream cleaner on a green plastic scouring pad beats all these solutions.
Thanks for the tip.