Hello! Log in or Register   |  Help  |  Donate  |  Buy Shirts See all banner ads | Advertise on TheSamba.com  
TheSamba.com
 
Chrome polishing help
Forum Index -> Beetle - 1958-1967 Share: Facebook Twitter
Reply to topic
Print View
Quick sort: Show newest posts on top | Show oldest posts on top View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Daily Double
Samba Member


Joined: July 27, 2013
Posts: 66
Location: West Michigan
Daily Double is offline 

PostPosted: Sun Apr 11, 2021 6:41 pm    Post subject: Chrome polishing help Reply with quote

I'm working on polishing my original bumpers as best as I can get. I have spots where the rust is totally through the chrome, but got the surface stuff off using #0000 steel wool and vinegar. I have other areas that just don't seem to shine up - they seem to have a haze. It shows particularly around an area that was covered with a sticker for ?? years and you can see the spot. I've tried Turtle Wax All Metal polish & Never Dull. Seems like I should be able to get it better than it is, however:

There are so many suggestions & products!

I'm looking for someone who has some experience with this type of chrome issue rather than a general recommendation for a favorite chrome product. I'd like my next purchase to have a high likelihood of success.

If you have a recommendation & experience, please include any thoughts on how you applied it etc.

Thanks!

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

_________________
66 Sea Blue Type 1 vert
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
Rome
Samba Member


Joined: June 02, 2004
Posts: 9601
Location: Pearl River, NY
Rome is online now 

PostPosted: Sun Apr 11, 2021 11:11 pm    Post subject: Re: Chrome polishing help Reply with quote

I think you are on the right track with your efforts so far.
Quote:
I have other areas that just don't seem to shine up - they seem to have a haze. It shows particularly around an area that was covered with a sticker for ?? years and you can see the spot.
To be clear: is the haze directly adjacent and outward of the area where the sticker was, so that the chrome under the sticker is not hazy (has full shine)? Or is the haze on the chrome directly where the sticker was?

Your bumper appears to be an original German one, on which you have the benefit of a very durable chrome finish. I've also tried to treat a Ghia bumper blade section that has some haze, and after the initial cleaning with materials similar to what you've already used, the haze remains. I just leave it, knowing I've given it an honest effort as hobbyist. I did not use Nevr-Dull at the time, but the German chrome polish Simichrome and Autosol. Started off with 0000 steel wool, then Turtle Wax chrome polish, and finally the German polish.

I recently polished some chromie wheels that had some rust pockmarks by making a ball of aluminum foil about the size of a quarter coin, and wetting it with water. Others have used Coca-Cola as the lubricant. That got lots of the rust off, both the "craters" as well as the surface discoloration; and then I continued with Turtle Wax chrome polish. There are some strips where the chrome has simply worn off so that there is bare metal. I used a thin modeler brush to apply silver MasterSeries rust inhibitor paint. Further work will be to wet-sand those sections carefully with 400 grit, being careful not to overlap onto the healthy chrome. Then spray some "mirror chrome silver" paint over that to get back some shininess. The wheels are just "10-footers" so I'll be satisfied with the resultant dull shine on the reworked strips. But that method would be much too drastic for your bumper, since your chrome is unbroken.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
74 Thing
Samba Member


Joined: September 02, 2004
Posts: 7369

74 Thing is offline 

PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2021 10:44 am    Post subject: Re: Chrome polishing help Reply with quote

Be careful using anything abrasive since one your put scratches and marring into the metal it cannot be removed like you can do with paint by compounding and polishing.

I would work on a small area and get your procedure down to your liking then move to the rest of the bumper. That is what you do when polishing a car as well do a test spot first until you are happy with the results.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
Daily Double
Samba Member


Joined: July 27, 2013
Posts: 66
Location: West Michigan
Daily Double is offline 

PostPosted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 10:00 am    Post subject: Re: Chrome polishing help Reply with quote

Thanks for the thoughts - I may just have to get it the best I can and accept the "patina" look. I'll try a few ideas/products and report back if something works well.

I have had a suggestion of using white rouge & polishing pad but that scratched up the test part that I had (glad I did it first on a part I don't plan to use)
_________________
66 Sea Blue Type 1 vert
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
67conv
Samba Member


Joined: July 10, 2005
Posts: 376
Location: Simi Valley, California
67conv is offline 

PostPosted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 11:02 am    Post subject: Re: Chrome polishing help Reply with quote

Daily Double, if you have already extensively tried using 0000 steel wool and various high quality chrome polishes and yet you still have a dulled / less lustrous finish in those areas then all you'll be doing at this point is whipping a dead horse. Your 55 -60 year old factory chrome plating is dead in those areas, and NO amount of rubbing or polishing will bring it back...sorry. You can either do the best you can to remove surface corrosion and buff it up accordingly to live with it's "original survivor patina", (which it appears you've already done) or pay big $$ to re-chrome them properly, or get a W.W. repop. Unfortunately, tired chrome bumper plating doesn't respond as well as aluminum or oxidized paint to polishing manipulations past a certain point.
_________________
1967 VW Convertible, owned /driven /pampered for 34 years.
1957 DKW 3=6, owned /driven /risen from the dead for 20 years.

Previously owned: 72 "Baja Champion SE" Spec. Edition Super Beetle bought NEW; 79 Convertible bought NEW; 67 type 1 savanna beige; 67 2.0 911S; 73 2.4 911T; 63 356 T6 B Cabriolet; 64 356 SC sunroof coupe; 72 Type-3 Squareback; 68 + 69 Type-3 Fastbacks; 87 Vanagon GL Wasserboxer
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Gallery Classifieds Feedback
[email protected]
Samba Member


Joined: May 17, 2003
Posts: 4863
Location: Harmony, PA
gkeeton@zbzoom.net is offline 

PostPosted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 5:22 pm    Post subject: Re: Chrome polishing help Reply with quote

67conv wrote:
Daily Double, if you have already extensively tried using 0000 steel wool and various high quality chrome polishes and yet you still have a dulled / less lustrous finish in those areas then all you'll be doing at this point is whipping a dead horse. Your 55 -60 year old factory chrome plating is dead in those areas, and NO amount of rubbing or polishing will bring it back...sorry. You can either do the best you can to remove surface corrosion and buff it up accordingly to live with it's "original survivor patina", (which it appears you've already done) or pay big $$ to re-chrome them properly, or get a W.W. repop. Unfortunately, tired chrome bumper plating doesn't respond as well as aluminum or oxidized paint to polishing manipulations past a certain point.


^^^^^this^^^^^

While it might have been necessary to use the 0000 steel wool to remove the heavier rust, the combination of the removed corrosion being imbedded in the steel wool is actually fairly abrasive. Polish what you have with the Never Dull, or maybe try some Mother’s Mag & Aluminum polish, and live with it. It’s a lot nicer than the results I got with a repopped bumper.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Gallery Classifieds Feedback
67 Florida Deluxe
Samba Purist


Joined: June 21, 2005
Posts: 7987
Location: Gainesville and Tampa, Florida
67 Florida Deluxe is offline 

PostPosted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 6:15 pm    Post subject: Re: Chrome polishing help Reply with quote

Although I've never tried it, I've read that wadding aluminum foil to use as an "abrasive" to remove surface rust works well, renewing the wad of aluminum foil frequently. Is this bunk or is there anything to this technique?
_________________
-Kent (BaT "daleallen")

OG member of the '67 Posse

A few of my toys, past and present
'56 Oval, '66 KG Conv't, '67 21-Window, '67 Bug, '79 SuperVert, '55 Pre-A Continental
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Instagram Gallery Classifieds Feedback
[email protected]
Samba Member


Joined: May 17, 2003
Posts: 4863
Location: Harmony, PA
gkeeton@zbzoom.net is offline 

PostPosted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 6:39 pm    Post subject: Re: Chrome polishing help Reply with quote

67 Florida Deluxe wrote:
Although I've never tried it, I've read that wadding aluminum foil to use as an "abrasive" to remove surface rust works well, renewing the wad of aluminum foil frequently. Is this bunk or is there anything to this technique?


No, that works well also.

I’ve always used the steel wool with the acid in soda pop. The vinegar, or lime juice works well as an acid also.

There is also aluminum wool, but not sure how abrasive it would be to do the actual cleaning.

Bottom line is chrome is to be cared for like paint imo. Other than a soft cleaning cloth, or wet washing sponge, ANYTHING else rubbed over it is going to scratch it.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Gallery Classifieds Feedback
iowegian Premium Member
Samba Curmudgeon


Joined: February 16, 2005
Posts: 9826
Location: Somewhere between Dubuque and Keokuk
iowegian is offline 

PostPosted: Fri Apr 16, 2021 8:35 am    Post subject: Re: Chrome polishing help Reply with quote

Daily Double wrote:
I have other areas that just don't seem to shine up - they seem to have a haze. It shows particularly around an area that was covered with a sticker for ?? years and you can see the spot.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Another easy option--------get a new sticker to cover the shiny spot.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Forum Index -> Beetle - 1958-1967 All times are Mountain Standard Time/Pacific Daylight Savings Time
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

About | Help! | Advertise | Donate | Premium Membership | Privacy/Terms of Use | Contact Us | Site Map
Copyright © 1996-2023, Everett Barnes. All Rights Reserved.
Not affiliated with or sponsored by Volkswagen of America | Forum powered by phpBB
Links to eBay or other vendor sites may be affiliate links where the site receives compensation.