A chrome removal related question

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Shinnentai
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A chrome removal related question

Post by Shinnentai »

So I stripped the plating off the chrome sprues of my two PL D-7 kits. Used ferric chloride for one (the tactical nuke option of chrome removal solutions :P ), and for the second I decided to give the Coke method written up on the main site a try.

The Coke took about a day and a half to do the job %100, but it worked nicely. Far better than bleach ever did!

Once the chrome had been removed from the parts, a clear undercoating of some kind became apparent. Seems like a gloss laquer perhaps. I've never encountered this when stripping chrome parts before. I want to get it stripped off too, so I can deal with the bare plastic directly, both because I preffer solvent glues for styrene, and also because this gloss undercoat appears to round and soften details slightly.

Has anyone else encountered this before, with either the D-7 or any other kits? Any luck or ideas on getting it off?
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modelbaseguy
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Post by modelbaseguy »

Yep it is a gloss coating used to achieve a nice smooth finish for the chrome plating. How to get it off...... I think you are going to have to get a bit more caustic with your chrome removal solution. Something like "EasyOff" oven cleaner will work or my favorite Brake Fluid. Yep good ole dot 3 brake fluid will cut through it though you have to clean off the brake fluid with rubbing alcohol afterwards. Sounds like a pain in the rump but it really isn't. I have two little tubs, one with brake fluid the other with the alcohol. I soak the parts in the brake fluid for a bit then soak them in the alcohol, dry and I am ready to re-chrome them or attach them to other styrene parts.

I used to use a product called Simple Green with great success but it is very caustic and the fumes were rough on my lungs. Good luck with your project I hope that I was of some help.
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Saturn
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Post by Saturn »

Tamiya kits have a creamy yellow undercoating on their chromed/metallic parts. The chrome usually comes off immediately w/o problems- but that undercoating is a bit tougher and needs stronger stuff.

Castrol Super Clean took care of both.
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Post by TER-OR »

If it's a lacquer the easy-off may not touch it. Castrol should. You might not want to do that, though. I'd try metalizing the sprue and see how it looks...
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Shinnentai
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Post by Shinnentai »

Thanks for the replies.

I actually tried Simple Green already. That's been my standby for stripping and washing in the past, but it didn't touch this stuff. That's part of why I think it may be laquer.

Ter: Why would Castrol be a bad idea? Will it hurt the styrene?

Part of my worry is that anything strong enough to attack the clearcoat, if it is a laquer, might also attack the plastic. Still, I'd much rather be rid of it than to just paint over it.
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Sci Fi Smoker
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Post by Sci Fi Smoker »

Shinnentai wrote: Why would Castrol be a bad idea? Will it hurt the styrene?
Not at all. Castrol is all I use to strip chrome, but it will take a good overnight soak to get off the undercoat.
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Post by TER-OR »

None of these choices will affect the styrene. I'm not sure Easy Off would remove the lacquer, that's all. Castrol might, I'd have to investigate.

I meant if you're going to metalize the part, you might want to keep the undercoat.
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Shinnentai
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Post by Shinnentai »

Where do you guys buy your Castrol Super Clean? I check around some of the local stores (supermarkets, Target, Pep Boys, Kragen, Home Depot), and I haven't found any yet.
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Saturn
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Post by Saturn »

Automotive section of Wal-Mart. Comes in a gallon-sized purple jug. And it probably doesn't have the "Castrol" branding on it. It simply says "Super Clean"

Why Castrol no longer brands that product? Beats me.
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Post by ignatz »

I get Castrol Super Clean from Autozone or the auto department at Wal-Marts, but Home Depot has a similar product called Purple Cleaner. It doesn't totally dissolve the gloss lacquer, but given some time, I've found it softened the lacquer enough to peel it off the styrene. Doesn't do any harm to the styrene.
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