Stripping chrome chemically?

[Oro_O]

Helping my dad with a bike restoration (posted elsewhere, '81 GS100). Instead of living with this taillight housing (he might), or re-chroming, I thought I'd paint it a gloss black/clear coat and it would be innocuous enough and not look weird. This is the only bad chrome on the bike, the fenders, mirrors, turn signals, etc. are either ok or with pretty mild pitting that can polish up OK.

I was thinking to try putting it in a muriatic acid solution to strip it. I've used that

to clean tanks, other pieces of machinery in the past - but not to strip chrome. Has anyone done that before?

 

[ripcord]

Chrome plating is usually a thin layer of chrome over a layer of nickel which in turn us usually over a layer of copper or zinc. You can use muratic acid (dilute hydrochoric acid) to remove chrome, but that won't remove the nickel and copper. If you just want to paint it, I would just use a wire wheel and knock off all the rust and then sand it really well with progressively finer sand paper. Then use auto body type glazing compound to fill minor imperfections. Clean it all up with lacquer thinner. Lastly, be sure to use self-etching primer under whatever paint you decide to use.

 

[vavavroom]

A muratic/hydrochloric acid solution of around 30% should strip chrome. Chrome-plated plastic can be stripped with lye/sodium hydroxide. Oven cleaner spray works well.

 

[Imp4]

The correct way to do this is to take it to a chrome shop and have them strip it. Anything else will look like a hack job.

 

[ripcord]

The easiest way to get it looking acceptably nice might just be to use a wire wheel to remove the rust and then use a buffing wheel with compound to shine up the piece the best you can. Then, de-grease it with some lacquer thinner and cover the piece with clear coat. The clear coat won't last forever, but it will match the other pieces pretty well.

 

[Oro_O]

Chrome plating is usually a thin layer of chrome over a layer of nickel which in turn us usually over a layer of copper or zinc. You can use muratic acid (dilute hydrochoric acid) to remove chrome, but that won't remove the nickel and copper.

Right-o - I'm familiar with how chrome plating of this era (different now) used that copper substrate for bonding; I am familiar with this from classic firearms.

The stripping would save me some time on the wire wheel was my thinking, and I intend to use etching primer over a cleaned/tsp washed surface for proper adhesion.

The correct way to do this is to take it to a chrome shop and have them strip it. Anything else will look like
a hack job.

That's not true at all. Many bikes of the era came with painted housings and not chrome. I can make it look perfect with my skills. It's not a 100% restoration for concourse shows; it's to be just a quality job for riding and enjoying. Here's a same-year KZ-1100 my dad did recently. I would not call this a "hack job":

:

 

[ripcord]

Sweet bike!