tiger1964 

I have a fork here, chrome under the paint; I want to do an all-chrome fork. I am using paint stripper but it's slow going. Mostly, the issue is removing the "goo" comprising drying stripper and the paint. I do not want to damage the chrome -- I have a package of ScotchBrite pads here, is that safe to use without scratching the chrome? I presume they will "laid up" quickly and I'll use several before it's all done.

Then I want to polish it up... I have Blue Magic here, but also the electric buffer and using red rouge, which works nicely on aluminum but is it "chrome-friendly"?

J.Higgins 

Dont use the scotchbrite. It'll dull the chrome finish. Just be patient and let the stripper work. Reapply as necessary until its completely stripped.

xiaoman1 

Tiger,
+10000 on this, pads and steel wool no matter how fine will scratch the chrome. When I use paint stripper on chrome I normally do not let the stripper "dry". Now that you have loosened the paint up so it is gooey, apply another coat, and when it bubbles again wipe it off immediately....it will glide off the chrome.
Best, Ben

tiger1964 

OK, I'll not use Scotchbrite. But the paint won't simply fall off, I guess just wip[e w/a rag?

Unca_Sam

If you're stripping a chromovelato fork, or the original translucent acrylic enamel over chroming, be aware that the chrome plating underneath is likely to be rough, and may not polish up well. Paint doesn't stick to chrome well because of the invisible oxide layer, so manufacturers using the chromovelato technique used a less polished chrome finish to help paint adhesion.It's also likely to be much thinner than chroming intended for the final finish.

martl

I use a wooden spatula for that, a plastic one will also do (chrome is quite hard). Actually, paint has a very hard job sticking to chrome so maybe your paint stripper isn't the strongest - there are huge differences even between the typical hardwares hop available non-aircraft grade stuff.


I do use steel wool sometimes on chrome for rust spots that resist the chrome polish, but one has to be careful and buff it up afterwards again which is a pain.

xiaoman1 

yes reapply the stripper and wipe don't scrape..... RU using airplane stripper?

J.Higgins 

Use a plastic putty knife or a paint stirrer stick. Neither of those will hurt the chrome. Wipe up what is left over with paper towels and set the used-up towels out to dry in the open air. When dry dispose of in the trash.

repechage

Aircraft stripper is off the shelves in Southern California

xiaoman1 

I am glad I still have some cans in the shop.
Ben

Rooney 

I'd think acetone or paint thinner (wear gloves) should be able to clean up any of the residual gunk left over from the stripper and finish off any small areas of leftover paint. Use a rag. Follow that up using a rag slightly damp with water to clean off whichever you used.

tiger1964 

It's not chromovelato. That said, I might find the resultant finish is not up to par, and will need a trip to the chrome shop (I have a few things to take for plating anyway, but $$$). I could really use some good news here, and save the money for cables, tires, saddles, other stuff on these bikes.

I've been desperately avoiding stores but walked over to the "dollar store" and picked up a 4-pc set of wooden tools, including a flat "roux spoon" with a straight edge, and a curved spoon and if I chip the end off, I might have curvature good for the fork blades. Let's see how they work; and if not, only out $1.99. And I think I have some super-fine (000 or 0000?) steel wool, but no bronze wool.

I wish; that's what I used to strip the old paint off the car to the left. This is generic stripper and I suspect I'd long since be done if I was using good stuff.

Well, there went my "Plan B".

Yeah, I need remember to wear gloves! I have mineral spirits here, maybe some paint thinner, and a can of something called "after wash" which I bought at the same time as the stripper, I guess I should read the instructions!

gugie 

I once sent in a frame to be powder coated, and taped off the fork with high temp tape to show where I wanted it to be masked off, assuming the powder coater would mask off the rest of the chrome. He didn't, so I had a small strip of chrome. I searched online and found that automative gasket remover will remove powder coat (and if it can remove powder coat, paint should be a snap!).

It worked for me. Just coat it on, wait, then use a plastic scraper. I had to use 2-3 coats of gasket remove to do the job, but I got it all off. I used Permatex gasket remover, but others may work as well.

xiaoman1 

T 1964,
Wood is good, I wonder if the stripper that you are using has lost a little of its strength, try reapplying your stripper to the part (perhaps wrapping it with PT). If you have lacquer thinner try a wrap with that and don't let it dry out, then use those high-tech $ store wooden tools to scrape with.
Best, Ben

tiger1964 

Well, another application and this time using a wooden spoon, cut as I mentioned to make one concave side; much more scraped off this time! Still not right, so...

Wood is NOT good, in one way. Looking at the can of stripper, it took the spray-bombed paint job off my old Gitane two years ago, no problem -- but I looked at the can and it's Klean Strip brand and intended to remove paint from wood (well OK, I do want to refinish the bedroom furniture I inherited from my grandmother). So, I checked online and there's an Auto Zone perhaps 1/2-mile away (ironically next door to the dollar store where I just bought the wooden implements ) and, according to the website, in stock! So, another walk, and I got a can (only had it in gallons for $52.99) and I just put a coat on. Lesson of the day: RTFL (read the flippin' label).

What I am starting to believe, between the paint stripping, degreasing parts and polishing, that I need a metric ton of rags.

xiaoman1 

What I meant was wood is good for scraping paint off of chrome without marring it....unlike some that might use a metal paint scraper.....You're right about the PT.
Best, Ben

acm

I would personally talk to your local sandblasting or electroplating shop and ask an industry pro their advice. Blasting is likely to be too rough but there are some soft blasting media out there (made of plastic) that may well do the job, not sure. If they don't have any good advice you've established contacts who can strip and re-plate your fork!

I had a similar problem trying to preserve the chrome under a frame I was repainting last year but eventually decided it wasn't worth the headache.

martl

don't overthink it, i use a thin bit of scrap birch plywood..

randyjawa 

Though I hate using chemicals in my hobby, I used a twenty or thirty year old can of paint stripper, "PolyStrip" as I recall. I saved the original decals by working close to them with the chemical then carefully scraping off close to the decal with an alloy scraper. Worked out pretty good...

tiger1964 

I know; should have added a "wink". Hmm, what is "PT"?

On a different part, I had already contacted the chrome shop I use and do have blasting facilities - but I did not ask what media.

Doh! And I have a good selection of wood shim stock, a little trimming on the end would have worked.

If my results were like that, I'd be pleased. That said,

(a) 1st attempt with the aircraft paint stripper wasn't that much better than the wood stripper... OK, somewhat better. But I see 2-3 more coats to get everything out of the corners, like where the fork blades enter the crown. It's 55F in the unheated basement, and maybe it would work better if I brought the project into the heated part of the house. I recall stripping the car, the stuff did not work for beans in the cold of a neighbor's unheated garage; a few warm days and the paint all came off.

(b) I have enough off the blades now that I can see the underlying chrome. Dull. I tried the electric buffer and it did not brighten up. So, a lot of work to get to bare metal -- and it is still going to the chrome shop. Sigh.

Unca_Sam

That right there tells you all you need to know. You're going to have it blasted, right? So save the chemicals and time and get started on figuring out the costs of blasting and chroming. I know locally (Columbus, OH) there are a handful of outfits that will blast with dry ice, soda, on up to the heavier blasting media, depending on the goal and substrate.

martl

skip the chemical paint stripping, blast and rechrome instead, because chemicals? I would rather dip my hand in a barrel of paintstripper than in a barrel of the stuff used for electroplating, brother

Unca_Sam

Ditto!
Read it again carefully, and the main thought should be, "you'll want it blasted to remove every trace of paint anyway, so continuing to strip the paint off with chemicals is likely wasting time."

tiger1964 

You may be right; I somehow am worrying that the plater might not think I am doing a good-faith effort? Huh?

i am surprised there is anybody still plating, especially right here outside Washington DC; one would think the technology would be regulated out of existence. That said, I do like shiny chrome.

Mad Honk 

Tiger,
I use a product called Strypeze from Savogram products. It is a gel type of stripper and removes almost everything I have used it on. The other option for you is to just send it to a shop and have it hot tanked in an alkaline solution that will remove all paint. I just sent a Fuji team in for that treatment to clean the chrome under the paint. Cost will be about $10 for an overnight dip. Smiles, MH