Six weeks ago I purchased what I call a 'barn find', a '99 FXSTS with only 2250 miles. I checked the bike over as best I could, based on my limited mechanical skills and determined it was a keeper. After I got the bike home I started to have second thoughts. Every square inch of chrome had rust on it, some places worse than others. I started cleaning it, using Turtle Wax Chrome Polish with Rust Remover. Talk about a slow process. Then while chatting with an "old school" HD mechanic, he gave me a package of bronze wool. Never heard of it. Took off all the rust with very little effort. Most amazing product I ever used. Now I find out no one sells it locally, only on the internet. Regardless, it was the best kept secret in Houston, Texas.

 

0000 Steel Wool works as well, but bronze is better for show chrome...

Mild Steel (especially the type used for steel wool) is far softer than chrome, thus the reason when you crash an old car, you will usually get chrome flaking off the bumper. Thus, scrubbing your chrome lightly with steel wool will take the rust and dirt off and leave a decent shine.

Bronze wool, however, is -much- softer than chrome and -much- more abrasive than most all of the "chrome revitalizing" bullcrap you can find on the shelf.

Also, steel wool is the best thing to use to get overspray, tar, tree sap, or etc. off of glass windows; just don't use it on mirrors.


- CK

 

Bronze wool is available at boating stores (West Marine) because unlike steel wool, it doesn't rust. Both leave little particles behind when used, so boaters use bronze wool (at least salt water boaters do).

 

Super old thread but go to an Ace hardware and get some "wood bleach". Oxcalic acid? Make a wet paste and brush or wipe on with a towel, let it sit for about a minute and wipe it off then rinse with water and dry it, that easy. You'll be amazed. It's not supposed to hurt paint either but be cautious. I did an old Suzuki with it and an old schwinn bike with it, pretty darn incredible. Discovered it on accident when after plastering a brand new pool for a customer, the ******** roofers next door shot a bunch of nails into the pool with their guns when it was filling, luckily it took the rust spots right out.

 

s.o.s. pads....pots and pan cleaning stuff.
not steel wool so it doesn't scratch chrome. Have used it lots. Never harmed any peice....even after cleaning a sandwich bag off of a chrome exhaust stack on a big truck.....(not me, driver canned)