O/Topic- Easy way to remove chrome plating?

Barry-ct

Barry-ct

Well-known member
THis may or may not be off topic, but I'll ask any way. I have a 49-50 Factory Ford car signal switch that I am going to install in my 50 F-1 pickup. The plating is flaking and I want to remove it and paint it black like the ones that are for the trucks. They had a wrinkle finish in black. The cover that is in question is a cast or pot metal. I used a small portable sandblaster and it didn't really touch the plating. I hate to grind it off. I did some research on it, but no one really goes into pot metal stripping. I've seen suggestions to use Muratic acid, Easy-off oven cleaner, Hydrocloric acid, etc... , but I'm afraid to damage the metal with chemicals. Any suggestions to try?

THanks
 
Be careful with potmetal, it can break just like T-H-A-T!!.......try some fine steel wool or use your wifes brillo pad from the kitchen sink. Be VERY patient and just keep rubbing small sections at a time to sand the surface enough for painting. You can even try peeling off the flaking plate material with an exacto knife. Use some heavy duty spray paint and set it in the oven to bake it on.
 
al's28/33 said:
... You can even try peeling off the flaking plate material with an exacto knife...
Click to expand...

I've found this to work quite well. Sometimes running a hand file over the surface can also help loosen stubborn areas, then get the knife under there.
 
Have had many pot metal parts chrome stipped (acid) at the platers and never had an issue with damage. The only thing that may or may not be an issue is the cost. The last time I had some stuff done there was a $50.00 minimum charge.
Considering that you are going to paint it, the plating does not have to be totally removed. Just continue to grit blast until the loose stuff is removed and the shine is gone. Then prime with self etching primer followed by the wrinkle finish. (the wrinkle finish will cover a multitude of sins)
 
I didn't try to get the chrome off the item I wanted to paint. I roughened the surface as bets I could using emery paper and then gave it a coat of marine grade epoxy. This bonded well to the roughened surface. I was able to then sand this and paint it.
 
I think Muratic acid, and Hydrocloric acid are the same thing just diffrent names. STAY AWAY from hydrofloric acid I know from experience still have the scar from 45 years ago. it will eat glass. lol
~~Walts37~~
 
Platers do in fact use reverse plating processes in the plating tank. It won't take off 100% of the plating but enough to allow the polishers to remove whats left without too much trouble. Platers have to have some good polishing equipment to prep parts for plating and like painting "it's all in the prep work". The best platers remove the least base metal. The so so platers sometimes remove too much and leave a part looking odd or wavy.

I would just sand the old loose stuff off then prime, block, & paint. Old plating thats still adhering to the surface pretty well won't peal if it's protected by a paint finish.
 
I was going to sand it real good and do the primer and paint. I wanted to get some advice on what others have done. The acid is nasty and I've heard horror stories on that. I'll blast it a few more times so I can have the paint get a good bite on the metal.

Thanks again,
 
I experimented with muriatic acid on an old chrome plated piece of pot metal. Any where the chrome was gone there were pits, of course. All that I saw happening was the pits getting bigger from the acid eating away the pot metal. Oh, the chrome wasn't really affected.
 
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Barry-ct said:
THis may or may not be off topic, but I'll ask any way. I have a 49-50 Factory Ford car signal switch that I am going to install in my 50 F-1 pickup. The plating is flaking and I want to remove it and paint it black like the ones that are for the trucks. They had a wrinkle finish in black. The cover that is in question is a cast or pot metal. I used a small portable sandblaster and it didn't really touch the plating. I hate to grind it off. I did some research on it, but no one really goes into pot metal stripping. I've seen suggestions to use Muratic acid, Easy-off oven cleaner, Hydrocloric acid, etc... , but I'm afraid to damage the metal with chemicals. Any suggestions to try?

THanks
Click to expand...

I wanted to remove rust from a chrome plated item so I placed it in white vinegar for a day or two. To my surprise, the vinegar removed the chrome as well as the rust. All that was left was the copper plate under the chrome. Go figure.
 
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