Anyone have any luck removing swirls from chrome?

T

TGates

Active member
I had some nasty stuff on my exhaust pipes on my motorcycle. Nasty enough that I had to take #0000 steel wool soaked in lacquer thinner to remove it. It removed it alright, but it swirled up my pipes in those areas.



I've tried all the metal polishes I have by hand and with a Powerball. Anyone got any tricks?
 
Sorry to bring bad news but I've *never* corrected marring on chrome, and I've been trying on the dealer-scratched Jag since 1985. There are spots on that car where the chrome plating has been worn away (!) but the scratches are still in the chrome that's left right next to the worn-through spots.



Chrome's really hard stuff, you can't just polish/"sand" it down like paint. You might make it better, but you probably won't really fix it. Only final-answer I've ever heard (and a lot of restorers/etc. have seen my Jag) is to get it replated.
 
Accumulator said:
Sorry to bring bad news but I've *never* corrected marring on chrome, and I've been trying on the dealer-scratched Jag since 1985. There are spots on that car where the chrome plating has been worn away (!) but the scratches are still in the chrome that's left right next to the worn-through spots.



Chrome's really hard stuff, you can't just polish/"sand" it down like paint. You might make it better, but you probably won't really fix it. Only final-answer I've ever heard (and a lot of restorers/etc. have seen my Jag) is to get it replated.
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That's kind of what I was afraid of. I am actually seeing some nickel in places on these pipes so the chrome was either very thin or I was just too aggressive with the steel wool.
 
If it is not too serious, I have had limited luck with a wool buffing wheel on a varible speed drill. Use a slow speed and Metal polish of your choice.
 
I beat my head against the wall all the time on bike forums..For every little thing on pipes its..Just use steel wool.

For most anything stuck on pipes take a rag soaked in apc and let rest on material for thirty minutes or so. Then take a plastic razor to remove.
 
Yeah, I agree with steel wool. Then reduce the marks left behind by a wool wheel on a power drill to polish away the microscratches.
 
3Dog said:
I beat my head against the wall all the time on bike forums..For every little thing on pipes its..Just use steel wool.

For most anything stuck on pipes take a rag soaked in apc and let rest on material for thirty minutes or so. Then take a plastic razor to remove.
Click to expand...



I was dealing with two six inch strips of nylon jogging pants that had carmelized to a rock hard schmeg. The pipes had to be warm, in order to get the mass to turn into a goo, then it could be buffered away with steel wool. A rag soaked in APC wouldn't touch this mess. Neither would Goo Gone, Emperial Cleaner, Easy Off Oven Cleaner, etc. etc. I tried scraping with a plastic razor. My pipes laughed.
 
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