Author Topic: Tip - How to remove corrosion from Chrome  (Read 12249 times)

Jonathan Poll

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Tip - How to remove corrosion from Chrome
« on: December 19, 2011, 03:50:46 pm »
Hey all,

  Today I cleaned up some parts of old horns that my dad will fit on his TG500.
They where covered in corrosion, couldnt see any chrome! At first I started scratching it off with a screwdriver (worked well, didnt scratch the chrome), but I couldnt go inside the grille part.

I checked on the internet, and found a very easy solution: Aluminium foil!

Take a piece of ali foil, fold it a couple of times, dip it in a bit of water, and start scrubbing the chrome. IUt works really well! Doesnt scratch the chrome at all, and removes the slightest bit of rust!

I have no idea how it works, since it doesnt seem to be abrasive, it must be some sort of chemical reaction. Who cares, it works well!

JP
« Last Edit: December 20, 2011, 07:55:20 pm by Jonathan Poll »
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Jim Janecek

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Re: Tip - How to remove corrosion from Rust
« Reply #1 on: December 19, 2011, 03:57:23 pm »

Jonathan Poll

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Re: Tip - How to remove corrosion from Rust
« Reply #2 on: December 19, 2011, 04:09:14 pm »
how/why it works:
http://www.robertscycle.com/chrome-clean.html

good tip!

Thanks! Its the sort of thing I thought, but I didnt realise it made its own polish!
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marcus

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Re: Tip - How to remove corrosion from Rust
« Reply #3 on: December 19, 2011, 06:18:29 pm »
Sounds great, will have to try it, cheers for that. I have plenty of drum equipment as well as a Trojan to look after.
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Big Al

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Re: Tip - How to remove corrosion from Rust
« Reply #4 on: December 20, 2011, 09:13:15 am »
Sort of Autosolve out of the kitchen.
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AndrewG

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Re: Tip - How to remove corrosion from Rust
« Reply #5 on: December 20, 2011, 12:43:41 pm »
If we're doing kitchen techniques, how about the best hand-cleaner?  Margarine (with some granulated sugar mixed in, if you like the abrasive type) rubbed into dry hands and then washed off with detergent [US: dishwasher soap?] and hot water.  Certainly better than any non-professional hand cleaner.

Jonathan Poll

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Re: Tip - How to remove corrosion from Rust
« Reply #6 on: December 20, 2011, 07:56:14 pm »
If we're doing kitchen techniques, how about the best hand-cleaner?  Margarine (with some granulated sugar mixed in, if you like the abrasive type) rubbed into dry hands and then washed off with detergent [US: dishwasher soap?] and hot water.  Certainly better than any non-professional hand cleaner.

Never knew that! Does it degrease well?
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marcus

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Re: Tip - How to remove corrosion from Chrome
« Reply #7 on: December 20, 2011, 09:47:21 pm »
Pastry Chefs always have very clean hands  :-\
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marcus

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Re: Tip - How to remove corrosion from Chrome
« Reply #8 on: December 20, 2011, 09:49:58 pm »
Coca Cola cleans some tarnished metals.
Some odd people claim that it can also be used as a beverage.
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Jonathan Poll

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Re: Tip - How to remove corrosion from Chrome
« Reply #9 on: December 20, 2011, 09:59:18 pm »
Coca Cola cleans some tarnished metals.
Some odd people claim that it can also be used as a beverage.

hehe

Another thing, there is one type of cider that disolves the rust that occurs between ali and steel, perfect for cranks!
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AndrewG

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Re: Tip - How to remove corrosion from Rust
« Reply #10 on: December 20, 2011, 10:04:40 pm »
Does it degrease well?
Yes, well - better than Swarfega, for example.

richard

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Re: Tip - How to remove corrosion from Chrome
« Reply #11 on: December 20, 2011, 10:05:15 pm »
not sure if coke cleans or coats ? i did post a topic last year but no-one seemed to know the answer , may i try again ? i used tomato ketchup to clean various muck off a brass chassis plate . it left a coating that as yet is irremovable . some chemical reaction has turned the brass plate a dull pink . i have a feeling coke may be similar . any idea how to reverse it please ? Will try the foil thing - fascinating  ;)
« Last Edit: December 20, 2011, 10:09:50 pm by lightweight dickie »
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Jonathan Poll

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Re: Tip - How to remove corrosion from Chrome
« Reply #12 on: December 20, 2011, 10:25:37 pm »
not sure if coke cleans or coats ? i did post a topic last year but no-one seemed to know the answer , may i try again ? i used tomato ketchup to clean various muck off a brass chassis plate . it left a coating that as yet is irremovable . some chemical reaction has turned the brass plate a dull pink . i have a feeling coke may be similar . any idea how to reverse it please ? Will try the foil thing - fascinating  ;)

How about pouring paint stripper on it, that stuff would remove it, dont wrry about the chassis plate paint ;)

Have you tried white spirits?
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Bob Purton

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Re: Tip - How to remove corrosion from Chrome
« Reply #13 on: December 20, 2011, 11:00:47 pm »
Richard, I think the dark pink you describe is the metal its self. brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, sometimes when old brass has been exposed to certain corrosive conditions the zinc is eroded away and leaves the copper element, no matter what you do with it and how much you polish it , it will always look pinkish, I have this all the time with nautical antiques. I may be wrong but your chassis plate sounds like a prime suspect.

Big Al

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Re: Tip - How to remove corrosion from Chrome
« Reply #14 on: December 21, 2011, 10:01:40 am »
not sure if coke cleans or coats ? i did post a topic last year but no-one seemed to know the answer , may i try again ? i used tomato ketchup to clean various muck off a brass chassis plate . it left a coating that as yet is irremovable . some chemical reaction has turned the brass plate a dull pink . i have a feeling coke may be similar . any idea how to reverse it please ? Will try the foil thing - fascinating  ;)

So Coke is Phosphoric acid, nasty stuff and used in Kurust, Trustan, Fertan like products for reducing Iron Oxide. In that form it does create an active barrier. Why would you want to drink this stuff in quantity? It does clear out glazed in piston rings and such but does not clean them.

Tomato source will be Vinegar, or Acetic acid I think, milder. Less likely to coat unless it reacts with some other chemical present.
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