hey im just wondering how hard and how long it would take to dechrome 4 brand new standard chrome rims. weird Q i know but how hard and how long do you rekon??

depends how far down you want to go!!! sandblasting will give you a profile for paint to stick, if you hit it harder you can take off the chrome and leave the nickle (i think). if the chrome is crap it should blow off pretty easy. the question has losts of variables, more info on what you want to do would help
matt

This is no help but I would just run those rims chrome. Chroming is expensive.
The rust issue is no worries with old rims that have been blasted and powder coated. Once coated their not going to rust out. Your better off running the chromies while you get your old ones cleaned up. Then you would have two sets of rims depending what mood your in.

A chrome plating business can dechrome using one of their processes. They dechrome items before repairing them. Ring them and ask, they will be able to do it in a day or two depending on their workload.

i didnt know that, we dont have a chrome plater down here,
you learn something new every day!!!
matt

The dechroming is for the stock wheels i am getting. I wanted just plain steel but they had none in stock (about a month away he said) and i really cant wait a month. my car is in at the panel beaters atm so would like it all done in one go. Im aiming for the wheels to be painted the same colour as the car and then chuck the whitewall flappers on the tyres. my car is being painted with blue body and white sidewalls (will upload pics when finished). When i ordered the new wheels he said they should just be etched up before painting but im not sure if that will be enough or will it?? Will talk to my panel beater and hopefully he can sought out the chrome without to much trouble and prep them up nicely so the paint sticks for a good long period of time!

a whip blast to key up the chrome will let the paint stick

matt

so what is a whip blast? sorry for my ignorance lol

a quick blast rather than a full on blast, just enough to give the paint something to stick to. and cheaper too

matt

the only way to get chrome off is by electro stripping in an acid tank at the electroplaters

I had 2 bumpers stripped and it cost $40.00 a few years ago

if your getting wheels stripped the acid will be caught it the crack between the rim and the center section almost impossible to remove the acid once its in there this will cause rust once you have paint the wheels

Ideally the rims should be cut apart and chrome stripped then re welded back together again

Blasting will not effect the chrome as the chrome is a harder material that the oxide or bead used to blast the rims

u should hold off and purchase painted rims not CHROME

i beg to differ, i work at a sandblasting/ spray painting business and we also opperate a powdercoating business. we have successfully sandblasted chrome off bumpers, etc. mind you it takes a bit of doing. as for beetleboy88's request he is looking at painting the rims, sandblasting will create enough profile for paint to stick, we also do the same for powdercoat to adhere to.
regards
matt

ok thanx for that. i really wish now i held off and maybe looked into mags or waited for the steel wheels to come in but too late now im afraid

so why not just leave them as is & work out an alternative later?
swap for someone who wants chrome perhaps?
would be more cost effective in the end for you & whoever wants chrome in future right?
plenty of painted steel wheels around & im sure people would be happy to swap for chrome at some point... or just use them as it & get some mags to paint up?
seems a little odd to be going the expensive option then adding more expense to have them looking like the least expensive option to start with thats all

you are probably right vw54, i have see some dodgy chrome that has blown off, but may not have been prepared properly. you come across all sorts of dodgy things in my job that have to be taken back to bare steel to start again!!!

matt

starting to think keep the chrome until this car show show finishes (26th,27th sep) and then get some mags. you may just see my chrome wheels for sale in the near future which will be in excellent nick!

well the chrome wheels arrived today and they actually look quite good. would still like to paint them but i will keep them as is for now