How to remove chrome-like plating

[mdot633]

As you can see from the pic, I have a pair of 1-pounder shells which have a chrome-like plating. I'm pretty sure it isn't chrome, but it looks similar. It almost looks and feels like paint, but paint thinner does nothing at all. Any ideas how to remove it?

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[Tmine35]

In many cases, especially in old items the plating is Nickel. Chrome or Nickel, you may try to remove it by taking to a metal plating workshop. They'll put it in the bath but connect the poles opposite. This may do the job, thought result is not necessarily good.
Another alternative is to remove it mechanically with emery paper in a lathe ( Nickel only - Chrome is too hard for emery paper ).

[millsbomber]

You could try sand blasting, iv had some success in the past with grenade body's and a lot of rubbing down,,,,, Dave

[EOD]

Sand blastig will leave a ruined surface. For me totating steel brushes (small ones) worked well just do not get too high speed or your will destroy the surfaces of colored metals like brass and copper.

[raymeketa]

mdot

There are some clear spray-on lacquers that give the same appearance and are resistant to most paint thinners. Some of them can be removed with a very strong paint stripper but I have encountered some that resist everything except abrasives. They may have been baked on, or even applied with an electrical charge such as most modern automobile bodies.


I collect small arms cartridges and I will often find a complete cartridge that someone sprayed at one time. It certainly preserves the nice appearance of a polished cartridge, but most collectors prefer the natural look.

Ray

[2pounder]

Where the plating is on the steel it looks bubbled which implies corrosion underneath this means it isn't stuck on well, me I'd put it in my lathe gripped in a collet below the band and loads of sticky tape around the band to prevent damage and then revolving slowly try a file on the plating, finishing of with emery or wet and dry. The band plating will be stuck on well but is probably not that thick and bright chrome for decorative use is not that hard. (Hard chrome is hard but used to reair bearing journals etc.) You could look up on the internet chrome removal by chemical means and set up your own electrolytic bath so long as nasty chemicals are not involved. Chrome used to be put on using chromic acid which will disolve glass and the fumes give you ulcers up the nose, oh and when splasshed on your skin keeps eating into you, water wont neutalise it. Good luck.

[kahu1]

I've had a few shells dechromed by a metal plater, they all came up like brand new cases.
I was impressed by the sharpness of the markings, and the cost was basically only for time.

cheers
Bob

[Dronic69]

You could look up on the internet chrome removal by chemical means and set up your own electrolytic bath so long as nasty chemicals are not involved. Chrome used to be put on using chromic acid which will disolve glass and the fumes give you ulcers up the nose, oh and when splasshed on your skin keeps eating into you, water wont neutalise it. Good luck.

Humm, I recently picked up a "chromed" 37mm projectile in which the top half is rusty (seems the chrome plating was poorly done) and thought of using electroysis to see if I could remove the rest.......which raises an interesting question:

If the original plating was poorly done - ie the surface was not prepared very well (hence the rust on top), would using normal re-rust electroysis (sodium bi-carbonate) lift the plating off???
The thinking here is that the plating just "flakes off" rather than producing chromic acid, which I gather you have implied by searching the internet for a specific electrolytic bath.

Maybe I just take the rotten thing down to an electroplating firm........

Thanks
Cheers
Drew