a light oil and a scouring pad removes most rust pretty effortlessly. There are probably less abrasive ways, but I prefer the simplicity of this approach.

I've been doing the following lately with good results for light surface rust on chrome.

1. Clean the part well.
2. Make a paste with Barkeeper's Friend (contains OA) and slather it on the rusty areas. Do not scrub.
3. Let that sit for a little while, maybe 15 minutes. Rinse it off.
4. Rub the areas with tin foil and a little wd-40 or other similar oil.

I realize people do it all the time, but you should never use an abrasive on chrome.

That's a good point, I should note that I do not scrub with the barkeeper's friend. Just let it sit for a bit, then rinse it off.

How exactly did you do this rim? I have a DL-1 with the same problem, but I don't know how to deal with those zinc plated spokes or how to get the nipples de-rusted.

Did you disassemble the wheel? And was this the result of vinegar, oxalic acid, or elbow grease?

Share your secret!

Looks like a couple of days in an OA bath if you ask me...

^ I believe you are correct, he has shown these photos before.

Thanks for the correction on "neutralize", not "negate". I was careless with my terms there.

I've never had a problem emptying my oxalic acid baths onto my lawn.

+1 Barkeeper's Friend. I use a lot of that. And I do scrub with it, either with a rag or a soft steel brush. It is non-abasive, and very effective.

I've left a rim in the oxalic acid bath too long, like a week, and found that a faint milky discoloration of the chrome occurred in a part of the rim. It appears to be a film, like unpolished wax, but no amount of polishing, scrubbing or more chemicals altered it.

Does the oxalic acid discolor or damage the galvanized spokes?

Yes. It leaves them really chalky and what not.

That said, I turned a Raleigh chromed, steel rim from this:









to this:






just by soaking it and scrubbing it periodically with a nylon detail brush. I used a hotel pan to keep the solution shallow and kept turning the wheel every few hours.

It makes them all nice and black eventually. People like black spokes...

Right?

why not use a product called Chrome Polish?

It won't remove rust. And what is chrome polish anyway? It's probably just a wax product.

I like eagle one wad polish for small jobs.

kero?

kerosene