Removing chrome

Easy-off oven cleaner works, takes paint too.

I was hopeing for a less toxic solution, but thanks nonetheless.

I remember my mother using oven cleaner, yuck, it stunk up the house.

Not that I find Bleach pleasant though. Maybe if I use some Ammonia with the Bleach....?

:-)

ALARM BELLS It is not a good idea to mix ammonia with bleach. Bleach is usually ammonia or chlorine based. Mixing ammonia with an ammonia based bleach is just plain redundant. But, mixing chlorine and ammonia together will likely harm if not kill you. I'm no chemist, but I do know you get a really deadly gas as a result.

True, that's why I smiled. Still, it can't hurt to mention how important it is to be carefull with the chemicals used as you have pointed out. Mixing Bleach and Ammonia creates a poisonous gas. It does cut grease though...

So, how the heck do I get this darn chrome off?

I don't want to use oven cleaner.

Strip-A-Kit...

Scale Auto enthusiast magazine had an article on the various methods of removing chrome. IIRC, no one method worked the best on all chrome. My favorite method is using Castrol super clean. Eats away most chrome and leaves the part squeaky clean, too.

boom! add a little iodine.

'Black chrome' is *probably* a paint. Plastic model kit 'chrome' is a metal-based sputtered-on application, so it takes something to dissolve metal for it. I'd try an overnight swim in the Purple Pool (Castrol Super Clean) with your parts.

-- C.R. Krieger (Been there; screwed that up)

Westleys (sp) whitewall cleaner works too. Read that in Scale Auto. Mike

I'll be experimenting with sprue parts once I get some of the Castrol.

I'm not sure if this model is chromed in a special way, I'm not sure what "black chrome" means either. When I figure out the best way to remove it I'll post back.

Thanks for the pointers everyone.

Over on Starship Modeler, one of the guys mentioned he had a hard time locating CSC, called up Castrol and was told that they had sold the CSC product to another company.

It's just "Super Clean" now. My Wal Mart's automotive section still carries it the purple jugs- at the same price and the same labelling. But the Castrol name is gone.

FYI.

same formula, thankfully.

I use Castrol Super Clean to strip painted models. Works great. Haven't tried it on chrome, though. Reportedly, it works well if you give it enough time.

Regards, John.