Triumphrat

FrankBlack

Been considering stripping my wheels for black powdercoating. I know the preferred route for preparation is chemical de-chroming, but I was quoted a small fortune for doing this and, as I'm on a low budget lifestyle at the moment, I wanted to find out if there are any DIY methods for removing chrome plating.

I know some people have shot blasted chrome and found that the powdercoat sticks, but I want a finish that will be super resistant to our salty British winters and I'm not convinced that just rubbing chrome down will be good enough for a lasting finish.

Not being too familiar with angle grinders, I wondered if there were abrasive attachments that would strip chrome plating off to bare steel?

Any other DIY ideas welcome.

KitNYC

My understanding is that the cost of refinishing is prohibitive to the point that most people replace their rims or entire wheels if they want a different color.

It's also my understanding that any sort of abrasive that would take chrome off would eat into the steel underneath with ease.

Were I you, I would be looking for a second set of wheels to play with. Maybe somebody else has a better idea?

Cheers,
-Kit

Flying Custard

De-chroming's usually cheap because none of the multi-stage plating and polishing is needed (time/£s). Unless we're talking wire-spoked and needing to remove/re-spoke after?

Shot blasting chrome and eating what's underneath, it depends on media type, grade, pressure, and the operator. You want an abraded surface for powder or paint.
If it's wire-spoked the spokes and hubs would need masking or removing.

Powdercoat over sanded chrome; most want a blasted surface, so for fear of come-backs I'd guess places would say to no but it might be worth an ask. Although like you say it's not an ideal base.

Don't take an angle grinder to them, you'll gouge and score and make them a little uneven - weak spots, stress risers and poss a bit of a mess to look at.

Best bet is find a blaster who does lots of bike parts or old car panels, they'll be more likely to get it done right. Classic car folks are pretty careful about who blasts their panels for fear of warping, so one o'those should be good to ask.

FrankBlack

I suspected the angle grinding wouldn't be right.

Ashford Plating quoted me £245 + VAT for dechroming PER WHEEL rim! That's with the wheel stripped down.

I read on wikipedia the process involves:

Chrome Stripping

Dip in electrically activated sodium hydroxide
Dip in hot water
Strip off nickel with activated sulfuric acid (taking care that the nickel is not eroded)
Place in Media Blaster for coating preparation

Also read elsewhere that muriatic/ hydrochloric acid will remove chrome, but I think it leaves behind the nickel underplating. Not sure if that would be a suitable surface for durable powdercoat either.

It's like anything else in life worth knowing - invariably this kind of stuff tends to be cloaked in mystery. I'd hoped I could do it with some lemon juice and a 9 volt battery.

Flying Custard

Strewth! Thats mad...
Only places I can think of are a guy around Bristol who's on another forum, and a mate uses a place in London, can't remember where but west-ish I think. If any use I could get some details.
Actually also there's a guy on a welding forum who does blasting.

I guess the nickel idea is to part-strip with acid, then blast the rest off, so the last bit comes off in a controlled way and also leaves the grippy surface. Just a guess though.

I can blast but it'd take forever and a day to do those. Proper industrial blasting uses hyooge gurt compressors...

FrankBlack

Thanks FC - just answered your PM.

I've sent out a bunch of emails to other electroplaters to see if I get a better quote for de-chroming. I'm hoping that Ashford Platers have misread my enquiry as RE-chroming when I asked about DE-chroming. That might explain the massive costs they quoted.

Otherwise, as you say, seems like some sort of blasting is the only other route to go if I want the chrome off.

FrankBlack

Okay, sounds like Ashford may have mis-quoted for RE-chroming. RSChrome just quoted me £20 + VAT + carriage for DE-chroming each rim. That's more like it! They also said that, due to the size of m/c wheels, DIY de-chroming would be too hazardous in terms of chemicals required (sounds like a lot of lemon juice would be needed).

I've had one quote for double powdercoating rims at £65 each. Then more for the hubs. It all adds up but may work out to be £110 a wheel finished with new spokes. That's a lot more realistic.