Technical Reverse electrolysis for removing chrome off aluminum wheels

I’ve got a few questions. I have a set of chrome plated aluminum wheels that are peeling bad. I know to stay away from this but would like to give it a try. I’ve done rust removal this way and want to know the setup of the charger anode pos and neg hookups and what chemical you used. I will have it outside so I won’t have to worry about the toxicity of it. What keeps the terminal that is to the wheel from eating it like a sacrificial node you use sometimes for rust removal and how long does this process take. I’d like to atleast get it to the nickel then take them to the sandblaster for powdercoat

 

This doesn’t answer your question, but the local-ish chrome shop to me, can strip chrome, but doesn’t use the chemicals to remove the nickel.
They gave me some recommendations, the closest place I called can do the nickel as well.
Okay, so let me backup a bit. For a grill shell and tube axle (if my memory is working, was about 8 moths ago) to get the chrome only off from of both, was around 300 bucks.
The place that could get the nickel off, wasn’t much more than that.
Now question I have, will powder coat adhere properly to nickel?

 

Thanks but the only bad thing is the nearest chrome shop to me is over 5 1/2 hrs away. Since Covid businesses have shut down around here

 

You need to be careful here or you dissolve the wheel too. Stripping aluminum is not the same as stripping steel.

 

If the crome is peeling on Aluminum you can Bead blast it off and not hurt the Aluminum. Only use 80 psi when Bead blasting
Aluminum.

 

so it’s toxic inside , - but not toxic outside ???
Cool, learn something every day………..

 

I have a set of Cragars (4's n 10's) that I need to do the same to, by the time I get a chrome shop to strip them and then get them powdercoated I'll be totally upside down on cost vs. value.
I researched it pretty good and I couldn't find an alternative to the costly chrome shop stripping.

 

That price sounds spendy even at today's inflated prices for what amount of labor is actually involved to put the wheels in the removal tank and rinse them off when they come out. The same tank and setup that every thing else that goes in with old chrome on it gets stripped in.

My buddy claimed that the local machine shop removed chrome from a set of chrome reverse wheels in their bake out oven that they baked blocks in but I have no personal knowledge if it actually worked or not.

 

Reverse current in sulphuric acid will strip chrome and nickel from aluminum without harming the wheel.

 

No problem here, the wind will blow the "tox" to the neighbors house!

Bill

 

I think the real deal-breaker is a big enough DC power supply. IIRC, as surface area of the piece goes up, so does the required current. Large items like a wheel can require several hundred amps or more, and those power supplys aren't cheap. Which is just one reason home plating isn't viable. A battery charger isn't going to cut it.

Another issue is the solution to remove chrome from aluminum eats steel. I had a couple of castings done years ago with pressed-in steel bushings. They had issues with plating them, had to strip and try again once or twice. When I got the castings back, the bushings were gone...

As far as powder sticking, as long as the surface has some 'tooth' to it, it'll stick. The trick is making sure you have every last bit of 'lifting' plating removed because if you don't, it'll keep peeling.

 

Got one wheel done with 10 amp in sulfuric acid. No damage to the wheel very little nickel left. Took approx 45 minutes total if anyone else ever has to try it.