Restore Chrome, polish chrome, save chrome

[Indyjps]

Wanted to show a how to on polishing/ saving chrome with some readily available items.
I have used this on car bumpers as well. I normally use CLR and aluminum foil in car bumpers. Since the chrome used on bikes is hit and miss for quality I'm going with a milder acid. DIET COKE.

The plan of attack is soak the part in diet coke, or wet a rag and wrap it around, there's enough acid in there to start working on the rust but not be too harsh on the chrome.

I use balled up aluminum foil to polish the part, it's softer than steel wool and you run less risk of scratching the remaining chrome surface. Everyone has it, easy and quick. Brass or copper wool is also a good option, may have to go searching for it.

Before, sissy bar with some battle scars.

 

[Indyjps]

I was in a hurry and didn't have enough soda to fill a big tub. So here's the results after soda dip and foil scrub. Use the soda as you scrub too.

Safety briefing: if youre outside the bees will come after you. Work safely.

Lookin pretty good, took alot of tarnish off, cleaned the rust out.

 

[Indyjps]

Gonna go a step further to make this sissy bar presentable. Touch up paint.

Chrome paint or silver, I like enamel based, use what ya got.

Spray some in the cap and use a brush to lay it right over the chrome, pic is 2 coats. Let it dry well

 

[Indyjps]

Touched up chrome paint on top of real chrome looks like crap.

Use the aluminum foil and some soapy water to scrub the paint off the chrome and just leave it in the scuffed up areas.

First pic may need another coat. Scuff slowly to sneak up on it. Second pic is the other side, came out pretty well with what I was working with.

Looks decent, there's enough paint to help prevent further corrosion. Wax it up.

 

[franconuevo]

Touched up chrome paint on top of real chrome looks like crap.

Use the aluminum foil and some soapy water to scrub the paint off the chrome and just leave it in the scuffed up areas.View attachment 33119 View attachment 33120
First pic may need another coat. Scuff slowly to sneak up on it. Second pic is the other side, came out pretty well with what I was working with.

Looks decent, there's enough paint to help prevent further corrosion. Wax it up.

Hey now...that's a cool idea right there
I can get a part lookin' pretty good with my methods, but there's always those black tarnished areas where pitting is right thru.
Gonna try this.....Thanks Indy....

F.

 

[us56456712]

Touched up chrome paint on top of real chrome looks like crap.

Use the aluminum foil and some soapy water to scrub the paint off the chrome and just leave it in the scuffed up areas.View attachment 33119 View attachment 33120
First pic may need another coat. Scuff slowly to sneak up on it. Second pic is the other side, came out pretty well with what I was working with.

Looks decent, there's enough paint to help prevent further corrosion. Wax it up.

I first did this in the 70s with an old motorcycle I bought. I did the same thing you did, put on the chrome paint and didn't like it and scrubbed it off and it stayed in the pits. It really works great to just leave the chrome paint on the parts that are corroded, but you can't polish your chrome later as it removes the paint. I just touched it up again and cleaned it with a rag after that. It really makes things look a lot better. Bolt heads and the inside of allen bolts can also be treated this way, but I scrub the chrome paint with foil when it is wet on the bolts. It may take two applications but this can make these look great too. I haven't done this for quite awhile as I don't care what my bikes look like anymore, just so they work is good enough for me. I also have used spray paint to fill in scratches and then after it starts to dry gently wiped the spray paint off with a gentle solvent like paint thinner. The spray paint stays in the depressed part, but the solvent can remove all your spray paint if you don't do it just right. This can make fine scratches disappear. I have also mixed spray paint in an old spray paint cap to get a good match for the bike color and then used a small paint brush to fill in chips. When it is dry you can wipe it with thinner to smooth it and the chips disappear. Lots of fun.
The chips on this blue bike below were filled with paint I mixed from two tones of blue spray paint and then touched up and wiped. You can hardly see the chips. The biggest ones were behind the chainwheel on the chainstay and you can see where the color is not a prefect match. Look also on the down tube, up towards the head tube above the D in Specialized and you can see areas where the blue is not a perfect match, but very close. It really isn't noticeable. I also sprayed the seat post and wiped it down to remove the scratches here. Someone gave me this bike and it was pretty bad from winter riding. I dismantled it, cleaned off the salt and corrosion, greased and oiled everything, reassembled, put in a new drive and did the paint as it was for my wife and she is not into the rat look.

 

[Indyjps]

[QUOTE="us56456712, post: 1012719, member: [/QUOTE]

We think alike. I also use thinned paint to cover scratches like chain stays, then wipe off with solvent on a rag. It gives protection and slight color and leaves some character. Good for areas where you can't get a color match.

I rest neutralized this area, mixed red rustoleum from the can, reduced with acetone for quick drying, brushed it on, let it tack up for 10 min, wiped with laquer thinner on a rag, gently to blend in the edges.

Since red is difficult to match I just did 1 coat, wanted to leave the patina. This is more of a glaze coat. I could reapply, or mix the first coat with less acetone to make this less noticeable.

That Specialized is a nice looking bike, nice components, and free!, good job all around on it.