Chrome paint?

[Thomas Lager]

Has anyone tried using chrome paint on a chassis and parts that have lost their luster due to rust or corrosion?  I once saw a brush-on chrome touch up kid offered online, but can't find anything now that doesn't require total immersion of the part in a bath.  Thanks

Tom Lager

[Alex R. Whitaker]

Some people take all the shields off the chassis, and brush on naval jelly rust remover.  You let it work for a few minutes, then wash it off with water.  This is best done on a hot summer day, so you can leave the chassis outside to dry in the heat.  Some people put the chassis in a warm oven (about 150 degrees F) to dry, but I've never tried that. 

[David C. Poland]

I would discourage trying chrome paint. Poor results, especially on anything less than glass smooth metal.

Better to try a liquid chrome polish like TURTLE. Use small squares of old towels as as an applicator and change frequently because grit picked up will scratch good chrome. Or try Alex's approach if the rust and and flaking chrome is very extensive. If the chrome is really bad, find a better example to restore.

[Thomas Lager]

Have used Brasso with good results on the good chrome, but I need something better for the tube shields that have the chrome bubbled up.  Has anyone ever tried one of the brush-on kits using a wand and a 9 volt battery?

[mike hadley]

Brush on plating does work with excellent results but be careful, as the layer is only micrometers thick any surface marks will show, the part also has to be chemically clean and if it's made from any aluminium or zinc alloy it will present it's own problems and will have to be coated with something like a zincate coat first.

Possibly the best solution would be as the tube shields are removable and not part of the chassis, would be to paint the tube shields and replace them with better ones when you get the chance.

[Thomas Lager]

Thanks for the advice.  I have heard this from others using this method that unless you have a mirror finish on the item to be plated, you won't get a mirror finish on the chrome.  The set I ordered has an option to use a bath to re-plate so if the brush doesn't work I can try that way.  

[Brad Winder]

As a supplemental note to this issue, I have used chrome automotive tape to hide small areas of corrosion or blemishes on the chassis. It does quite an admirable job; you have to look close to see the edges if applied well. 

Of course, this won't work for large areas or curved/irregular surfaces. 

[Scott Seickel]

The tube/coil shields are aluminum, with early ones being zinc.  When they corrode and the chrome bubbles up, there is no fixing it short of stripping all the chrome, polishing the shield and then doing a full replating which is in the realm of professional chrome shops, and some of these shops have not been successful at replating. 

[Thomas Lager]

Good to know.  Thanks