Chrome bicycle fork restoration - what really works (and its NOT tin foil...) 

Hey Dan , once again. another great video. Looking forward to your next video. All the best!

Excellent video, thanks for sharing. Just what I needed to restore my Gipiemme chrome fork.

Hi Dan,this will come in handy as iv just picked a chrome frame someone left out in the garden for years, im ganna use the forks for my Flandria build so very happy i can fix them 👍👍

Interesting stuff. Thanks for the lesson. I do like shiney forks :-) Warmer in your warehouse than on the bike 😅

Hi Dan, you got a more than an acceptable finish on those forks especially when a bike simply isn’t worth what re-chroming costs but still needs to look as nice as possible (my 1951 Rudge Aero Clubman fork and rear triangle ends for instance!) what grades of paper were you using in this video please? Thanks for a great tutorial. Regards Vaughan

Great job Dan I done a set 6 years ago your correct about the lacquer I made the mistake first time...

Great video, they came up a treat, take out the wire wheel and it’s the same process that can be used to bring aluminium up to a beautiful lustre as I’m sure you would know but I’ve never tried this method with chrome so cheers for the demonstration. I do tend to be a proponent of just getting any bad chrome I have bead blasted and sending it off to my local electroplating guys and I’ll probably stick with that process I reckon, not too much more expense than purchasing the 2k clear and no labour on my part. It’s about $100 process where I live, which I have been told is cheap compared to what some of my friends pay in other places, more like $250 so I think I might be getting mates rates as I’ve used the same guys for 30 years now.

Forking good stuff. Sorry couldn't resist. About to do this to the forks of my Peugeot Ventoux. Thanks for the tip about the clear coat. Fingers crossed for a decent outcome

Cool video on a topic that you don´t come across verry ofthen. I would recommend not to wear these gloves when you work on spinning tools or machines. If they get caught they basically pull you right in. If you necessarily need to wear gloves use the thin rubber ones as they are more likely to rip before your hand or arm gets totally destroyed. There are some really scary videos of people basically getting choped into pieces by lathes, drill presses, milling machines etc.. Stay safe.

How much does it cost to re-chrome, and where do you get it done? The forks looked fine after all that work, but how do you find the time? It was interesting, surprisingly(!), but at this cold and lazy time of year I think the sight of someone cheerfully working is a treat. Thank you Dan.

Good work, they look great. I was hoping you were going to mention a ball park figure for re-chroming.

clear coating chrome is what the Italians called smoked chrome. They would use a clear coat that was tinted and would give the bike a translucent look. Sure over time it could peal a little

Great video! All your videos are very helpful and informative, and entertaining as well for us collectors of vintage bikes, so thanks! I have a few bikes with chrome forks and luckily, they are not degraded but should I come across one that is, I now have an idea of how to take care of it, or at least one option before sending it out to my local chromeplater.

I paid a couple of hundred quid to get my Colnago Master forks rechromed 18 months ago. Had them done via a well known UK frame builder / refurbisher. Sadly, within 12 months the new chrome was showing multiple signs of flaking and rust. I have returned them to be either rechromed or painted to match the frame. Still waiting to get them back. All rechroming services are not equal. Very disappointing.