Does anyone have advise on cleaning these chrome frames? With the clear coat over the chrome, I'm thinking that it makes more sense to compound and wax than to use something like chrome cleaner.
The factory applied clear coat does fox (become cloudy) with age. Also there would be knicks in the clear coat that show rust spots.
All this rust comes off with a razorblade scrapping. The removal of the clearcoat is a heck of a chore but, the end result is amazing.
I have tirelessly searched for the right tools to do this scrapping and to no avail finding the corrected curved blades. I did pick up a Exacto type carving kit from Harbor freight that worked well.
I have tried strippers and found it to not do very well. I have not used the product mentioned above (clear coat stripper). I have tried heating the frame with a torch, as the heat does does not damage the chrome, and it helped but, I only used it in the tight areas.
I did make a mistake on one of the scrapping of a chromed frame last year and that was trying to use a scotch pad to remove the coating....don't use the green course pads, it will damage the chrome. The grey fine course pads were a help though. That process of rubbing the coating only foxed it well enough to show the areas that the blade did not remove.
The clear coating is a pain staking removal process for sure but, well worth the effort.
Re clear coating is another matter. I understand that the process to do it and the end result is not appealing.
But, if someone has mastered the reapplication of the coating, I'd like to hear about it.
Good luck with the project. There is nothing like a shiny chromed frame brought back to life after 50 years!!
Here is a post I started on the Cabe last year on my removal of the clear coat on my 65 Astro Flites.
http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?23111-0000-steel-wool-on-chrome-frames-help&highlight=chrome clearcoat
