Technical removing old pitted chrome plating

How do you remove old chrome plating?
I've got an old shifter handle that is badly pitted, and just want to remove the pits and smooth it out for paint....not going to have it re-chromed, just want it smooth.
I've tried wire wheeling it, but that didn't work well. Any ideas for me?

 

I know it's an O/T part, but the process should be the same as say a Hurst shifter handle

 

I had a chrome shop do that on a few parts, years ago.

 

Jim,If I was going to re-chrome it I would do that, but don't want to spend that much money or time on this project

 

I've heard muriatic acid. Not sure

 

Grinder, then smooth it out again.

 

Yea, thought about maybe a grinder or a flap wheel.....

 

Since it's a relatively small part, grinding will work. Have fun, be careful.

 

Yep, tired of getting crap in my eyes.....eye protection now days

 

Flapping wheel or a flapping disc on a grinder....that way less chance of excessive material removal

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Thanks , have to try that

 

Google is your friend!
https://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Chrome-Plating

 

Hey U P... What is the shifter off of? I don't recall ever seeing one like that. It appears to be die cast potmetal. Do Not soak it in muratic acid..IT WILL DISSOLVE. It can be reverse stripped in sulfuric acid, but if you don't want to farm it out to a plating shop, the best bet is to sand it down with flap wheels.

 

A Drimmel will give better results, especially in the groves, more control and less Material loss.......

 

Hit it with a sand blaster. Hit it with epoxy primer. Hit it with a lot of surface primer. Sand smooth. Top coat with your desired finish.

 

What ceege said

 

I would put in the blasting cabinet. You can go easy on it until you see how the parent metal reacts.

 

The no-labour no-grinding crud method is to remove it the way it went on- electrically.
Google and a battery charger are your friend.

 

Just begin the de-pitting process and the chrome will be the first to go.

To get the pits out the entire surface comes down to level of the deepest pits. Blasting works to remove the chrome and the crap in the pits and that leaves you with clean pits. Then you need to start the de pitting/grinding process

 

Just out of curiosity, if the part was to be re-chromed, how would you go about repairing / filling the pits? Maybe some of the those magic solders that fix aluminum?


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The handles are made of brass with chrome plating.
The pits don't go beyond the chrome in this case, but that is a good question.
I'm just going to smooth it best I can and paint, probably with hammer-tone paint for my application.That way the surface won't be noticeable yet it won't be rough and corroded either
I think the chrome shops do the repairs, but not sure what they do.

 

Hey UP , we talked about the handle being brass, but as I go back to the pictures it still looks like potmetal to me. Brass will usually not corrode that way. Never the less, still a good deal to use flap wheel very carefully until you get a feel for the base material. Watched a guy in a plating shop lean on a belt buckle and it literally melted away. It was made of pewter and is very soft.

 

The pitting is in the plating, not the base metal.I was going by the link I PM'd you that said the parts were brass.
I would have thought them bronze in that application.
Anyhow, I will go lightly as I've never used a flap disc before.
H-D had so many different sizes and arbor sizes that I had to come home and see what my angle grinder is as I haven't used it in a while.

 

All I know is powder coating has gotten so cheap I would just do that. Pick any color and be done with it.

 

There was a thread on here recently on "Muggy weld" die cast repairs- interesting stuff.

 

while bored watching news, I used sand paper to clean the chrome off my gauge bezels, wanting the brass finish instead .... it was good chrome when started.

 

To fill pits have the old chrome removed and then have it "copper struck" (copper plated). Then simply fill the pits with solder. Sand and then polish. Send for chroming.

 

More than likely that was nickel plating, if it was just over brass.

 

Is that the way to do it even if the base material is zinc die cast or pot metal or similar? Thanks


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Put a magnet on it. I wouldn't be surprised if the brass you're seeing is also plating.

It almost looks forged to me.... unless you see some mold lines