Polishing chrome

[bullwinkle]

I recently managed to splash wet concrete all over the back of my ute, when towing a trailer filled with concrete for the piers on my new shed. I managed to get it all off the tailgate (with a few dramas), but was worried about the chrome bar/step getting scratched.

I got some touch up paint made up as I will be giving the Nav a good tidy up over Christmas. Asked the bloke at the auto paint store the best thing for cleaning the chrome. He recommended a very fine grade steel wool - apparently that's what all the hot rodders use on their machines. So I got some from bunnings and very tentatively started rubbing. Simply amazing results. Removed the concrete with no scratches at all, while also removing the road grime, tar etc easily. The bar looks new.

Now the important thing about this is to get the fine stuff. It is graded from 0 (reasonably coarse) through to 0000, which is what I bought. It cost about 4 bucks for a roll which will probably last me a lifetime.

Interesting though it doesn't seem to work as well on the alloy bull bar and roll bars. I've only tried a small patch, but it looks like it takes the shine of these. I will try toput the shine back with some brasso, which is what I have used previously to clean the bullbar. I think it's because the alloy is a bit softer, so I'll let you know how the brasso goes.

Couldn't find a thread about this, although I can remember a discussion a while ago.

 

[180degrees]

Did my alloy bullbar the other day with a dremel and meguires polishing compound, took me like 3 hours but it looks brand new.

Lot of effort though having to polish alloy, chrome is easier though (from memory chromium doesn't oxidise very easily).

 

[qqc d22]

for alloy get wicked. comes in a yellow bottle not overly dear. doesnt last that long before it loses the full shine but is so easy to use. could run over a bullbar by hand in under an hour. california gold is good also gotta work a bit harder but last a little longer than wicked.

 

[KraftyPg]

Aussie did a thread about polishing his alloy and chrome when he got the ute painted and there was another thread which may or may not have been an off shot of that thread in which "Purple Metal Polish" seemed to be the polish of choice for doing bars etc. I've used Purple and it is and easy product to use but I'm too lazy to keep using it.

 

[qqc d22]

im with you thats why i have painted bullbar and rear bar haha

 

[KraftyPg]

I just don't wash my car. **** it I didn't buy it to spend every weekend rubbing the bastard.

 

[04SilverSTR]

I use autosol on my front bar it can up a treat! you could you this on the rear bar to i guess!