Thread #27799
I have a Chrome face wheel that would like to dechrome and paint silver....i know it is possible....is there shops in us?.....I couldn't Google anything....thanks in advance
from what i understand, you need to take the wheels and have them dipped to reverse the polarity to properly strip the chrome...you could sandblast them but it isn't the 'proper' way to do it but probably the cheapest..
sandblasting could potentially damage the faces.
B. Gorman;412430 wrote:Stripping Chrome Off Aluminum or De-Chroming wheel parts!!!
Chrome Wheel Faces
De-Chromed Wheel Faces
OK, so your favorite set of wheels or a used set your looking to buy has chrome pitting, peeling, or flaking off (or maybe just a little rash on those chrome lips...from the wife driving your car...LOL)!
You have 3 options:
1. If your a Baller and money is no object, just buy some new wheels...and remember to hit me up and I'll buy your old cool trashed wheels for cheap...really cheap...LOL!!!!
2. Send them out to a shop and get the parts Re-Chromed!
3. Strip the Chrome off and get them polished or powder coated!!!
There is NO easy way to remove Chrome from wheel parts!
Sandblasting doesn't work well and can harm the surface of the part under the Chrome!
Grinding it off with a grinder will result in uneven surface (It will look like crap..LOL)
Muriatic acid will take the chrome off, but not the Nickel...which is the shiny coating you see!
Also, it will not remove the copper under the nickel!!!
If you want chrome (nickel and copper) removed from aluminum,
and want them bare metal again...the best way I know how is
to send it to a chrome shop and have them chemically strip them!!!
They will use Nitric acid which will remove the nickel and copper without
without attacking the aluminum!
This is not a DIY job...Nitric acid stinks, makes a big yellow cloud when
your stripping, and also needs to be professionally disposed of (which isn't cheap)!
Oh yeah...and for those that think you can powder coat over flaking or peeling
chrome...think again!!!! It will still flake..and the chrome and powder will
come off sooner, not later (It is however safe in most cases to powder coat over new chrome parts, or chrome that is in good shape)!!!
Once the parts are stripped correctly!
If you plan on painting them or powder coating them, make sure you
heat them up to 200 degrees for about a 1/2 hour before you do
anything to them! What this does is allow the chemicals to bake out and
any gasses that are in the aluminum to come out too!
If you don't do this...the parts will usually do either or both of the following:
1. If powder coated or painted, once they are cured, the chemicals will begin
to slowly leach out and leave dark spots in the coating. These spots can usually
be buffed out, but will keep coming back!
2. If powder coated, the chemical in the aluminum can outgas during the baking
and result in a bubbled or pitted surface!
[QUOTE=B. Gorman;412430][SIZE=4][B]Stripping Chrome Off Aluminum or De-Chroming wheel parts!!![/B][/SIZE] [SIZE=4][B]Chrome Wheel Faces[/B][/SIZE] [IMG]http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m39/billkw/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20110326_045728.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m39/billkw/Mobile%20Uploads/DSCN0931.jpg[/IMG] [SIZE=4][B]De-Chromed Wheel Faces[/B][/SIZE] [IMG]http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m39/billkw/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20110604_114023.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m39/billkw/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20110204_154300.jpg[/IMG] [SIZE=2][B]OK, so your favorite set of wheels or a used set your looking to buy has chrome pitting, peeling, or flaking off (or maybe just a little rash on those chrome lips...from the wife driving your car...LOL)! You have 3 options: 1. If your a Baller and money is no object, just buy some new wheels...and remember to hit me up and I'll buy your old cool trashed wheels for cheap...really cheap...LOL!!!! 2. Send them out to a shop and get the parts Re-Chromed! 3. Strip the Chrome off and get them polished or powder coated!!! There is NO easy way to remove Chrome from wheel parts! Sandblasting doesn't work well and can harm the surface of the part under the Chrome! Grinding it off with a grinder will result in uneven surface (It will look like crap..LOL) Muriatic acid will take the chrome off, but not the Nickel...which is the shiny coating you see! Also, it will not remove the copper under the nickel!!! If you want chrome (nickel and copper) removed from aluminum, and want them bare metal again...the best way I know how is to send it to a chrome shop and have them chemically strip them!!! They will use Nitric acid which will remove the nickel and copper without without attacking the aluminum! This is not a DIY job...Nitric acid stinks, makes a big yellow cloud when your stripping, and also needs to be professionally disposed of (which isn't cheap)! Oh yeah...and for those that think you can powder coat over flaking or peeling chrome...think again!!!! It will still flake..and the chrome and powder will come off sooner, not later (It is however safe in most cases to powder coat over new chrome parts, or chrome that is in good shape)!!! [/B][/SIZE] [SIZE=4][B]Once the parts are stripped correctly! [/B][/SIZE] [SIZE=2][B]If you plan on painting them or powder coating them, make sure you heat them up to 200 degrees for about a 1/2 hour before you do anything to them! What this does is allow the chemicals to bake out and any gasses that are in the aluminum to come out too! If you don't do this...the parts will usually do either or both of the following: 1. If powder coated or painted, once they are cured, the chemicals will begin to slowly leach out and leave dark spots in the coating. These spots can usually be buffed out, but will keep coming back! 2. If powder coated, the chemical in the aluminum can outgas during the baking and result in a bubbled or pitted surface![/B][/SIZE][/QUOTE]
i sandblasted my aluminum faces and did not damage them...took a LOT of time though...wasn't worth the effort for me...
Find a place that does galvanizing and ask them who their chemical stripper ;) is. They can almost always point you to some that can do it. I have a guy locally that takes cash and does it after hours lol he's a fuckin sketchy dude.
Yup B. Gorman , You have the right info forsure :thumbsup:
