Removing chrome plating

[PH]

I've been given some small drain cocks which look suitable for several places on the machine I'm building. All the other pipework and cocks will be copper and brass but these are chrome (I assume it's chrome) plated. So, is there a simple, safe, easy and cheap way to get the plating off?

[ron]

I don't know of any DIY methods but any chrome plating business will be able to strip it for you, I think they do it by reverse electrolysis, depends wether you want to spend money on them or not?
Ron

[SteveW]

PH,

Have you tried one of those nice aggressive bathroom cleaners and a green abrasive pad. SWMBO has found it very effective for removing the chrome plating off the taps.

[waggy]

A little "Tongue in cheek" this one, you could always ask Ford, they used to have no trouble getting chrome to come off!

Regards,

Waggy. ;D

[abby]

After stripping chrome plate , which is done by acid etching , the surfaces are re-polished because of the damage , not a problem with decorative parts but any mating faces will need to be carefully masked.

[mutley]

are you sure they are not made of nickle silver? Possibly more likley that chrome plated.

Andy

[PH]

I had assumed they were plated because of the high shine, not like the dull silver of nickel silver as I've always known it - although I could be wrong about that.
I've just tried filing the end of one of them - there's definitely a yellowish tinge to the metal exposed leading me to think that my initial guess was right and they are chrome plated brass.
However if it's chrome it's crap because it was VERY easy to file through.

[circlip]

Would think that if it's so easy to file off the brightness, try wire wool, if that takes it off easily then you ain't got chrome. Surprised that the number of people don't know that chrome plating is colourless. Talk to someone who's had hard chrome plating done for reclamation work on shafts, a file don't shift it. Ian.

PS. DON'T try stripping it with acids, while at school (many many years ago in a galaxy far far away) the chemmy teacher tried this on a chrome plated headlamp rim of mine. Yep, completely bu**ered it, looked like the moffs had been at it. A plater told me the only way was reverse electro method.

[Smifffy]

...if I cast my mind back to my Two Stroke Motobike days, it was usual practice to clean out one's baffles using Caustic Soda, which had to be kept well away from the Chrome. I dunno if it stripped it or just tarnished it ?

However, circlip's experiences suggest otherwise :-)

Did you know that Chrome was porous ? So the problem is, water gets through onto the surface of the steel underneath which causes rust, which then bubbles the chrome up. Ford obviously (from Waggy's experience) had more porous Chrome than others.....

[houstonceng]

"Did you know that Chrome was porous ? So the problem is, water gets through onto the surface of the steel underneath which causes rust, which then bubbles the chrome up."

I was taught that plating on Steel was always done in the order Copper, then Nickel then Chrome. I suppose that all electroplating layers must be "porous", by the nature of the process, so it's probably that cheap "Chrome plating" (that lifts as per Waggy's experience) hasn't got enough depth on the pre-layesr to seal the steel.

[abby]

Chrome is commercially stripped in 75 gm/lt caustic soda, the parts being charged at 6 volts ( anodically I presume) , a small amount of sodium carbonate is also present to reduce the removal of base material. The chrome is converted to hexavalent sodium chromate, which is toxic and harmful to the enviroment. apologies for any mistakes but its been some time since I did any chemistry.

[Noddy]

houstonceng said:

I was taught that plating on Steel was always done in the order Copper, then Nickel then Chrome. I suppose that all electroplating layers must be "porous", by the nature of the process, so it's probably that cheap "Chrome plating" (that lifts as per Waggy's experience) hasn't got enough depth on the pre-layesr to seal the steel.

Soft chrome is plated that way, hard chrome is plated directly onto the base metal using a lot higher current. It is seriously hard. Much too hard to file.

All electroplates are potentially porous (think of all those little dendritic crystals growing from the substrate)

I'd stick with wire wool, a needle file or some fine wet and dry and oil. at least you have some control over what you' re doing, and can stop if your going to make a mess (famous lie that )...

[Smifffy]

Wow! It may not be a BIG word, but I still didn't know what it meant:

Dentritic

So, I checked out Dictionary.com and got this:

1. formed or marked like a dendrite.
2. of a branching form; arborescent.

That made it clear then :-)

So, next:

Dentrite:
a. a branching figure or marking, resembling moss or a shrub or tree in form, found on or in certain stones or minerals due to the presence of a foreign material.
b. any arborescent crystalline growth.

There's that "arborescent" word again!

So, again to Dictionary.com:

arborescent:

- treelike in size and form.

Now we're getting into terminology that I understand. Reminds of the Simpsons episode where they took Stampy ("pet" Elephant won by Bart from the local Radio Station) to the Arboretum for some food. Underneath the grand title over the gate "Arboretum" was written "Tree Place" :-)

Not meaning to poke fun at Noddy, but I do feel a little wiser now than I did this morning, so thank you. Somehow, I have got to get this word into a converstaion at work tomorrow.

;D

[grahamo]

Found a useful supplier today, check out www.frost.co.uk They do a chrome plating removal kit - not cheap but then what is? also kits for putting plating back on. Useful selection of tools to.