Chromed parts

[Mickc1440]

How do you deal with chromed parts? I’ve got several on my current build which is ok but they still have mould lines to be removed which obviously removes the coating. These parts also require detail painting too, wouldn’t it just be simpler not to provide them?

[Guest]

Great question indeed! I've had chrome parts before and I've been baffled about how to deal with them because the seam lines are so obvious but if you scrape it off the part will never look the same and some of the parts are almost impossible to scrape it all off. So I'll be watching this carefully to see what others do with it.

I did try to paint over the scraped line but you can never match the chrome look.

[Waspie]

I was advised on here, to remove all the chrome. (I used mentholated spirits). Then prime, undercoat and paint chrome. It worked for me!!

[davecov]

To remove chrome, I use either Domestos bleach or Mr Muscle Oven Cleaner (needs plenty of ventilation when using). Others swear by Brake Fluid or Dettol.

Here are the chrome parts of my Ford Torino after 15 minutes in a ziplock bag containing Mr Muscle Oven Cleaner:


Dave

[Tim Marlow]

To remove chrome, I use either Domestos bleach or Mr Muscle Oven Cleaner (needs plenty of ventilation when using). Others swear by Brake Fluid or Dettol.

Dave

Plus one on domestos. I too strip them, clean them up, prime in gloss black, and paint. It looks better than the plastic chrome to me.

[davecov]

When I stripped that Torino chrome, I did a comparison of Domestos with the Mr Muscle shown above. The Domestos took 18 hours!

Dave

[Andy T]

I'm the same, strip the kit chrome, clean up and repaint.

I've had a couple of kits that stripped really easily with bleach, but one was an absolute pig and I tried everything from brake fluid to oven cleaner.

[Tim Marlow]

When I stripped that Torino chrome, I did a comparison of Domestos with the Mr Muscle shown above. The Domestos took 18 hours!

Dave

I actually use the Tesco bleach that comes in the weekly shop and leave it overnight. Never really checked how long it actually takes……

[Dave Ward]

I use Tesco Lemon Fresh Thick bleach in a glass jar, dilute with 25% water. Leave overnight, then rinse thorougly - as Domestos. but cheaper & smells nicer!
Dave

[PaulTRose]

Use whatever bleach you have to get the chrome off.........tidy up the parting lines etc.......prime......then respray chrome.....humbrol do a nice rattle can of chrome

[Jim R]

I would endorse bleach. Even if you could attach a chromed part, which needed no clean up, neatly, in my opinion it never looks right. Too shiny and the chrome coating softens detail. Far better to follow the advice given and strip and repaint.

[Mickc1440]

Thanks for the great advice gents

[Ian M]

I use cheap drain cleaner. Tamiya chrome is the hardest one. There is a form of clearcoat on the "face side" that is very resilient. Often one side you can see the chrome vanish before you. the other side takes all day. Or night. Or both.

[Mr Bowcat]

Yep, strip and re-paint. Last time I did this I used SMS Hyperchrome which I found the best I have tried yet.

[davecov]

It seems that what works for one manufacturer's chrome doesn't work for another's. I have also found that some manufacturers have changed their chrome formula over the years, one example being Heller.

I made two Heller Citroen 15 CV kits which had been produced a few years apart. The earlier kit was stripped of chrome in less than 15 minutes using Domestos. The later kit's chrome parts had to be soaked in Domestos for more than two days before the chrome was finally removed. Nowadays, I test small pieces of chrome sprue first to find the best removal treatment before taking the "plunge" with the rest.

Dave