Before and After: Removing Rust from Chrome
By ModHomeEcTeacher
With thrifting and garage sale season upon us, no doubt we'll find a 'can't pass up' piece of 60's or 70's chrome furniture with some nasty rust spots. If you research the best techniques for removing rust from chrome, you'll find up to nine different techniques people swear by to clean up their bike frames, chrome wheels, chrome furniture and more. See Before and After results on rusted bicycle chrome using Ted Carl's 'Old School' Oxalic Acid soak (from VintageBMX.com's Forum)
Before:
After the Oxalyic Acid soak:
Here's a list of various methods other use to clean rust from chrome:
- Water and aluminum foil crumpled up
- Coca Cola and aluminum foil crumpled up
- Naval Jell7y
- Bar Keeper's Friend
- An onion wiped on the rust
- NevRDull automotive wadding polish
- Steel Wool
- Vinegar and aluminum foil crumpled up
- Oxalic Acid-also known as wood bleach- with this soak, there is no chance of scratching the chrome
Tagged:
bike cleaning rust-removal chrome bicycles BMX vintage chromefurniture garage-sales thrift-shops naval-jelly chrome-cleaning
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DIY Journal is the weekly column I write for The Indianapolis Star along with periodic DIY photo-tutorials for www....
ModHomeEcTeacher
That sounds like something I would do. OOOhh, now you have to re-chrome or something impossible like that.
DestinybyDefinition
Awesome chairs! This tip would've been nice before I razor-bladed an entire barstool in an attempt to get the rust off, only to destroy the finish entirely! lolz
ModHomeEcTeacher
I'll have to do some research on that. What that guy's forum post did say was that after cleaning the chrome, he added some anti-rust product. I'd have to go back and check to be sure.
Anonymous
Question. Once you get the rust off your chrome, anyone have any good recommendations on KEEPING it that way? I remember as a kid polishing up my bike wheel that was fairly rusty. It looked GREAT when I was done but a few months down the road, right back to rusty. I guess you could use a clear coat but that seems a little excessive. An automobile wax maybe?
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