Hey guys!

Well, first off let me say that I looked for brass wool and I looked for oxalic acid but the home depot that I tried had neither.

I found some acid for rust removal (maybe phosphoric, but I don't remember for sure) and I found a synthetic steel wool.

I used regular steel wool on one side of the fork and the synthetic steel wool on the other side and then used turtle wax to polish and finish it.

I looked at the form in the light after I was done and I was shocked to find that the steel wool side was nice and shiny and the side where I used the synthetic steel wool was clean but dull and lacking luster! It just looked scratched!

I tried to use the brass wool to fix that and then used turtle wax again, but alas it didn't help!

What should I do!!!

(Something along the lines of getting a fine scrubber, I have a hand drill if there's a buffing/sanding attachment of sorts I need. I really want to fix this )

Is this plain steel, or chromed steel?

I think it's chrome. It's shiny. The frame is 501 chromoly.

Peugeot PH501. I posted pics on another thread, I'll post another one if you need me to.

In a out of the way space, i would try some rubbing compound followed by polishing compound, and after that try the Turtle Wax again.

Sounds like a good plan. You may have got a hold of some of the scratchy pads that have an abrasive impregnated in the fibers...the kind I've seen use silicon carbide which is hard enough to scratch steel or chrome.
Don't panic, all polishing is is just scratching the surface with sucessively smaller scratches, until they are so small we can't see them...take your time and try to get the pattern of scratches very even before you move to the next finer abrasive. As long as you don't get too agressive and "burn through" the plating, it CAN be polished to a high shine.

FYI: Copper pads can be found at the grocery, in the dish soap aisle. Look for "Chore Boy", I've been using therm for years.

What brand/make should I look for for the rubbing/polishing compounds?
Any suggestions?

I use Turtle Wax brand. First rubbing compund and then polishing compound. I doubt if Turtle Wax is any better or worse than any other brand. It's what they had.

And doing that should even out the abrasive scratches I put on the fork and then bring the shine back?

It will but not by magic, it'll take some WORK. You have to get the entire surface that's scratched covered EVENLY with the SAME type of scratches you have that are now offensive: same depth, same width...try using the same offending pad that produced those scratches or something that will get the same results but faster (like a rubbing compound, maybe). Then you use a FINER abrasive that will produce smaller scratches and you go over the entire surface until those deep ones are all replaced with a finer, EVEN, pattern. Then an even FINER abrasive, and so on...you get the drift. If you haven't done it before you will learn what it takes by doing it, you get faster with experience but if you take your time and do it thoroughly, you can get just as good a polish. If the combination of rubbing and polishing compound won't get the results you want, try substituting pumice, rottenstone, and/or buffing compounds like emery, tripoli and rouge. Good luck to ya!

The trick is to remove the scratches without going through the paint. Be careful.

'You Guys', are a joke !

After you have abraided off the thin chrome finish, you continue to

attack the underlying nickel / copper plate .

Keep up the 'good work'; you will soon be 'polishing'. steel !

(don't take my word for it, the platers are more than happy !)


regourds,
J T

of course JT here is demonstrating the "clever" use of sarcasm to point out what was said earlier in this post: you have to be careful to not "burn through" the plating which is very thin. That's why doing it by hand is much preferred to using a buffing wheel even with the same abrasives, cause you have much more control over how far you go and the speed with which you get there. Sounds like his is the voice of bitter experience. If you have a wasted fork or other chrome-plated part to practice on, that's always going to be the best approach.

I thought he was talking about scratched paint. I see now that he wasn't. Never mind.

Not 'bitter experience', just some knowlege of plating .

How thick do you think the 'chrome', is anyway ? -

(it's measured in microns - very, very thin .)

After all of the 'elbowgrease', etc, the

THE CHROME IS GONE, only the nickel / copper base is left .

Sure, it still looks good and shiny, but

THE CHROME IS GONE !

Time will tell; ask a plater before you destroy your parts .

I have been through this before on these forums

with the 'experts', among you, but remember this :

'Chrome'. is only the very thin (and hard) top layer that gives

the underlying nickel plate its desired 'high finish';

think of it as the 'clear coat', on an automobile .


You have been led to water, drink if you will .


Regards,
J T