I did a little experiment as a proof of concept and have good news to report.
While searching the far corners of the Internet I found some information on chrome removal. One option I came across was to use Hydrochloric acid.
So I grabbed a bottle of muriatic acid (same thing as hydrochloric acid) out of the pool shed, found a scrap I cut out of the dash when I installed the PC, a few other ods and ends, and decided to do some experimenting.
Disclaimer: I am not posting this to tell you how to do this. I'm just posting what I did. Muriatic acid can be very dangerous and I'm no chemist.
I already had my safety glasses on when I took the pic. I mixed a solution of water/baking soda in one of my decapitated bleach bottles so it was ready to clean up any spilled acid and to use as a rinse. I then mixed a 3/1 solution of water/acid (adding the acid to the water because adding water to acid is dangerous) in my other topless bottle.
The sacrificial bit that had already had some chrome removal experimentation done to it with a rotary sander.
Then I stuck the piece in the acid and....... nothing happened. So I put it in a safe place and left it over night.
20 hours later.
As I suspected, there was a layer of lacquer over the chrome that probably slowed the process, but it came right off when I rinsed in the baking soda. The plastic where the chrome was removed looked perfect.
I decided to give it another try but to first remove the protective coating with some acetone. It did work in removing the clear layer with a little bit of rubbing. A little more rubbing and the chrome started to go too. A little more and the plastic started to go (I was expecting this.) Removing the chrome this way left a slightly rough surface that would probably work fine as a base for painting.
So far that is what I have found. The whole reason for this is to determine the best way to de chrome a grill. I'm doing some repair work on the grill and may try some experimenting on it first but I'm not going to try to acid dip it myself. I'm going to find a chrome place that will do it. I'm expecting a cost of around $20. I'm thinking about doing the inside door handles and lock buttons too. If I go ahead with it I will do these myself.
This "How To" is only for PLASTIC. Keep muriatic acid away from aluminum it can be an explosive and toxic combination even if the solution in is a low %.
While searching the far corners of the Internet I found some information on chrome removal. One option I came across was to use Hydrochloric acid.
So I grabbed a bottle of muriatic acid (same thing as hydrochloric acid) out of the pool shed, found a scrap I cut out of the dash when I installed the PC, a few other ods and ends, and decided to do some experimenting.
Disclaimer: I am not posting this to tell you how to do this. I'm just posting what I did. Muriatic acid can be very dangerous and I'm no chemist.
I already had my safety glasses on when I took the pic. I mixed a solution of water/baking soda in one of my decapitated bleach bottles so it was ready to clean up any spilled acid and to use as a rinse. I then mixed a 3/1 solution of water/acid (adding the acid to the water because adding water to acid is dangerous) in my other topless bottle.
The sacrificial bit that had already had some chrome removal experimentation done to it with a rotary sander.
Then I stuck the piece in the acid and....... nothing happened. So I put it in a safe place and left it over night.
20 hours later.
As I suspected, there was a layer of lacquer over the chrome that probably slowed the process, but it came right off when I rinsed in the baking soda. The plastic where the chrome was removed looked perfect.
I decided to give it another try but to first remove the protective coating with some acetone. It did work in removing the clear layer with a little bit of rubbing. A little more rubbing and the chrome started to go too. A little more and the plastic started to go (I was expecting this.) Removing the chrome this way left a slightly rough surface that would probably work fine as a base for painting.
So far that is what I have found. The whole reason for this is to determine the best way to de chrome a grill. I'm doing some repair work on the grill and may try some experimenting on it first but I'm not going to try to acid dip it myself. I'm going to find a chrome place that will do it. I'm expecting a cost of around $20. I'm thinking about doing the inside door handles and lock buttons too. If I go ahead with it I will do these myself.
This "How To" is only for PLASTIC. Keep muriatic acid away from aluminum it can be an explosive and toxic combination even if the solution in is a low %.
