Projects Cleaning Rusty Chrome

I have a shifter that's corroded with surface rust. It's a chrome plated piece. How can I polish it back to chrome? It's not something that can be easily replaced.

 

Try a little CLR and mild scotch bright pad
Then polish

 

When I was a kid we used Coke and aluminum foil on surface rust on our bike rims.

 

^^^ Yeah, coca cola and aluminum foil was always a favorite method in motorcycle lore. It is an interesting approach.

 

Yes the aluminum foil thing works, but I think you only need to use water with it.

 

Dupont #7 polish works like a champ. It is co**** enough to wipe away the red haze with a couple swipes, gentle enough to leave polished chrome. Follow with a coat of Turtle paste wax and near like new.

 

Noxon from the grocery store does a great job on chrome. Ammonia based. Put some wax on it after to protect it

 

NeverDull is also good to use.

 

Oxalic acid

 

I got some rusted sockets and wrench’s from an estate sale and let them soak overnight in a mild concentration of citric acid. In the morning wire brushed them with soft wire br*** brush and they came clean and bright. White vinegar will als remove rust without damage to the chrome.

 

Tinfoil and Windex. I've also had good luck with Zephyr polish.

 

I found a chrome 4 speed shifter in our machine shed on the farm. No one knew where it came from and it was rusted badly and would not move at all. I soaked it in citric acid for a couple days, rinsed well and BAM! It shifted like new, and looked good. Found out it was a mid 60s Corvette shifter.

 

I've used tin foil and WD40 with decent results

 

Naval Jelly if you can find it

 

I'll give these a try. Thank you everyone.

 

Dr Pepper and tin foil works great for me ,didn’t have any coke on hand.

 

Trick is to not scratch the chrome with the rust you're trying to remove. My favorite method is to use oxalic acid to remove the rust. Then treat the part with Ospho, then do a foil rub to fill the pits, then a polish and wax.

 

X2. Only thing I use on chrome. NEVER use steel wool.

 

Don't use steel wool. It leaves little pieces embedded that rust. Bronze wool is soft enough not to scratch and you can use it with chrome polish or WD40.
https://www.homedepot.com/pep/Homax...MInaiur8mOkwMVriRECB3PJztXEAQYASABEgLKIfD_BwE

 

I used CLR, tin Foil and lemon juice , navel jelly, br***o and everything people suggested with lackluster results on the bumper of my '50 Ford Coupe.



After I gave up Brenda suggested steel wool, I figured what have I got to loose, it would probably scratch it up but you don't know if you don't try, I started with #1 steel wool and went back with #0000 steel wool, not perfect but a whole lot better, at this stage I was not finished I gust worked the top of the bumper first.

BTW, I spent several evenings getting it to this point. HRP

 

Well worth the effort!!