Removing Chrome Plating

[Jordan White]

I've had the best luck with Easy-Off oven cleaner.

Same here.

[seanyb505]

How long is everyone using Dawn power dissolver soaking the parts for?

[highway]

How long is everyone using Dawn power dissolver soaking the parts for?

Sean, please refer to my previous post.

The parts in front of the bottle were done in about 4 hours.

Those parts required a slight bit of scrubbing with an old toothbrush, if you'd leave parts overnight, the chrome should almost just fall off.

[red3644]

I did a few more parts from the Lola last night. You can do the hours or overnight and some scrubbing thing if you want... but the Zep purple degreaser works perfectly in seconds. Hope that helps.

[DWR]

I soaked some parts for a couple nights in "Simple Green Concentrated Cleaner" and it worked great

[straightliner1]

I can't believe nobody's mentioned Castrol Super Clean (although the Walmart Purple Power is the same stuff). Either will strip the chrome and the undercoat in less than an hour (the plating will be gone in a minute or less). Why strip the undercoating? You're gonna take it off when you remove the mold lines, anyway.

[DWR]

Of all the products mentioned which ones work best for stripping the paint off of a body?

[DWR]

Now that I have stripped the chrome there is a dull yellow coating left on the parts. Does this coating have to be removed as well before painting?

[JohnnnyKaye]

I've found Coca Cola works well for stripping chrome. It leaves the undercoat on, just takes off the chrome. And in the case of earth friendly, you don't get any better! Usually a day or two (if you can wait that long) and the chrome is gone. I use soap and water to wash the sugary brown liquid off the parts.

[highway]

The Dawn Power dissolver works like a charm ! 4 hours just as you claimed. Its gel consistency is nice being it sticks to the plating & works much faster then bleach & oven cleaner. And smells a lot better too

Thanks for the tip.

I'm glad you liked it and glad I could help.

As a little side note, I had just taken some parts from a project that I put in Power Dissolver a few months ago I had forgotten about, the chrome from them practically dissolved in the Dawn, just a quick wash with some water and the parts looked like they were fresh from the mold and never chromed.

EDIT: Here's a pic of those forgotten parts, the only cleanup was a quick wash off.

Oh, and the engine block also had Tamiya Clear Red painted over the chrome as well! Both disappeared!

Edited January 10, 2011 by highway

[retroguy]

Here's my 2cents...

I've been using Drano and Liquid Plumber and it works 99% of the time.sometimes I have to leave the parts in for a nite or two.But for the most part it usually works any where from minutes to1-2 hrs.

The problem I was having was the undercoating,but this usually comes off with soap and water...

For the most part no complaints but I might try some of the above ideas...

[Skydime]

I use dish washing liquid. It the parts fit, I put them in a 24 oz soda bottle with the lid to contain the dish washing liquid smell...24 because I've been using it to strip sprue tree lengths as well.

Edited January 12, 2011 by Skydime

[sjordan2]

I truly don't mean to be negative, but this is one of the most often-repeated subjects on all scale car building forums. Is there a way we can pin a tutorial or something on this subject? It's really very tiresome. People can be directed to those threads, rather than dealing with a new thread on the same thing over and over again for the 200th time. Pinned subjects can always be added to; but I feel like I'm wasting my time when I look for new answers and keep seeing the same old thing.

I would also hope for recommendations for pinned subjects in the Tutorials section for many other subjects that keep reappearing, such as:

How to use BMF

How do you make hinges?

Best primers and paints?

How to strip paint?

And you know the rest.

One of the problems is that this site has a totally useless search function, and it makes no sense to direct newbies to it. scaleautomag.com has an excellent search function, and I would direct people there.

Edited January 12, 2011 by sjordan2

[sjordan2]

'Okay, all kinds of people swear by the following. Anyone have anything new? Why isn't this all we need in a pinned subject?

This should probably be the subject for a poll, but here's what members stand by for chrome stripping (in alphabetical order):

Regular Bleach

Brake fluid - Castrol Super Clean (CSC_ etc)

Coca-Cola

Dawn Power Dissolver

Drano

Easy Off oven cleaner - original yellow can

Liquid Plumbr

Oven-Off oven cleaner

Purple Power

Simple Green

Westley's Bleche-Wite

Window cleaner with Ammonia

Zep purple degreaser

[High octane]

I've been using Clorox Bleech for years and it seems to work well. Sometimes better on some kits that others.

[firethorn]

what is the best way to strip chrome without damaging the parts,,,,,any help guys,,,,,,,thanks ,,,,,jr

[Danno]

As far as I'm concerned, you can't beat Purple Power or Super Clean for stripping paint and/or chrome from plastic parts. There are other methods, but the purple pond works fastest and safest, and it's the least toxic. Plus, once it's past its prime, it's biodegradeable so it is safe to pour it down a household drain.

Works for me!

[firethorn]

thanks alot i will try it,,,,,,,,jr

[larrygre]

No matter what method one uses for stripping chrome, the clear lacquer coating on the part still remains. After stripping chrome, I soak the part in Scalecoat Paint Remover (found at most model railroading oriented hobby shops.) It takes that off cleanly and quickly. Testors' ELO also works but not quite as efficiently. Once you take the lacquer layer off, its ready for paint.

Just my 2 cents.

[novadose71]

Superclean takes the chrome off in about an hour or less and will remove the clear coating usually within 24 hours. Just did a big batch of bumpers this week, even removed Modelhaus chrome/clear.

[Marc @ MPC Motorsports]

No matter what method one uses for stripping chrome, the clear lacquer coating on the part still remains. After stripping chrome, I soak the part in Scalecoat Paint Remover (found at most model railroading oriented hobby shops.) It takes that off cleanly and quickly. Testors' ELO also works but not quite as efficiently. Once you take the lacquer layer off, its ready for paint.

Just my 2 cents.

Sometimes the "purple stuff" will remove the clear undercoat, sometimes it doesn't. I use Chameleon paint stripper to get the tuff stuff.

[BKcustoms]

i always use bleach to strip chrome.

[highway]

The best and most friendly product and the only thing I use to strip chrome is Dawn Power Dissolver. It works in as little as a couple hours, it has no fumes, and will strip both the chrome and the lacquer undercoat. These parts were done in about 3 or 4 hours, and required just a light scrubbing with an old toothbrush under the faucet to clean up.

These were sort of "forgotten", and this was after maybe a week or two.

When I finally was ready for the engine in my project, all it took was a quick rinse with water to look like this, no scrubbing involved!

[Mooneyzs]

I have used Ammonia and it removes it quite fast. I tested it and it removed the chrome withing 10-15 mins. I need to try and leave it longer to see if it gets rid of clear lacquer coat.

[retroguy]

what is the best way to strip chrome without damaging the parts,,,,,any help guys,,,,,,,thanks ,,,,,jr

drano and liquid plumber also...sometimes in less than a minute...