Spokes from chrome to patina?

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Craiggo

Craiggo

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Is it possible to make chrome spokes look old and dirty? I'm sure it is just how would I go about it? the problem is, I have the original front spokes on a bike and the rear spokes were shot, so I bought new ones. I didn't expect that they would be chrome :oops: :roll: :lol: .
New-----Old
DSCN8033.jpg


New----Old
DSCN8034.jpg

Craig
 
I'm not sure that you'll ever get the old cadmium or galvanized look from those chrome ones. I'm sure there's a way to speed up the aging process but they'll likely still look different. Some LBS still carry the old style ones but you have to look for them. If anybody has any ideas though I'd be interested to hear.
 
You could sand them down a little and then leave them outside for about a week or two, it should allow rust spots to form. I've heard you can also put some salt water on them but ive never tried so... Hopefully that helps! :D
 
Are they cadmium plated steel or stainless? Start by rubbing with steel wool to dull. Then soak in vinegar. If they are plated they will start to turn gray. (If they are stainless this will have no effect.) When they have reached the right shade of gray take them out of the vinegar wash and dry. Then fine tune the coloring by wiping on a little silver, gray, black, and orange paint as necessary.
 
dougfisk said:
Are they cadmium plated steel or stainless? Start by rubbing with steel wool to dull. Then soak in vinegar. If they are plated they will start to turn gray. (If they are stainless this will have no effect.) When they have reached the right shade of gray take them out of the vinegar wash and dry. Then fine tune the coloring by wiping on a little silver, gray, black, and orange paint as necessary.
Click to expand...
This really sounds like it will work. I will try it as soon as possible and let you all know how it turns out :D :D
 
I am not looking to make them rust, just darkened. I may try to sand then grease... That may sound crazy. Maybe I will experiment with other ideas as well.
 
I used green scotchbrite pads to give some chrome handlebars a brushed look. I also did a old chrome chainring that way. It does not make sense as they are plastic but it works. I found out the hard way by using one on my gun, it took the bluing right off.

Are you sure those are chrome and not stainless? Either way the green scrubbie will probably work.
 
I guess I am not sure what they are... I just looked, and me being highly inexperienced, just assumed they were chrome. How can I tell the difference?
 
1. See if a magnet will stick. If it will not, they are stainless. If it will, then they are probably plated.
2. Begin trying to discolor by methods described above. If they will not discolor, they are stainless.
 
Spokes are rarely chrome plated. Most likely they are either zinc or cadmium plating. They look like zinc or cadmium plating in the pic. Both of with can be stripped with hydrochloric/muriatic acid. Once stripped, the exposed steel will rust, especially if you don't rinse off the acid well enough. Just make sure they do eventually get it rinsed off and neutralized with something caustic, like bleach; too much time with acid will rust them deeply.

The old spokes that are rusted are only rusted because the original cadmium plating is long gone, so all you need to do is accelerate the process of removing the plating and getting bare steel to rust.

If they are stainless, they will never rust like steel. Stainless can be made to rust, but not evenly (the mettalurgy of stainless is interesting.) Best bet is to get some rusty paint on them.
 
Another idea to add to the previous advice... If you use the Muriatic Acid, submerge all spokes in it, removing all rust and plating from both new and old spokes. Then when they rerust, they will match eachother.
 

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