blueiedben

I stripped an old bike frame once, used heavy duty paint stripper (bubbles paint right off). do i go the same route on the madison fork? the frame was chromoly, i wasnt sure if it would mess up chrome on fork.

anyone who has done it pointers are appreciated.

thanks

barba

Just mask off the chrome with something.

tinydr

I'm a little confused OP, are you hoping to find the fork fully chromed under the paint?

blueiedben

sorry for the confusion. i want to strip the fork (its chrome underneath). I am just hesitant about using what i had used before to strip paint off of an old frame. I just wanted reassurance on the process or tips on how others may have done it.

jmichaeldesign

Steel wool. It won't scratch the chrome and it won't kill your liver like paint stripper.

frankstoneline

I think lots of people have stripped the clear coat off of pistas with paint stripper and the chrome has been fine I believe.

blueiedben

yeah man that stuff burns your skin, works wonders though...im going to give fine/medium grit steal wool a try. i can always polish it when i am done.

frankstoneline

post pics of it. I think that fork will look way nice straight chrome.

GoldenONE

i used jasco on my bike, it didnt mess up the chrome

tinydr

the thing that confused me is the Schwinn website doesn't say anything about the fork being fully chromed...

but then I can't say I've seen one up close in person, clearly someone with one would know better.

blueiedben

https://velospace.org/node/5517 (example)

will look noith! if I dont f mine up...cross your fingers

huerro

If the ends and the crown are, the whole thing should be. Probably even the steerer.

SeanBonham

I would not use steel wool...
They make non-toxic stripper, that would be the way to go. Chrome will not come off with stripper, but it will get scratched to hell with sand paper or SW.

tinydr

oh sure... look on the internet for proof!

odd that Schwinn only mentions the fork crown; you'd think they'd want to brag about the entire fork being chromed...

Grand Bois

Paint stripper has no effect on chrome. Don't get it on your skin. Don't splash it in your eyes. Don't drink it. Don't ever use steel wool on chrome. Don't follow advice from people that have no idea what they're talking about.

The fork may not be all chrome under the paint. Even if it is, it may have been polished before plating only where it would not be painted.

SSarah

I picked up an "Organic" stripper from **** Depot to strip my cromoly frame... My chain stay and seat stays are chrome, and the paint pretty much fell off the chrome in about 15 minutes... No damage.

the gel stuff is better than the spray.

brandonehansen

I used a thick gel stripper, painted it on, and the paint came right off. Since then I've noticed a little bit of rust under the crown but thats because I ride in Chicago and the salt/snow is nasty in the winter. It wont be bad if you dont have those conditions. This is a 2007 Schwinn Madison, stock fork, fully chrome under the paint.

sorsha6

Here's mine. Just took the fork off, applied Jasco, rubbed off and viola.

huerro

is that a glitter saddle?!?

sorsha6

It is! it's an old nos schwinn road saddle I found on ebay for 10 bucks! I love it. Sparkly and comfortable... can't go wrong.

j0e_bik3

IF the fork is in fact chrome plated totally, and then painted over:

I don't know who suggested steel wool for chrome?!?!? dude that'll scratch it SO BAD, IT WILL NEVER POLISH OUT,......so don't use any kind of abrasive to remove the paint IF your trying to preserve the chrome plating.

I usually HATE any kind of chemical stripper, but for taking paint off chrome, it really is the best choice. KLEEN-STRIP makes a gel,......get that, and use gloves, wear some kind of breathing protection, and for god sakes wear GOGGLES, then brush the gel on the fork all over, and then wrap it loosely in plastic, and let sit for a couple of hours.
then carefully unwrap (this is where you NEED THE GOGGLES!!) and then hose it off with a high pressure spray, and rinse RIDICULOUSLY well.

you should then be able to lightly polish it and get that nice gleam back.

jhota

i work in the automobile restoration business, and steel wool is the single best thing for removing anything from chrome without hurting it.

you realize how hard chrome is, compared to steel wool? Chromium (the element that chrome plating consists of) has a Mohs hardness of 8.5; molecular iron is around a 4. you aren't going to scratch chrome with steel wool. unless you're freaking Superman.

j0e_bik3

yes, I have been restoring motorcycles for over 35 years now, and if one of my employees EVER took steel wool to anything chrome, it would be grounds for termination, or at least a serious "discussion of future employment prospects".

I don't know what kind of "restoration" your doing, but steel wool scratches chrome, maybe you can't see that well, but those are SCRATCHES your putting in those bumpers, or pipes, or whatever it is you think your "restoring", maybe you think that because the scratches are super fine, or that you can't see them, that they don't exist, but they do, and you are scratching every chrome piece you "take some steel wool to".

here this is what restored looks like:


or this:


you can take steel wool to chrome in your shop, and use that little metal hardness theorem, but in my shop, when a customer wants a restoration, we don't "take some steel wool to it", we use the proper techniques to PRESERVE the finishes whenever possible.


the CORRECT way to remove paint from chrome plating and to preserve the chrome is to use a chemical stripper, NOT mechanical abrasion, no matter how fine the scratches are, they are still there.

besides trying to strip paint off chrome with steel wool is about as efficient as painting a house with a toothbrush.

jhota

are you sure you aren't confusing chrome with stainless steel? 'cause if you're working on a lot of British stuff, it's often stainless rather than chrome. steel wool will scratch the living heck out of stainless, sure, but i have no idea what kind of steel wool you're using that can scratch chrome...

current project:

Sammyboy

Y'all know that chrome plating isn't pure chromium, right? And that there's a difference between decorative chrome (relatively soft, very shiny, and used for car and bike parts) and Hard Chrome (not nearly so shiny, very hard indeed, very expensive, and only used on things like piston rods and hydraulic liners)? I would not go near decorative chrome with steel wool. Aluminium wool, maybe.....