georgeusa Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 I am in the middle of building the 1/24 Revell Huey which has this wonderful chrome plated sprue for some engine parts. The problem is once put together because of the age of the kit, there are some ugly seams that need to be sanded out. Also, I cannot remember any Huey I flew in, jumped out of, or got tossed from that had chrome parts. Lots of steel and aluminum but no chrome. I have tried soaking the sprue in DOT 3 brake fluid for the last 3 hours and nothing. I also tried soaking them in coke (another suggestion I received from "someone in the know") overnight and also nothing. Short of sanding it off or taking paint remover, which I am worried about the underlying plastic being destroyed are there any suggestions? So far it is a fun build, but can't handle the bright chrome on this model or the terrible seams. I don't think there is a paint out there that would match. I tried Humbrol 11 and Testor's metallic silver and they are not close. Help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TME3 Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Try a spray can oven cleaner... like "Easy Off" here in the US.... use it in a well ventilated area, spray it on, let it soak in, then use an old toothbrush to take the chrome off. Wash the parts in soap and warm water when you're done. Try it on a scrap piece first if you have one. I tried this method in the past and it worked well... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomjw Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Never tried it myself, but Mr Muscle oven cleaner is supposed to work here in the UK. There are a number of threads on various forums that use this and then replace it with Alclad 2 Lacquers. As an Alclad 2 obsessive, I can guarantee you will like the results. My UH-1 rotor head parts and exhaust are sprayed using Alclad. Follow the instructions closely and you will not be disappointed. Tom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fazer Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Hi Georgusa, Try good old house hold thick bleach (Domestos in the UK) as I have just stripped some 1/9th Chromed wheels from a Protar kit. I use this method on every makers sprue & it has not let me down yet! Make sure the part is well covered & watch for the reaction as some chrome comes off very easily (Tamiya, Hasagowa) but some like the Protar sprues took overnight. it also degreases & it ready for clean up & painting. try it & you wll not be disappointed. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 I recall reading somewhere on the web about how to remove chrome from plastic parts but my memory fails me as to what the chemical actually was - I know that's not much use to you but the truth is out there somewhere. My next thought is that ferric chloride might work. This is the stuff used to etch PCB's by dissolving surplus copper away. I'm not sure if is dissolves chromium but there is often a copper under layer with chrome plating that could be attacked by it. It would definitely not harm the plastic and I think you could get it either on the web of from an electronics, Radio Shack type shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmatthewbacon Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 (edited) Caustic soda (used for cleaning drains etc) works brilliantly, and very fast. I think it's called lye in the US. You have to be very careful whilst using it, though, because it is a very strong alkali. I buy it as white crystals from the local hardware store -- it's very cheap. Wear rubber gloves. Work in or over the sink, in a well ventilated area. Half fill a glass jar with cold water, and slowly pour in some of the crystals (I use a couple of tablespoons in half a pint of water), stirring all the time (I use a flat wooden stick, like a big lollipop stick, which I have a lot of.) The water will get hot as the soda dissolves, and you don't want to breathe too closely too it (I usually take it outside to complete the stirring and dissolving). When it's all dissolved, drop your chromed parts in, and the metal will disappear before your eyes in seconds. Leave it in a bit longer and the varnish layer underneath will come off as well. When it's done, fill your kitchen sink with cold water, and lift the parts out with long forceps, or hook the sprues with some bent wire (don't use your fingers, even in rubber gloves), and drop them into the sink of water. Swirl around and leave them on some kitchen towel to dry. When you've done all you need, pull the plug on the sink, and as it drains slowly pour the caustic solution down the plug hole, and follow up by running the cold tap for a little while. Be careful not to splash, and it you do, get plenty of cold water onto the splash fast. It sounds a lot more scary than it is. You just need to be careful, and treat the dangerous chemical with respect. But it IS a normal household chemical, and has plenty of instructions on the pack, as well. bestest, M. Edited August 16, 2013 by cmatthewbacon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Top tip that ^. I have used this stuff to clear blocked drains so your drain will get a good clean out as a bonus. I can attest to the fumes given off by this stuff, very nasty. Make sure you add the crystals to the water and not the other way round as then the heat build-up would be hazardous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paperback writer Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Pour some Mr Muscle Oven Cleaner into a dish big enough to take the parts. In about 10 minutes all of the chrome will have gone to leave your chromed parts as clean as a whistle. I don't know about oven cleaning but the used cleaner is no good for a repeat performance. I have tried to use some the day after and nothing happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Séan Pádraig Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Fairy Power Spray removed the chrome off some Tamiya VW Beetle wheels my daughter did a while bacl... old butter tub, spray wheels, close and leave a few hours... gentle wash and brush... job done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgeusa Posted August 16, 2013 Author Share Posted August 16, 2013 (edited) Thank you for all the suggestions. I think, since I am at my office putting it together, and I just rent the office, I will try the oven cleaner first. Don't know if my landlord will like me putting stuff down the drains that would clean them out. If oven cleaner doesn't work, then better living through chemicals I always say. Again thanks for the replies. Edited August 16, 2013 by georgeusa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 (edited) The active ingredient in all these products is basically the same - caustic soda, lye or sodium hydroxide. The only difference is the amount of dilution and that oven cleaners contain a gelling agent to give them some adherence on vertical surfaces (plus other stuff probably). I like your reference to “Better Living through Chemistry” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Better_Living_Through_Chemistry I've always been a fan of the subject myself. P.S. so your landlord will get his drains cleaned either way. Edited August 16, 2013 by Nigel Heath Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelmaker Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 I am in the middle of building the 1/24 Revell Huey which has this wonderful chrome plated sprue for some engine parts. The problem is once put together because of the age of the kit, there are some ugly seams that need to be sanded out. Also, I cannot remember any Huey I flew in, jumped out of, or got tossed from that had chrome parts. Lots of steel and aluminum but no chrome. I have tried soaking the sprue in DOT 3 brake fluid for the last 3 hours and nothing. I also tried soaking them in coke (another suggestion I received from "someone in the know") overnight and also nothing. Short of sanding it off or taking paint remover, which I am worried about the underlying plastic being destroyed are there any suggestions? So far it is a fun build, but can't handle the bright chrome on this model or the terrible seams. I don't think there is a paint out there that would match. I tried Humbrol 11 and Testor's metallic silver and they are not close. Help I'm sure any of these will work, but we've got a guy in our club who swears by Coca-Cola, which, if you think about what is in the bespoke chemical cleaners, is quite scary! best of luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 He's already tried that and it didn't work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMD70 Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Last week I took chrome of a kit with just some thin bleach from the kitchen cupboard... Just popped the parts in and after a minute of so you could see the chrome being eaten away. Was fun to watch! I think any bleach will do but personally the thin stuff works just fine and is easy to clean up. This evenings job is to gloss enamel my parts ready for come more realistic metal effects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgeusa Posted August 18, 2013 Author Share Posted August 18, 2013 Okay, just for grins, I left one of the sprues in the coke solution for a couple of days and the rest in the brake fluid solution. (Well, to be truthful, got caught up in work and forgot about the parts soaking.) Here are the results. The sprue with all the chrome gone is the one that soaked in coke for 2 days. The sprue that is, for the most part, still shiny with most of the chrome on it sat in DOT 3 brake fluid a little longer than the parts that soaked in coke. One is clearly labeled poisonous and gives instructions on how to treat if swallowed. The other is adored by millions and consumed daily in massive quantities. Gives one pause to think doesn't it. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Knight Posted August 18, 2013 Share Posted August 18, 2013 I would hope that brake fluid would not remove chrome plating. On some vehicles the pistons in the brake calipers are chrome plated. I would like to think that the part behind the seal would still be plated and not be getting dechromed and the brake fluid contaminated. By the way; I use caustic soda as it removes the varnish sometimes fould under the chrome on model parts. The 'chrome' on plastic parts is actually varnished aluminium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuck Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 I read somewhere a long time ago that Ammonia was the stuff to use, wanting to strip some chromed parts myself, I went in the workshop this morning , found a bottle that had been kicking about for ages, and gave it a try. Well apart from being nearly knocked out on opening the bottle, it did the job perfectly and no mess at all, just dip the parts in it for about 15 minutes and there is no trace left of the chrome . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Laidlaw Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 For future reference, Super Clean Cleaner/Degreaser (Walmart carries it) can strip chrome-plating of sprues in two to three minutes, and is not too terribly horrible to use. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgeusa Posted November 23, 2014 Author Share Posted November 23, 2014 Thanks John. I appreciate the tip. Never heard of this stuff. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Laidlaw Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 No probs, George - sorry I didn't see your posting before. Might have saved you messing around with nasty chemicals. Like Coke . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan1302 Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 For future reference, Super Clean Cleaner/Degreaser (Walmart carries it) can strip chrome-plating of sprues in two to three minutes, and is not too terribly horrible to use. I always use normal toilet bleach. Cheap as well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riggers Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 Mr Muscle Oven Cleaner all the way for the UK. Never fails.... ATB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lespaul Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 Ive tried bleach,nothing, mr Muscle,nothing, photo etch fluid,takes the chrome off but leaves the copper base. Last try is Caustic soda?? The kit is 1/12 Airfix blower Bentley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmatthewbacon Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 Ive tried bleach,nothing, mr Muscle,nothing, photo etch fluid,takes the chrome off but leaves the copper base. Last try is Caustic soda?? The kit is 1/12 Airfix blower Bentley. Ah, yes... the big Airfix Bentley does have FAMOUSLY tough "chrome". If you've tried the other stuff, caustic soda it will have to be! bestest, M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Knight Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 Be very careful with caustic soda, especially when mixing it. It'll heat up the water to the point of boiling. Keep some vinegar handy to put on any splashes you may chance to get from it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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