Chrome-plated items attract attention with their brightness and shine, look expensive and stylish. However, real chrome plating, which involves saturating the surface with a layer of chromium, is carried out only in factory conditions. An alternative to this production process is chrome paint.
Chrome-plated objects attract attention with their brightness and shine
Pros and cons of chromium
Chrome, like any different product, has its positive and negative qualities. Let's talk about this in more detail.
pros
The benefits include:
- Chrome non-rusting steels are of great importance in the construction of ships, building frames, submarines;
- Good corrosion resistance, obtaining a beautiful unusual appearance;
- If you coat it with chrome, there will be a mirror shine effect;
- You can coat not only metal, but also plastic and ceramics;
- Heat-resistant steel can be made;
- Very resistant to various acids.
Minuses
The disadvantages include the following criteria:
- Good dependence of both chemical and physical properties on various impurities;
- It is rarely used in electrical engineering;
- This material in its pure form will be a malleable metal; the impurities that will be in it become hard.
Polishing
You can restore chrome elements to their original shine and remove minor scratches by polishing. As a polishing paste, you can use GOI paste, which, depending on the size of the abrasive particles, is presented in several variations (NN 1-4):
- NN 4 is the coarsest abrasive. Suitable for removing oxides and sanding deep scratches from parts;
- NN 3 – medium abrasive, which will give a smooth matte surface without roughness;
- NN 1-2 – numbers for finishing. Polishing will give the original shine and smoothness.
Chrome defects
Any product may experience various damages that will need to be replaced or restored. Likewise, rust, plaque, or other damage may appear on the chrome coating. Let's talk more about this further.
- Rust can appear in places with high humidity. This can mainly happen in the bathroom or toilet. Various temperature changes are very often observed there, and the acidity increases, which can lead to damage to the film.
- Plaque may appear if the client uses water very often. After moisture has evaporated, these substances will appear in various places in the room. If you notice a white coating, it may appear due to the high salt content.
Another type of damage can be mechanical impact. This can appear on various vehicles in the form of scratches or chips. You can also notice it on garden decorations or various door handles.
If the client carries out various cleanings more often, then the original appearance of this object can be preserved longer.
Carrying out the galvanization procedure at home
The beginning of the operation must begin with thorough preparation and cleaning:
- old rust, top layer and burrs are erased with sandpaper;
- then the surface is made perfectly flat and smooth by polishing;
- remove residual grease and dirt with a solvent or other similar liquid;
- Next comes washing in running water.
Galvanization at home
Afterwards, you can safely apply chrome coating to the workpiece.
Next, you need a glass container of sufficient size into which the heated electrolyte is added. Then anodes of lead (85%), tin (11%), antimony (4%) are connected to the positive wire and everything is immersed in a container. The object is directly connected to the negative contact. At this stage, it remains to control the correctness of the current voltage (for the first 8-10 minutes it should be 25-30 A per square cm, and for the second - no more than 20 A).
The same approach can be used to carry out minor repairs to machine elements. However, objects must fit freely into the tank.
How to clean chrome items
If you notice a small defect on something, you can use a napkin or other cloth to clean it. This option can be used if the contamination is not serious.
- There are situations when rust forms, then you need to use more effective means, namely those that contain chemical compounds.
- The most popular product among buyers is kerosene. After applying it, be sure to rinse with water.
If you were unable to purchase this product, then buy an aerosol or paste. These products can be used to work with any chrome finish.
Process of working with damaged chrome
To do this work you will need a lot of effort and time. Let's look at a situation where you need to polish scratched chrome. It will go as follows:
- First, you need to wash well and then dry the part you will need to work with. Try not to allow any water drops to remain.
- Secondly, the workplace needs to be coated with a thin layer of polish.
- Thirdly, the applied product should be used in a circular motion.
If during the work you notice residues on the workplace that are not needed, try to remove everything after 10 minutes. To do this, use a napkin.
This work can be done if there is a small plaque or a small scratch.
How to restore chrome on a car (step by step instructions)
Nowadays, almost every person has a car. A good owner, if he notices any defects on it, immediately tries to correct it.
Many professionals do not recommend visiting contactless car washes; they use different reagents. If you visit these places often, the chrome elements will begin to lose their shine. After which it will be necessary to work on its restoration.
Anything can happen to a car. In this article we want to discuss the issue of how to restore chrome on damaged car parts. Namely, on disks that are mounted on wheels.
First of all, the master needs to choose the right mixture for the job. When visiting any store, each of you will notice that the choice is very large and the price category is different. It is better, of course, to contact the store employees so that they can advise you in this direction.
Rules for choosing materials for chromium restoration
Before visiting the store, read reviews from customers who have used this product. It is also worth paying attention to the following:
- Try not to purchase the product at the lowest price, this may not fix your damage;
- Try to find the best manufacturer brands on the Internet;
- Pay attention to the packaging itself; it should not contain any scratches or damage;
- Be sure to follow the instructions indicated on the package, otherwise you will not get a good result;
- Check the suitability of the product on the packaging.
After you have read these recommendations, try to follow them when you come to purchase this product.
If the owner wants to do this with his own hands, then you can watch various videos on the Internet with step-by-step instructions. Then start doing this work.
There are situations when there is no time to do it yourself, so many turn to specialists. They will do this work efficiently and accurately for a certain cost.
Alternative Methods
If restoring chrome elements with your own hands does not give positive results, you can stylize the part as chrome using vinyl film. This method will allow you to restore the shine of the car's chrome elements without labor-intensive galvanic treatment. Among the manufacturers of chrome effect films are:
- Nippon Carbide
- 3M Scotchcal
- Hexis
- Avery
You should not expect elasticity and a mirror effect from cheap Chinese film; also, low-quality film may swell or peel off at the edges over time. It is worth considering that, compared to conventional vinyl materials, covering with chrome film has a number of features. The advantage of this restoration is that it becomes possible to choose the color shade of the chrome plating. Therefore, if you want to do the work yourself, choose only high-quality materials - this way the chances of replicating the original chrome are much higher. If chrome peeling or large cracks and pockets of corrosion occur on an old part, then all the old chrome will have to be removed to obtain a smooth surface. To do this, you can use abrasive devices (for example, a sandblaster) or chemical solutions.
The second alternative is chemical metallization. Despite the fact that the coating is cheaper than the electroplating method of forming chromium, the quality level is quite acceptable. The processing takes place using special equipment, so restoring chrome parts with your own hands will be extremely expensive.
Most beautiful elements lose their properties and appearance over time, and there are two options left: buying a new one, or restoring an old item. The last point is often used to improve images of historical values and make them more resistant to negative influences. In everyday life, people can also resort to similar methods, because sometimes it is cheaper and faster. But if the question arises of how to restore chrome yourself, then many difficulties arise. The development of modern technologies does not stand still, but there are few reasonable solutions. There are also difficulties with finding equipment and components, lack of time and patience.
And if the question arises about working with a regular faucet in the bathroom, you need to weigh the pros and cons. After all, it’s cheaper and faster to buy a new faucet than to call a specialist and overpay for repairs. And without knowledge of chemistry and physics, it is wiser not to start studying.
It is important to note that sometimes chromium reduction is not a possible process. Irreversible damage or the base on which the layer was applied under special industrial conditions is to blame.
