I have some chrome plating that has mostly flaked off.
I want to remove the rest so I can sand and polish the aluminum to look chrome.

How do I remove the rest of the chrome? I've sanded the heck out of it with 180 grit and that ain't doing it. I also tried Aircraft paint remover. Nasty stuff, but it did nothing.

How do I get this chrome off, outside of taking it to a sandblaster? Not only do I not want to do that but I'm afraid it'll bit the aluminum pretty bad.

Is there a way to remove the chrome at home???

 

All you'll need is a big tank of acid or another electrolytic solution and a decent supply of electricity to reverse the plating process plus all the permits that will be required to handle hazardous materials. I'm relatively sure that you won't want to go that route either!

 

The only way I have found is to sandblast. I have sandblasted many rims and then have them either rechromed or powder coated chrome color. Looks pretty good

 

muriatic acid works well for removing chrome. Used to use it all the time to clean metals before tig welding. It'll eat the chrome off of anything. Just make sure you are in a very well ventilated area and a large plastic tub/bucket or whatever. The reaction is pretty toxic to breath. So absolutely ventilate and get a mask/glasses! Water will neutralize it.
Otherwise the only way is to sandblast it using an extremely fine micron silicon carbide works well.

 

You need a plating shop which has the means of electrically removing your current plating.

 

I once knew a girl that could suck the chrome off a bumper. I'll try to track down her number for you.

 

I tried electrolysis on aluminum, didn't have any luck, I think it's for steel. But I didn't use acid.

 

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Thanks guys.
I'll give the muriatic acid a go.
If that doesn't do it then I'll buff everything else up, wait for the rest to fall off, and re-sand/polish. (98% of the chrome came off on it's own in a 2 year period, so the rest is bound to come off sooner than later.)

 

I have to know exactly what it is you are trying ti get the chrime off of?