Advice on polishing chrome.

The face of my A/C controls is pitted and in need of some love. It is a factory Ford Selectaire underdash unit that came on my parts car. I don't expect perfection, but I really want it to look as good as possible. What products seem to work the best? I am going to start with some super fine steel wool.

This is the Unit.

These are some closeup pics.






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I would personally try to avoid any steel wool since any scratches it may create will not come back out.
Try a rag and some windex and see how it comes out. If that doesn't work then try some wax. Then a very fine aluminum polish with a rag. Finally if it still doesn't want to shine to your liking try the finest 0000 steel wool with some WD40.
Basically start with the least agressive to try to attain the best shine you can.
Honestly though the pitting will not go away. That is in the base metal and not just the chrome. Chrome itself is very very thin. Most of the plating on the part is Nickel.
You may be able to shine it up some but the pits will be noticable until it is either rechromed or sanded and painted.

 

Steel wool will ruin it. Get some buffing compound, the same shit you'd use right after wetsanding a new paint job, and polish it with that. I like Wizards Turbo Cut, it smells nice. You'll have good results, that chrome doesn't look bad, looks like it'll come back.

Here's an Edsel tail light bezel half polished and half not. It turns out good and doesn't scratch like steel wool.

 

A good hard surface cleaner and wax would help the most; it looks dirty more than anything else. Just be careful not give yourself plating splinters, as the pitted areas have small shards of plating sticking up where the corrosion pushed up the plating.

 

I like Flitz or Wenol.

 

I've used steel wool with good results on chrome and glass in the past. Use 000 or finer and always with plenty of soap water, then rinse well to prevent any steel residue from re rusting on the surface. A good coat of wax helps too.

 

Well I tried polishing it. I used some turtle wax polish and it helped a whole lot, but it is going to have to be rechromed. The pits are too bad. Is there anything in particular I should look for when I look for a chromer? Does anyone have an idea on how much this will cost?

 

..............An arm, and some change..................

 

Why don't you PM Chromeplaterjosh for a quote - he knows his stuff and does good chrome plus he's an Alliance member.

 

I think I may send him a PM. I wish it would have cleaned up, but the pits are still clearly visible. I think it is die cast.