Technical & Reference Section > Tech and Restoration

Chrome removal - advice

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fouronethreeoh!:
What the plater says is true, as chromo steel has a higher chromium content.
So if the solution removes the chrome it will also start on the steel tubing.
It can be done if they are carefull, but you know what its like, they dunk it in a bath, walk away, come back
30 mins later to find most of the frame dissolved.
A caustic soda/water bath will remove chrome(with a 12v electric current), but it will not remove the nickel
plate (slightly more gold colour than chrome) that is underneath the chrome.
Nickel plate is easily sanded (emery cloth/wet and dry etc).

Sand blasting is generally not used, more likely steel blast media, very abrasive and will give a pitted finish to thin wall steel tube.
Aluminium oxide (pink alumina) media gives a finer finish than steel, but will not remove chrome.

So to remove plating on a frame successfully without causing damage would probably have to comprise of a combination of the
methods above.
Caustic bath to remove chrome, nickel strip, alumina blast to remove corrosion.

Explaning carefully to a plating company what you want to achieve so they can do their best to help you would be required.

Happy stripping  :daumenhoch:

sonic-1:
my haro had real bad chrome on the front end , so my mate blasted it which took off the peeling chrome , then powder coated it looks the muts now

DY85262:
Yes there is a link somewhere about a VDC that suffered from internal corrosion due to the acid used in the stripping process. It has pictures  that will shock you. So please don't let another frame suffer to unsympathetic strippers!!!!! :'(

Swivel:
I think I may well go down the sand blasting route. I spoke to another person yesterday and they have their frames done that way and the effect was very clean if not cleaner as it saves you rubbing it down etc... just takes it back to bare metal apprantly. We'll see. Will call about today and get a price ;)

Will keep ya all posted about this! Thanks again to everyone for their advice  :4_17_5:

Matt  :daumenhoch:

munners:
Matt if you are gonna powder it then just get it blasted. It takes the chrome off and it looks loke a normal blasted frame afterwards but the nikel is still under it. You can just rub it down with some wet and dry to give it a smooth finish then send to Dan. To reverse the chroming process is normally around £50 for a f+f and a blast is about £10. You would never know the difference once powdered. ;)

If you was going to get it rechromed then obviously you would have to reverse the process.

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