Cleaning up surface rust on chrome forks

[gamorg02]

on the vmax (very slightly) and more so on the hawk i'm fixing up there is some surface rust on the fork uppers. anyone have any luck with specific techniques? I tried some metal rescue rust remover with a rag and it didn't do anything. a scotch brite pad and 1000 grit paper helped a little (being very gentle and not near where the oil seal/dust seal goes). just curious from those who have done it before.

thnx

 

[rebar]

Once the chrome is pitted. There's no saving it sorry to say. Best stuff Iv used for polish/protection is wenol

 

[ZackDaniels]

First try again with firmer rag, more elbow grease, and chrome specific polish. This should get all but the really pitted bits, and the remaining should be extremely small in the face of all that shiny chrome.

If that is still too much you can work into the pits with the finest grit steel wool pad you can find. Chromium (8) is harder than steel (4) and doesn't scratch when steel is applied to it. (Hardness scale: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohs_scale_of_mineral_hardness) You should still be gentle with it and focus only around the pitting areas as the same can't be said for any finishing that went into it.

In short : steel wool should get all the rust off the surface and out of any pits. However it leaves the metal very unprotected and in need of regular polishing forever. It's better to just polish and deal.

 

[cgswss]

I actuly had good results with the bathroom cleaner CLR.

 

[Fire-medic]

I recommend using bicarboante of soda and a cheap Harbor Freight hand-held gravity blaster w/your compressor. The size of the media will make your chrome absolutely brilliant. It gets into the pits better than any hand technique, and I have tried 0000 steel wool, 800 wet-or-dry sandpaper, brass wheels on a drill or a rotary tool, BRASSO, naval jelly, etc. The best thing is, that apart from being messy, it takes no elbow grease to cut the corrosion, just point & shoot! Please make sure to wear a new sandblasting-quality double-canister respirator! My organs are important to me, especially my eyes (that facial trauma pic of KJ makes me cringe, and most of you know my background) and lungs, and yours are to you, I imagine! No exposed skin is the order of the day, and wear a hood. I would not suggest doing it anywhere inside, too-much of a mess. Now, if you have the appropriate sized blasting cabinet ($$$) and the correct media, "good-on-ya," as our Antipodean friends are wont to say.
unk:
Say, did that Aussie ever get his bike out of Customs? :ummm:

Here's a thread about some of what I have found:
http://www.vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=21096&highlight=harbor+freight+pressure

 

[ZackDaniels]

Wow that's pretty slick. Tips on filling and protecting from re-rusting after use? I've heard of clear coats and such but they all tend to dull out the chrome.

 

[MR_NST]

use at your own risk, but ive had good results with new SOS pads, but never let them get get unsoapy. keep them foamy and soapy. the soap acts as a lubricant and it doesnt scratch the shit out of the chrome. takes the rust right out. follow up with a good polish like NEVRDULL...

as a note once its pitted it is fucked...

peace,
evan...

 

[CaptainKyle]

use at your own risk, but ive had good results with new SOS pads, but never let them get get unsoapy. keep them foamy and soapy. the soap acts as a lubricant and it doesnt scratch the shit out of the chrome. takes the rust right out. follow up with a good polish like NEVRDULL...

as a note once its pitted it is fucked...

peace,
evan...

+ 1 I use SOS all the time

 

[06VMAXIMUS]

Never-dull works well on removing rust from chrome too! Comes in a blue colored can with its own "wadding" that you just tear off a piece and use. Works great to remove bluing from pipes too.

 

[sdt354]

I've got the same issue with the forks from the parts bike I have. It's too bad because the seals don't leak. But the pitting is ugly for sure. Where the tube travels in the seal, it's fine. I'm thinking of doing powdercoat on the upper part of the fork tubes and see how it looks? Matt black maybe.
Steve-o

 

[gamorg02]

I recommend using bicarboante of soda and a cheap Harbor Freight hand-held gravity blaster w/your compressor. The size of the media will make your chrome absolutely brilliant. It gets into the pits better than any hand technique, and I have tried 0000 steel wool, 800 wet-or-dry sandpaper, brass wheels on a drill or a rotary tool, BRASSO, naval jelly, etc. The best thing is, that apart from being messy, it takes no elbow grease to cut the corrosion, just point & shoot! Please make sure to wear a new sandblasting-quality double-canister respirator! My organs are important to me, especially my eyes (that facial trauma pic of KJ makes me cringe, and most of you know my background) and lungs, and yours are to you, I imagine! No exposed skin is the order of the day, and wear a hood. I would not suggest doing it anywhere inside, too-much of a mess. Now, if you have the appropriate sized blasting cabinet ($$$) and the correct media, "good-on-ya," as our Antipodean friends are wont to say.
unk:
Say, did that Aussie ever get his bike out of Customs? :ummm:

Here's a thread about some of what I have found:
http://www.vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=21096&highlight=harbor+freight+pressure

i follow. like this:

http://www.vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=10342

I've got the same issue with the forks from the parts bike I have. It's too bad because the seals don't leak. But the pitting is ugly for sure. Where the tube travels in the seal, it's fine. I'm thinking of doing powdercoat on the upper part of the fork tubes and see how it looks? Matt black maybe.
Steve-o

i'd be worried about them fitting back in the triples


thanks for all the help guys. i might try SOS as well, see how it works. same with steve tho luckily where the seals are mine dont' have any spots.

 

[sdt354]

i follow. like this:

http://www.vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=10342



i'd be worried about them fitting back in the triples


thanks for all the help guys. i might try SOS as well, see how it works. same with steve tho luckily where the seals are mine dont' have any spots.

I'll let you know if I can slide the tubes up the trees when done. I hope so. It would be a good fix for the oldies out there.

 

[gamorg02]

I'll let you know if I can slide the tubes up the trees when done. I hope so. It would be a good fix for the oldies out there.

my concern is two fold:

1. when i had my upper triples done some powder got in the inside and they wouldn't go on until i sanded it out. this was overspray too not the main spray part (IIRC).

2. if the clamping slowly ground the coating away, it could lose its 'grip'.


just some thoughts.

 

[sdt354]

my concern is two fold:

1. when i had my upper triples done some powder got in the inside and they wouldn't go on until i sanded it out. this was overspray too not the main spray part (IIRC).

2. if the clamping slowly ground the coating away, it could lose its 'grip'.


just some thoughts.

It may be too thick to work Garrett.

 

[rebar]

Iv scratched chrome with steel wool, brass wool, aluminum foil which I couldn't quite figure out until I realized it was the broken off chrome from the edge around the pit was doing the damage. Unless your rag, wool or whatever is totally free of broken off chrome.. yup

 

[Fire-medic]

I have used a small dressing stone to take the edge off a pit until I could repair the tube w/replacement. At least the fork leak won't get worse.

 

[MR_NST]

Never-dull works well on removing rust from chrome too! Comes in a blue colored can with its own "wadding" that you just tear off a piece and use. Works great to remove bluing from pipes too.

really... this i need to try! that stuff is just awesome. a wad the size of a ping pong ball would EASILY do my 67 impala plus other odds and ends....

peace,
evan...

 

[06VMAXIMUS]

Yeah never dull is the shit! We use to use it to polish our plastic injection molds at work when they would get tarnished from the gases in the vinyl....thats how I discovered how well it works on pipes when they turn blue/brown.

 

[gamorg02]

never dull worked great. any ideas on something to seal the spots? the rust is removed but the pits definitely go through. was thinking like some spray paint clear coat in a can then brushed on with painters brush.

 

[ZackDaniels]

Clear coat works to protect it from re-rusting but is very much visible and dull compared to the rest of the chrome. I'm very interested in some of the answers to this as well.