Chrome touchup

[Bob Cline]

There are really only two choices if you want a decent finish. First strip the chrome in the remover of your choice - Castrol Super Clean (now just called Super Clean), oven cleaner, 91% isopropyl alchohol, etc. Once the parts are stripped, sand them with the finest paper you can. The better the prep, the better the end result.

1. Use one of the paints specially made for "rechroming" - Alclad , Testors metallizers, SnJ powders, etc.

2. Send the parts off to one of the "rechroming" (technically vacuum metalizing) companies. These folks will do at least as good as the original and, as I have been told, even better. This isn't cheap especilly for 1/8th scale.

Good luck

[hot ford coupe]

As far as I'm concerned, you can strip the chrome off of all the parts and redo the metallic finish as described by Bob. Most of the chrome I see in many of those kits is pitiful at best. I rather do it all and have some uniformity than use some kit parts and some stripped parts and have them look off balance.

[Rick]

I'm building a kit that has some white metal parts and I'm wondering what the best way is to clean and polish them. Can someone enlighten me please!

Thanks.........Rick

[Don Garrett]

I use jeweler's rouge and a buffing wheel in a Dremel , #000 steel wool , rubbing and polishing compound. Clear coat helps to hold the shine.

[ScaleMotorcars]

As long as you don't have lead in the metal then you can use just about any metal paste polish. If your casting is a little rough you may want to cut in down just like a paint job.

Lead based white metals don't polish well but its not imposable. May want to just get the stuff chrome plated in this case.

The metal I use has a high silver content so once your done its a good ideal to shoot a nice clear coat over it. :D

[BrittB]

I highly recommend these guys for chrome plating of plastic parts.

http://www.chrometechusa.com/

Britt

[Deuces-wild]

I emailed Chrometech about having the big T steelies done and they told me $4.00 per part. X that by 8 pieces = $32.00 bucks. You could save yourself 50 % and just spray the wheel backs with chrome paint. Clean them up real good and spray them with a good quality gloss black enamel paint at first and let them dry. Then wait a couple of weeks and then spray them with Alclad II chrome or Dupli-Color enamel chrome paint. Oh by the way.... it'll take up to 6 weeks turnaround time to get your parts chromed. You may want to look into it first...:) That's my 3 cents worth..

[Rick]

Thanks Guido........its all "good to know" stuff.

Rick

[Bob Cline]

I emailed Chrometech about having the big T steelies done and they told me $4.00 per part. X that by 8 pieces = $32.00 bucks. You could save yourself 50 % and just spray the wheel backs with chrome paint. Clean them up real good and spray them with a good quality gloss black laquer paint at first and let them dry. Then wait a couple of weeks and then spray them with Aclad II chrome or Dupli-Color enamel chrome paint. Oh by the way.... it'll take up to 6 weeks turnaround time to get your parts chromed. You may want to look into it first...:) That's my 3 cents worth..

I THINK Alclad recommends enamel vs. lacquer for the base. I've had bad luck with adherance using Tamiya rattle cans, which is closer to lacquer than enamel on the "hotness" scale. Thinned Testors gloss black enamel works for me.

[Deuces-wild]

Hey Bob, Sorry I goofed! :( I went and changed it to enamel . I hate givin' out bad info.

[Don Garrett]

Guido, go visit Jeff in the corner.

[Deuces-wild]

WOW! Hangin' in the corner can be fun at times.:) Jeff has a fridge full of rootbeer, cable tv, and a couple of stacks of old HOTROD magazines. :D Almost forgot... And a 64 pack of crayolas../B..:)