How-To Restore Old Chrome On Barn Find - Restoration HACK from Eastwood 

I heard that works well, you actually never wanna use steel wool because it’ll scratch through the chrome

@@andresaparicio3781 no it won’t. Quit spreading false information.

@@Samuelfish2k May be his eyesight is better than yours? Or maybe he uses a magnifier.

@@jamescole3152 Or maybe he’s working on plastic chrome which shouldn’t be mentioned in the same sentence as real chrome plating. Steel wool will scratch the heck out of plastic chrome. I’m a professional detailer and have been using 00 steel wool to polish real chrome for Years and it’s never scratched. Never.

@@Samuelfish2k steel wool is harder on the hardness scale than chromium, it wears down the chrome over time even though you might not notice it the first time after using it repeatedly it will scratch through and rust, its basically like using a fine grit sand paper on clear coat

You should consider either Bronze or Copper wool.......it won't introduce any micro-scratches. I've been researching this heavily and this is what I'm reading, and NOT to use Steel Wool..... I bought some Bronze/Copper wool for my chrome project.

@@chrispompano Your information is wrong. Steel wool doesn’t instill micro scratches.

Great to hear!

Right on!

@@eastwoodco It worked very well....

Bruce Morris did those work better? I remember SOS pads.

@@jusme2336 yeah the sos pads work really good. Yust dont rub really hard.

Lol sos pads are still a thing

Yup. Cleaned many a bumper using an SOS or Brillo pad with the soap in them.

That’s correct mate

Stainless welder, he is correct.

or you could use a wool buffer pad...

@@brianmorrison4865 that’s what I’m talking about, skip the bullshit and the bumpers done in 10 minutes😂

good info! what would you use besides the 0000 steel wool on a bumper?

@@futureghost6932 00 steel wool.

@@Samuelfish2k Makes no sense ^^^

@@jamescole3152 Oh really? How about you try reading the manufactures label 1 of these days.. You’d think they’d have a pretty good idea on what to use it for, right? 00 steel wool: Polish & restore aluminum, copper, brass, and other bright metals.

For baby-butt smooth, try some Simichrome on a clean microfiber. German-made, good stuff. I've always been really impressed with the results I'm able to get with it. Follow-up with some really fine 0000 steel wool if you need some extra oomph. Barkeepers Friend is also an option. -JD www.eastwood.com/simichrome-polish-50gm-tube.html

Agreed, I wouldn’t use it on nice chrome like the bumper above. It works really well on slightly rusted chrome when you use OOOO steel wool with fluid film.

H.2.O once you scratch chrome it’s scratched

You should consider either Bronze or Copper wool.......it won't introduce any micro-scratches. I've been researching this heavily and this is what I'm reading, and NOT to use Steel Wool..... I bought some Bronze/Copper wool for my chrome project. REPLY

What do you recommend to make chrome like brand new, to eliminate those tiny abrasive marks? Im trying to get those off a Toastmaster T20 - Thanks

@@andreah6175 , what you must understand about chrome is that it’s an ELECTRO-CHEMICAL plating process, used to completely engulf the substrate surface in a hard outer shell casing.. unlike automotive clear coat, which is a thermoset- polyurethane plastic, that CAN BE shaved off during a sanding or polishing process… in Chrome, once you introduce a scratch- you pretty much have to live with it… in your case, if attempting to remove super fine hairline scratches, try using a fine polish like meguiars M205 (forgot the code but the finishing polish)… and if that doesn’t work, then bump up the aggression level (from polish to cutting compound) gradually, until you begin to notice slight surface correction & improved results… as a final cry should the above fail, resort to a heavy metal polish since it’s abrasives (aluminum oxide usually) are often more aggressive in nature due to their enlarged granules… You should, then, notice an improvements in the chrome surface quality … In summary: resort to a foam pad with finishing polish, and bump up the aggression level GRADUALLY, until you see desired results… The above method has helped me correct minor surface defects on chrome surfaces, BUT- NOT ENTIRELY REMOVE THEM..

Try some Simichrome polish. www.eastwood.com/simichrome-polish-50gm-tube.html

Only if it's a Chromebook ;-)

Get a brass wire brush and put it in a drill, the brass is softer so it won't scratch up the chrome

@@HomeMadeBoards how do you refinish the chrome then? Does the brass wheel blend it in or just take off the peeling rust

Small rust spots generally indicate a microscopic pit in the chrome . If small enough , the discoloration can be polished off and the finish will look acceptable from a few feet away. Obviously ,there's a limit to the size of blemish that can be made unoticeable . If your chrome has gotten to the point that it's peeling off, there's no saving it. I work with vintage motorcycle parts and I've seen a lot of good pieces that were ruined by neglect and it's expensive to try and restore them.

Re chrome

It’s Solvol Autosol

Solvol Autosol

TX Wombat this method *will not* repair pitted chrome... that is a defect within the actual electrochemical playing and requires rechroming....

plating*

0000 steel wool will help remove the fine sanding scratches. Follow-up with Simichrome polish on a microfiber rag. www.eastwood.com/simichrome-polish-50gm-tube.html

You can use a buff motor! We have some great videos on cleaning headlight buckets

It’s actually the outside of the chrome headlight that’s all scratched up what do you suggest for that. A used my Rupas nano for the inside and it seem to work pretty good but the outside is pretty scratched up it’s actually dull. New ones are just pretty expensive so I was looking to try to Shoneys up. Thanks Fred

Autosol

There's numerous products available that will work equally well as Autosol.. Simichrome has been around for years . Mother's brand chrome polish is good also. Any good auto parts store should have a selection of specialty polishes for chrome .

Why lol?