Dealing with old chrome plating
 

I'm new (very new) to the vintage bike world. So, I apologize if I'm asking (dumb) questions that have been covered and recovered. Oh, if so, pointing me to a relevant thread would be awesome!

My new-to-me 1970ish Legnano would benefit from a strip and repaint. I like patina. I really do. But I think this may be beyond that. It appears that what little rust is showing is superficial... now. But we know how that works. I'm thinking of striping the frameset to bare metal and shooting it with a fresh coat of that Legnano house green. But there's that chrome.

As I understand it, many frame builders and painters of this era were chroming most or all of the frame, polishing the sections (lugs, etc.) that would show as chrome and painting over the rest of the frame - over the chrome. From the flaking paint on the chain stays, this appears to be the case with my Legnano. Clearly that makes a straightforward media blast and repaint a bit less straightforward.

How are you guys dealing with the old chrome plating? Just paint over the chrome again?

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...62ae00167.jpeg

Depending on where you are located , chrome plating is expensive and very few options for sources . Here in Southern California platers are few and far between . I'm pretty sure Jack at Franklin Frame in Ohio has a good source . I was lucky when I had him do my frame , he said the chrome just needed buffing and it came out nice . I only had chrome on the fork crown. I know folks that have just painted the whole bike after they find out how much new chrome will cost. Also the chemicals used to strip the old chrome must be properly neutralized or the frame will rust from the inside out! I have a couple of bikes that have chrome lugs and are almost entirely chrome plated . I chose to just clean them up and ride them rather than deal with a complete restoration.

I just try to clean up as much as I can. I’ll use water and finger nail and etch the rust. Some will use a foil rub to take down rust, sometimes this can dull the chrome. Most rust will just pop off without abrasive material. Rust can be taken of chemically.

Just having finished a Legnano, I sympathize. The one I did had faded but not peeled chrome, I buffed and buffed and it looks decent but not show-worthy. A search on the forum should reveal some discussions of using chrome paint markers for touch-up -- I did try one, and results were, again, decent but not thrilling.

I am fortunate enough to have a plater not too far away (well, I have not checked for over a year, I hope still there) but the prices are indeed eye-watering; Ive had forks, crank arms, small parts and rear stays done before. How many bikes were discarded, or painted over, due to chrome condition and the costs to correct it?

After stripping all the old paint, remove all the rust by a soak in an oxalic acid bath and then a good scrub with a brass brush. To paint over chrome I first sand the chrome with a 400 grit paper, then apply an acid etch primer before the color coat.

You can search "oxalic acid" in this forum for further information on rust removal.
Brent

This is great info. Thanks guys!

Any experience/warnings with media blasting these old frames? I have good friend who restores vintage Land Cruisers. He's a master powder coater and has a lot of experience media blasting old painted and chromed truck parts. He admittedly has much less experience with bike parts. He said "Sometimes, the chrome survives the process looking great. Sometimes the process just dulls the chrome - makes it perfect for painting. And sometimes, when the chrome is in rough shape, it makes a mess - flakes and pits - and then it's off to the stripper."

I’m often surprised with chrome that looks like it is being eaten by rust cleans up quite well. I use either a brass bristle brush or wadded up tin foil and WD40 and if stuff flakes off, stop. No point trying to salvage it.

A proper paint and rechrome could get VERY expensive. I wouldn’t be shocked if it was at least $2k.

If I was doing a full restore I would get it rechromed and professionally painted. If you are painting it yourself (which I am doing with the Legnano that just found it's way into my garage), I would try to make the chrome look as good as possible (polish, AL foil, and potentially the chrome paint pen). Unless I know for sure it's a "lifetime" bike, I won't pull the trigger on paying for the paint or the chrome work. I usually don't know if the bike is a "keeper" for a couple of years so I make it look as good as I can then I'll decide down the road.