What is the best way to clean chrome. I have tried steel wool but cannot get into all the tight spots. Also what kills rust that is starting to pit the metal. I do not want to just shoot it with rust o laime?
Rust, How to clean Chrome?
- Thread starter Rat Rod Beach Goer
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What I did was rub some WD-40 or Oil on the rusty parts, and then rub w/ a wad of aluminum foil.
Results: LEFt is After, RIGHT is before.
Thanks to howtofixbikes.ca !
Results: LEFt is After, RIGHT is before.
Thanks to howtofixbikes.ca !
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WD 40 and alumnum foil. Spray the wd on the rusty area....leave a few minutes.....come back and rub off with wadded up aluminum foil. Arond the spokes you can use a light duty small wire brush...looks like a toothbrush but is for cleaning metal. brush can be found in any gun cleaning store. Gun oil can cut rust well too. Use an old rag to wipe off the mix as it comes clean. It works well. Works on painted surfaces too.
Another technique is to fill get a couple of carbonated sodas and fill a small tub up with them and add some aditional lemon juice and soak the rim in increments. The rust should disolve. a bit of light steel whool may be needed.
out of the two techniques I prefer the oil and foil method. I have also seen some kids simply using water and the foil on U Tube, but I would think that defeats the final purpose rubbing water into rust seams wrong from a logical standpoint. But it does work.
Another technique is to fill get a couple of carbonated sodas and fill a small tub up with them and add some aditional lemon juice and soak the rim in increments. The rust should disolve. a bit of light steel whool may be needed.
out of the two techniques I prefer the oil and foil method. I have also seen some kids simply using water and the foil on U Tube, but I would think that defeats the final purpose rubbing water into rust seams wrong from a logical standpoint. But it does work.
For small parts i use Evaporust. does all the work so you don't have TO0o!..
Rat Rod
Owner & Founder
WD40 and 0000 Steel Wool
Your fingers will hate you, but man does it work well.
I also use a brass brush for the tight spots....I but them at Home Depot in the paint department. :wink:
Your fingers will hate you, but man does it work well.
I also use a brass brush for the tight spots....I but them at Home Depot in the paint department. :wink:
I talked to a retired guy in Modesto who gets, fixes and sells mostly cheap bikes. He uses some stuff called The Works - disinfectant toilet bowl cleaner. I haven't tried it yet but plan on picking up a bottle of the stuff. He showed me a quick spot clean on a basic rust coated chrome wheel and it cleaned it up REALLY nicely.
Since it's in a not-so-friendly dispenser for the task he put it in a spray bottle. Just spray it on the rusty area and let it sit for a minute or so. Then wash it off. No scrubbing or wiping. Just make sure not to leave it on for too long as it will apparently discolor cheap chrome (might make for an interesting coloring effect though?)
He said to make sure and get the blue bottle. The green one doesn't work.
Since it's in a not-so-friendly dispenser for the task he put it in a spray bottle. Just spray it on the rusty area and let it sit for a minute or so. Then wash it off. No scrubbing or wiping. Just make sure not to leave it on for too long as it will apparently discolor cheap chrome (might make for an interesting coloring effect though?)
He said to make sure and get the blue bottle. The green one doesn't work.
0000 Steel Wool :wink:
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Hey guys I checked out this thread last week end as I was struggling with some haevily rusted parts.I tried lightly sanding then using a metal polish but still wouldn't budge the heavy stuf. I sprayed the parts with Inox which is basically a wd-40 product then used al foil. Then poilshed up with metal polish (autosol chrome polish) and a toothbrush. Worked great. No scratches and finished well and to polish difficult things like seat springs the al-foil can be wrapped around and manipulated to fit. Also the toothpaste polish trick does work. Thats how my missus cleans her jewelery 
Hope the little bit of extra info helps.
Hope the little bit of extra info helps.
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use a fine wire wheel on a drill , and fine steelwoolaussie4x4 said:Hey guys I checked out this thread last week end as I was struggling with some haevily rusted parts.I tried lightly sanding then using a metal polish but still wouldn't budge the heavy stuf. I sprayed the parts with Inox which is basically a wd-40 product then used al foil. Then poilshed up with metal polish (autosol chrome polish) and a toothbrush. Worked great. No scratches and finished well and to polish difficult things like seat springs the al-foil can be wrapped around and manipulated to fit. Also the toothpaste polish trick does work. Thats how my missus cleans her jewelery
Hope the little bit of extra info helps.
they say a picture is worth 1000 words... here's an 8 hour soak in Oxalic acid on some old S-5's off a burning man bike..
all i did was wipe em off with a rag to get the yellow film off. :mrgreen:
all i did was wipe em off with a rag to get the yellow film off. :mrgreen:
I've been into old cars the last decade or so and yes they have rust problems too!
This works, I've done it. The white bucket is mine.....I did some motor mounts.
http://www.earlyabodyforum.com/board/me ... /1056.html
There are links in the thread to other sites about the process.
On chrome stuff I've also used 0000 steel wool and baby oil, works great.
To paint right over rust I've used Por-15 but even better is Master Series Silver, it was originally developed for bridges. It's really really good stuff.
http://www.masterseriescoatings.com/index/
This works, I've done it. The white bucket is mine.....I did some motor mounts.
http://www.earlyabodyforum.com/board/me ... /1056.html
There are links in the thread to other sites about the process.
On chrome stuff I've also used 0000 steel wool and baby oil, works great.
To paint right over rust I've used Por-15 but even better is Master Series Silver, it was originally developed for bridges. It's really really good stuff.
http://www.masterseriescoatings.com/index/
