Chrome experts please......

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mycuda

mycuda

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Body man at heart but chrome cleanup...not.

Ive always used steel wool on grimy oxidized chrome. Seemed to work most of the time.
However, working on cleaning/buffing chrome out on my 65 Dart for assembly.
Trunk back chrome trim is hazy, not pitted or oxidized. Tried steel wool,solvents,
benchgrinder with wool buff pad and medium compound...... Nothing.
Is there a chrome strength solvent or acid that will rid this?
It is totally smooth but hazed... almost ready to wet sand with 1500...lol

Thanks, Dave
 
Be aware that some moldings are anodized aluminum while others are stainless steel.
 
Yep some grills parts and tails parts are anodized Aluminum. Pot metal is usually chromed. The rest of the trim is stainless. Usually!
 
Yes, what you described sounds like anodizing that needs to be redone. Anodizing looks like chrome when its new. Basically its highly polished aluminum and the anodizing is a really thin, hard layer of oxidation that protects the polished aluminum. Over time it gets foggy looking.
 
Blue Magic + Air die grinder with 2" wool wheel is what I used to polished my chrome trim.
583880.jpg
 
Do not use steel wool by hand on nice chrome, it will scratch it. Always use 0000 finest available. STeel wool works great on aluminum and stainless. Blue Magic is great stuff, but scratches in chrome are next to impossible to remove because chrome is such a thin coating. Before you know it your down to the nickle plating and kicking yourself. Ask me how I know.
 
blewbyoutobad said:
Do not use steel wool by hand on nice chrome, it will scratch it. Always use 0000 finest available. STeel wool works great on aluminum and stainless. Blue Magic is great stuff, but scratches in chrome are next to impossible to remove because chrome is such a thin coating. Before you know it your down to the nickle plating and kicking yourself. Ask me how I know.
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I showed my son how steel wool could clean things so one day while I was gone he started polishing the front bumper on my Barracuda to impress me. When he started seeing copper he stopped. He never said anything about it until I noticed the copper after which he confessed to trying to impress me with his skills. I couldn't get mad at him since he was trying to help and I had planned to get new bumpers anyway. He's a good kid!!!

As for the rear finish panel, I had mine powder coated silver, it came out pretty nice!!
 
Without knowing what specific piece you are talking about, remember that we are dealing with three types of parts. Pot metal parts like grill parts, tailites, 'A' post, door handles are chrome plated and can be identified by their heavier weight and their tendency to "erupt" or pit. Bumpers are chrome plated steel. Some trim pieces are stainless and are polished, not plated. Then there are the anodized aluminum pieces which are typically grill and trunk pieces. The factory polishes them and clear anodizes them to prevent corrosion. Typically in restoration the anodizing will be chemically removed or polished through, then the polished aluminum can be re-anodized or left bare (but will need maintenance). Sounds like your part is aluminum as they tend to "fog" with age.
 
I have used steel wool to cleaned chrome for many years, bumpers, bike rims, and handle bars, pretty much name it. After a few years found the pieces to become hazy, as if I was removing the chrome plating and just polishing metal. One of the gun forums I visit, mentioned the use of “bronze wool” to remove light rust without removing the blued gun finish.
It’s what I have been using ever since, doesn’t rust, doesn’t shard, doesn’t break down like steel wool, and it does come in fine, medium and course grades. I also found it better to use around engine components’ as it does not fall apart like steel wool…….something to think about.
 
What results do you want? For only the best finish, show care results, never use steel/brass wool. They all scratch. On good chrome, polish and anodize you must be careful even with what cloth you use to wipe it down so as not to scratch. Even the cloth you use may leave light scratches that in time will leave these things with a "haze". If our expectations are not that high, then by all means use wool.
 
Murray said:
What results do you want? For only the best finish, show care results, never use steel/brass wool. They all scratch. On good chrome, polish and anodize you must be careful even with what cloth you use to wipe it down so as not to scratch. Even the cloth you use may leave light scratches that in time will leave these things with a "haze". If our expectations are not that high, then by all means use wool.
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I will try that blue Magic tho.
Just want something thats a little better than the look of silver paint...…. without spending $1000..lol

Thanks, Dave
 
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