Remove chrome to leave nickel

[cnew]

I would like to remove the chrome plating on a bunch of parts, mainly because I very much dislike the cold, bluish tint that it has. I know that nickel is plated under chrome, and I would like to strip ONLY the chrome.
Is there any home solution to this, such as vinegar or some other acid? Will I need to apply a current?

Cam

 

[rockstar232007]

Uhh...most chrome parts aren't under-plated with nickle. They're usually chrome-plated, stainless-steel.

I removed most of the chrome from the pickup covers that I installed on my LP Classic, while I was aging them, and there was no nickle underneath. Same thing goes for the chrome parts on my Epi LP.

 

[River]

Chrome plating over nickel plating? That just wouldn't make sense.

 

[TKOjams]

I would like to remove the chrome plating on a bunch of parts, mainly because I very much dislike the cold, bluish tint that it has. I know that nickel is plated under chrome, and I would like to strip ONLY the chrome.
Is there any home solution to this, such as vinegar or some other acid? Will I need to apply a current?

Cam

How did you come by this knowledge?

 

[rockstar232007]

How did you come of this?

+1.

As for removing chrome? A sand-blaster might be of assistance?

 

[cnew]

There is copper and nickel under most chrome. I've talked to a few old guys in metal plating, that's the way it's done. You can't just plop the chrome on anything. Thanks for the advice

 

[paulmarr]

There is copper and nickel under most chrome. I've talked to a few old guys in metal plating, that's the way it's done. You can't just plop the chrome on anything. Thanks for the advice

I agree with you - if a part has been chromed it has been nickel plated before the chrome plate has been applied. Items that have no nickel underneath sometimes are just nickel plated to begin with and then polished to a shine. (Fake chrome look - on brand new parts you can get a mirror finish)

To remove chrome you can reverse plate your part using pool chemical acid and a 12v battery there are also chemicals you can buy which will remove the chrome plate.

Nickel plating can be easily done at home on small parts - Plating Kits Electroplating Kits Aluminum Anodizing Kits Powder Coating Systems Metal Polishing And Buffing Supplies - Caswell Inc. - can supply you with the kit and know how to do this - it is a hobby in itself - I re-plate car parts for restorations I do.

 

[LC100]

Some of you guys might be mistaking hard chrome plating for decorative chrome. The decorative always has a nickel sub-layer.

Interesting read here.

 

[Bandit79]

Most Chrome items have a copper and nickel plating(Vehicle parts like rims, grilles, etc.)

However, the parts on guitars are Chrome over a stainless steel plating.

 

[LC100]

Most Chrome items have a copper and nickel plating(Vehicle parts like rims, grilles, etc.)

However, the parts on guitars are Chrome over a stainless steel plating.

Pretend I'm from Missouri and "show me" a link to this stainless steel plating process you speak of.

 

[Bandit79]

Pretend I'm from Missouri and "show me" a link to this stainless steel plating process you speak of.

I interact with real word folk who Chrome for a living. Chrome can't just stick to zinc or any random metal. I don't have time to find a link on the internet. Look it up yourself.

 

[LC100]

I interact with real word folk who Chrome for a living. Chrome can't just stick to zinc or any random metal.

Right. They use nickel as stated above.

Look it up yourself.

I tried. I really did. But found next to nothing in Google's vast reserves that show a common methodology for applying stainless steel plating. Why is this? Probably because it doesn't exist in the realm of the common platers arsenal. There was an article on ARS Technica that showed in 2008 of a breakthrough by Swiss scientists on how to tackle this nearly impossible task. Maybe your "real word" folk have been holding out. I dunno, just seems odd.

 

[captcoolaid]

Nickel, brass or copper the chrome is plated to it. No it is not always done on Stainless. In fact most of the time it is over nickel or cast steel. sand a Chrome cover and you will very quickly come to a brass or copper plating that the chrome adheres to.

 

[cnew]

How did you come by this knowledge?

Plenty of resources, as demonstrated above.

 

[captcoolaid]

Look the best way to do it is find a plater. They can remove the current plating down to almost RAW stock and plate the nickel for you. It is relatively inexpensive to have done.

 

[cnew]

Look the best way to do it is find a plater. They can remove the current plating down to almost RAW stock and plate the nickel for you. It is relatively inexpensive to have done.

Sweet! As long as it doesn't cost more than the parts themselves I'd be happy.

 

[icantbuyafender]

There is copper and nickel under most chrome. I've talked to a few old guys in metal plating, that's the way it's done. You can't just plop the chrome on anything. Thanks for the advice

I agree with you - if a part has been chromed it has been nickel plated before the chrome plate has been applied. Items that have no nickel underneath sometimes are just nickel plated to begin with and then polished to a shine. (Fake chrome look - on brand new parts you can get a mirror finish)

To remove chrome you can reverse plate your part using pool chemical acid and a 12v battery there are also chemicals you can buy which will remove the chrome plate.

Nickel plating can be easily done at home on small parts - Plating Kits Electroplating Kits Aluminum Anodizing Kits Powder Coating Systems Metal Polishing And Buffing Supplies - Caswell Inc. - can supply you with the kit and know how to do this - it is a hobby in itself - I re-plate car parts for restorations I do.

These guys are correct.

I've done this before.

Use vinegar or muriatic acid.

soak and then check frequently (tie a string to the parts and lift them up to see) after a few minutes.

The nickle looks cool.

 

[Bandit79]

Right. They use nickel as stated above.


I tried. I really did. But found next to nothing in Google's vast reserves that show a common methodology for applying stainless steel plating. Why is this? Probably because it doesn't exist in the realm of the common platers arsenal. There was an article on ARS Technica that showed in 2008 of a breakthrough by Swiss scientists on how to tackle this nearly impossible task. Maybe your "real word" folk have been holding out. I dunno, just seems odd.

Wow, I made a mistake in my earlier post. I don't know why I said stainless. I meant to say Cast Steel. Must have been when I was reading a post above. Makes sense why you didn't find anything neither did I just now.

Still, the parts aren't Chrome plated over Nickel plating. They only do that on expensive Chrome jobs such as Car Rims(Copper plate under Nickel plate under Chrome).

 

[paulmarr]

Wow, I made a mistake in my earlier post. I don't know why I said stainless. I meant to say Cast Steel. Must have been when I was reading a post above.

Still, the parts aren't Chrome plated over Nickel plating. They only do that on expensive Chrome jobs such as Car Rims(Copper plate under Nickel plate under Chrome).

Sorry Dude
Have you heard of triple chrome plating? Copper/Nickel/Chrome in that order - almost all vintage bike parts I have done use this process. I believe alot of the guitar parts of today are not chrome plated - either polished nickel - stainless - or some sort of plastic film coated in plastic - usually over inferior metal.

 

[Bandit79]

Sorry Dude
Have you heard of triple chrome plating? Copper/Nickel/Chrome in that order - almost all vintage bike parts I have done use this process. I believe alot of the guitar parts of today are not chrome plated - either polished nickel - stainless - or some sort of plastic film coated in plastic - usually over inferior metal.

So you're saying that there is nickel and copper under my old epiphone tailpiece and bridge?

Obviously I've heard of that chrome technique as I stated that in my post. I'm saying I'm sure they don't do that process for Chrome hardware as Nickel is more sod after in guitar hardware. It wouldn't be cost effective.