Technical Pitted Pot Metal

Here's a question for y'all.

I've got some chromed pot-metal pieces, like this handle, which have gone bad and to pits in the surface where the chrome didn't last.
Has anybody tried cleaning the oxides from the pits and then filling them in with something before re-coating the piece?

If so, what did you use? I'm thinking something like JB Weld may work because it can be filed smooth. In this instance it would be receiving paint, not chrome as a surface finish.

Phil

 

I think your idea of using JB WELD will work.
So would BONDO. I would use BONDO as its easier to sand smooth and will
blend better with surrounding pot metal. Be sure to prime before painting.
Too much paint on the push button and it won't "push in".

 

The first step should be to take to a chrome shop and have them reverse strip to remove the chrome. Some of the smaller pits might sand out. Chamfer the larger pits with a drill and epoxy prime. Fill with your choice, JB or bondo.

 

The nooks and crannies need to be mint clean, like sand blasted, before filling unless you want to do it more than once, hahahaha

 

As mentioned, JB weld or basic body filler would be acceptable to use prior to painting. That being said, painted door handles will look like absolute trash and I would 100% rather drive around with pitted chrome than freshly painted door handles. I would highly reconsider your plan of action.

Judging by your photo and avatar, I'm assuming you're doing this on a 51 Pontiac? It's my understanding that they accept the same handles as a Chevrolet, which are commonly available in the aftermarket for under $150 with fresh chrome. You couldn't have the originals replated for that price, and IMHO, that is unquestionably your best path in terms of final aesthetics and monetary value.

 

I think it would look better left alone than to paint them. All the new cars come with painted door handles.

 

Forget all of the above. Take them off, filled in the holes and sand smooth and prime. Leave your vent window open and make sure you remove the little locking device on the vent window. When you want to open your door, just stick your big hairy arm through the open vent window, reach around until you find the inside door handle and lift up. When you first start this process, gage the location of your arm with the other side indoor handle. Two items, first: don't remove the "C-clips from the inside door handles and two, don't try this with the police around. Taken form experience.

 

Sand the small pits out and hit the big pits with a drill bit or Dremel burr until you see clean metal.

JB Weld might work as a filler if you're not going to rechrome, but a low-melting-point solder might be more fun.

 

Thanks, y'all.

The door handle was just an example. Agreed on them looking like crap painted (was just the easiest piece to photo).

I'm thinking for other pot metal pieces that are unavailable and/or too expensive.

Thanks!

Phil

 

Rather than painting them, you might consider powder coating them. Several years ago, I bought a cheap home powder coating setup from Sears (that WAS a while ago). They had what they called "Chrome" Powder that I tried. It wasn't great, but it looked a lot better than silver paint. This was 20 years ago; I'll bet they have come up with something a lot better in the interim.

I also found the powder coating is great for brackets, etc. In a pinch, you can use your home oven for small parts (when your "significant other" is not at home.

 

The 'chrome' powder still sucks and its durability is in inverse proportion to its resemblance to chrome. There is no substitute for chrome.

If you want to make pitted chrome look its best, buff it with a loose cotton buff and white rouge compound. Be careful, you can take the chrome right off if you get too heavy-handed, but I've found this will minimize the pitting better than any other method. You'll have to keep it well waxed after.

 

I have to agree with 57JoeFoMoPar on this one, I can't think of any die cast pot metal pieces on that Pontiac that would benefit from being painted over. Even if the chrome is poor, I'd rather have that than painted over chrome trim bits. Someone did a lot of that on my '52 Ford and I spent quite a bit of time to undo everything they did. I shopped around and found good used replacements for most of the pieces I needed, I did have to have a couple things plated in the end.

I know it's subjective and it's just my opinion but I really wanted to throw that in here. Shaved or frenched can look real nice, painted over, bolt-on die cast chrome pieces I have yet to see the example that looks good.

 

I have the capability here to nickel plate via electrolysis, so that's always an option.

However, that requires the surface to be coated to be electrically conductive.

Phil

 

I largely agree with this statement. I would just add that there is another option besides actual chrome plating and "chrome" powder coat. That's "Coat-of-chrome", which is a chrome paint, but done through a somewhat different process that somewhat resembles a mirroring process. For the parts, you prep them much the same way you would for regular paint, except that the primer is sanded to a much higher grit. Where normally you spray base coat over 400 grit, here it's sanded to 2000 before the process starts. I've personally used this process.



Those Edsel wagon tails are coat-of-chrome, as were some interior dash bezels. When we put this car together, I was in grad school and couldn't afford actual chrome plating, we had to figure a work around. This was my worst set of Edsels, and I used them because as pitted as they were, they could be filled and weren't cracked. The turn around time was a fraction of what a chrome shop would have taken, as was the price. I was VERY happy with the outcome, and the tail lights would fool virtually anyone who saw them. People were shocked that they were actually paint. Over time (this car was put together in January of 2010), they have yellowed a bit and developed a few solvent pops, but that took years and I think may be par for the course for exterior parts that sit out in the sun, soaking in UV rays. The dash pieces still look as they did when I got them done. I don't think I'd use the process for large exterior pieces like a bumper, or even a dashboard. But for smaller pieces, it's a solid option.

Here's a link to the website. coatofchrome.com

 

My 41 ford pickup waterfall hood emblem was heavily "pot rotted" at the bottom. My chrome shop filled it and re-chromed it and it looks excellent. A lot of copper in there but it turned out nice.

 

In the later 70's my girlfriends father (of the time) would do his own repair's. He had shop strip the chrome then he would drill/counter sink pits and sand areas not affected then would return them to the shop to be copper coated. Again taking them home then leading in all the pits. Back for second copper coat that he would then block out like in doing final sand before paint. Return finished parts for final plating after ward.