Saturday 9 June 2012

Best way to get rid of chrome

Way too shiny

I am trying to have no chrome showing on my bike and a few guys on the XL Forum suggsted the following ways to get rid of chrome:
1. Take the parts to a chrome plating company and they'll strip them in the chroming bath by reversing the polarity. 
2. Leave it parked in the hood overnite...
3. Donate it to the poorest guy on the forum...
4. Use salt spray on the chrome
5. Scotchbrite pad over the whole thing and the paint

I have been using the following process and it has worked well so far on a lot chrome items, such as bolts, caps, brackets:
Step 1 - Buff with a Scotchbrite pad (medium) as this get rids of the shine and creates a profile 
Step 2 - Clean with some metho
Step 3 - Paint with an etch primer (3 light coats...1 hour in between coats)
Step 4 - Paint with satin black acrylic (3 light coats...10-15 minutes between coats)

Here is how my kickstand turned out.
Etch Primer Coat  
All finished
I am going to add a short piece of black hydraulic hose over the bottom of the leg to protect the paint when the kickstand is down and also my frame when the kickstand is up.

1 comment:

  1. Very impressed with your details - this will be a very very nice motorcycle. You got it on the "get rid of chrome" deal. That's the best way for us do-it-yourselfers. Nice work !

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