Supertom Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 Hey all, Can anyone tell he how I can strip chrome plating? I seriously don't know why companies chrome the parts, glue doesn't stick to it anyway! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
atckyrre Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 Hey Tom, long time no type. Chrome is at least ruined with vinegar, not sure if it goes away though. That's what I'm going to try on my F84G from Tamiya. Kyrre Quote Link to post Share on other sites
madmike Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 try oven cleaner MikeJ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
William G Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 If you use Oven Cleaner make sure you use the Heavy duty stuff, as most of the regular strength products I have used (Easy Off, and store brands) only pulls part of the chrome off. Also I have had goor results with bleach. One thing to remember is that when a product is chrome plated it is coated first with a lacquer that the chrome will adhere to more evenly. This material is not affected by the oven cleaner or the bleach, But it leaves the part Super glossy. So you might want to hit it with some fine sanding film to give the surface a little tooth for the paint to adhere to. Hope this helps. William G Quote Link to post Share on other sites
madmike Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 another way I have heard is using Brake Fluid... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Supertom Posted December 10, 2003 Author Share Posted December 10, 2003 KYRRE!!!! Where have you been?! I still have you on my contact list! Haven't talked to you in the longest time. Thanks Madmike and WilliamG. The chrome I've been wanting to strip is off the gluing surfaces of my kit (Tamiya F-84 - Ha Kyrre!). Oven cleaner might work, but I was hoping to find something I that I could swab with a Q-tip, and working with oven cleaner doesn't sound too appealing to me, even with a mask on. Brake fluid sounds interesting. Isn't that stuff highly toxic or something though? How about ammonia? Does ammonia work? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bob Perry Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 It sounds like you aren't unhappy with the chrome finish, just that it gets in the way of cementing parts together. If that's the case, you can scrape off the plating with the edge of a sharp craft knife or even a razor blade. That's what AMT suggested way back when I was building car models in the early 60s. Works a dream and there is no cherical spill onto the viewable surface. The parts come on sprues that get plated too -why not try out a few methods on the sprues and let us know what you find out? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Supertom Posted December 10, 2003 Author Share Posted December 10, 2003 The parts come on sprues that get plated too -why not try out a few methods on the sprues and let us know what you find out? :D Doh. That is a good idea. Uh, okay, lemme get back to you on that... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest jacobs40k Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 I use the brake fluid technique to remove chrome. I have to do this with car models quite a bit. Brake fluid also works wonders when you need to strip a bad paint job. Jake Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MickeyThickey Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 Ammonia does work (you'll want it full strength), but it's best to soak the part, so not really what you're looking for. One thing to remember while scraping down gluing surfaces is that chrome plating is fragile, but prone to flaking, so be very careful - you don't want it flaking off the visible surfaces. You might want to strip the chrome fully though, then build and spray with Alclad chrome - working with chrome plating means you'll never really have a satisfactory finish around seams and parting lines. And, as mentioned, chrome plated parts have a glossy lacquer underneath, which should be removed too (though I've done it with oven cleaner...). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Supertom Posted December 11, 2003 Author Share Posted December 11, 2003 Okay, I got it. Using everything you guys suggested (except for brake fluid), I finally came down to spraying a little oven cleaner into a small bottle, dipping a q-tip into it, and swabbing the joining surfaces. Leave for 30 seconds, then wipe off with a piece of cloth. Ta-da! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Thunderhead7 Posted December 11, 2003 Share Posted December 11, 2003 "Fantastic" cleaner available in the US, works great for striping chrome Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Airbusteacher Posted January 10, 2004 Share Posted January 10, 2004 A few trips through the dishwasher with cascade might work. Wife thought it a good idea to run my collection of Die cast cars through, rather than dust them. They clean up really good, but by the third time, the "chrome" onthe wheels and such had come off. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
montana_matt Posted January 10, 2004 Share Posted January 10, 2004 Hey all, Can anyone tell he how I can strip chrome plating? I seriously don't know why companies chrome the parts, glue doesn't stick to it anyway! the safest way to do it is to use fingernail polish remover, but it has to be acetone free or it will soften the plastic. just soak the part(s) in the remover for about 24 hours, then go to the sink and lightly scrub with a toothbrush under running water. it works wonderfully. read the tip in a modeling magazine....... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
vgmodels62 Posted January 10, 2004 Share Posted January 10, 2004 Hey all, Can anyone tell he how I can strip chrome plating? I seriously don't know why companies chrome the parts, glue doesn't stick to it anyway! Very good results with Castrol "Superclean",inexpensive no nasty fumes like Easy Off.Works great for stripping paint and cleaning up airbrush paint jars. Vern Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ricardo Posted January 10, 2004 Share Posted January 10, 2004 One word: BLEACH! Ricardo Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Old Blind Dog Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 I've used Nail Polish Remover with excellent results. Soak the parts in a bath of the remover for several hours (but not too long or it'll soften the plastic). Then use a toothbrush to remove whatever platings hasn't sloughed off. I've found that nothing else works quite as well, and the Nail Polish Remover isn't as caustic as Oven Cleaner etc. Hope this helps Old Blind Dog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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