I'm trying to clean and polish the air conditoner registers on my '68 Dart factory AC. I've already opened a can of worms by taking apart one of the register segments to get to all of the parts that need to be cleaned and polished. I already know this will be a bear to put back together, but I'll fight that one when I get to it. At least I didn't take all 3 of them apart, so I have good reference on how to put it back together.
My real issue right now is how to refurbish these chrome pieces. As you can see, they are pretty nasty with not just tarnish, but there are corrosion bubbles and pits underneath the plating. I've used white rouge and a buffing wheel with good results on some of the larger pieces. The smaller pieces like the louvre fins are problematic, but a little patients will get it done. The problem I'm having is not being able to get the pimples and dimples out of the plating. Just for grins, I took one of the louvre fins and grit blasted it. I figured one test piece could be hidden away in the finished product if it didn't work out. You can see the difference between the blasted/polished one and the one that was only polished. Nowhere near the chrome luster on the blasted one, of course, and I'm just not that excited about the dull look anyway. Plus, while the pimples are gone, the dimples are still there. I haven't found anything claiming to be "chrome" paint that really accomplishes that.
Does anyone have any suggestions on bringing these things back to new look before I just send the whole thing off to a shop to re-plate?
My real issue right now is how to refurbish these chrome pieces. As you can see, they are pretty nasty with not just tarnish, but there are corrosion bubbles and pits underneath the plating. I've used white rouge and a buffing wheel with good results on some of the larger pieces. The smaller pieces like the louvre fins are problematic, but a little patients will get it done. The problem I'm having is not being able to get the pimples and dimples out of the plating. Just for grins, I took one of the louvre fins and grit blasted it. I figured one test piece could be hidden away in the finished product if it didn't work out. You can see the difference between the blasted/polished one and the one that was only polished. Nowhere near the chrome luster on the blasted one, of course, and I'm just not that excited about the dull look anyway. Plus, while the pimples are gone, the dimples are still there. I haven't found anything claiming to be "chrome" paint that really accomplishes that.
Does anyone have any suggestions on bringing these things back to new look before I just send the whole thing off to a shop to re-plate?
