Reverse Plating????? HOw to do it?

[Fireblade]

I would like to know what is "reverse plating". I'd like to remove a damaged chrome finish, and have seen it done by reversing the process. How and what all is involved with this? What do I need? Is it according to surface area as you would chrome plate a part?

[tbloss001]

There a few way to remove chrome and I'll tell you how I do it.
(as long as you understand that this is how I do it and just because I get good results, I can't be held responsible for yours).

I de-plate chromed items by using a 25% lye solution. You can buy lye in crystal form and add water to get a proper ratio (it doesn't have to be exact). I then suspend my part in the solution, attache the positive lead to it and the negative lead to my stainless steel container (you could use a plastic or glass container with a stainless steel plate inside).

I only work with small parts, usually between 4 to 6 square inches, so voltages of 5 to 6 volts @ 300 milliamps for 10 minutes does the job just fine. If you're doing bigger items, you'll have to adjust accordingly; I'd concentrate on adjusting the amperage more than the voltage.

You can see it working, as the chrome will start to dissipate from the part and start turning your lye solution yellow.

It will completely remove the chrome and leave the nickel undercoat undisturbed.

WARNING.
Do NOT use this method on any type of aluminum.
Be careful how you dispose of the used solution, it's very toxic.

[Fireblade]

Ahh ok, thanks for the info. I was kind of thinking it was closely related to the actual chroming process itself, just transferring it the other way though. Maybe I shall just continue doing it the way I am now, by blasting it off. I was just curious to this practice, thanks again.

[tbloss001]

Originally Posted by Fireblade

Ahh ok, thanks for the info. I was kind of thinking it was closely related to the actual chroming process itself, just transferring it the other way though. Maybe I shall just continue doing it the way I am now, by blasting it off. I was just curious to this practice, thanks again.

There very well may be a process to do it, that is different/easier than mine if you're already setup to chrome plate. I wouldn't know, as I don't chrome plate things, I usually just remove old chrome so I can gold or silver plate the nickel underneath.

Keep in mind, blasting will certainly remove the old chrome, but it will also remove the old nickel undercoat too. By deplating the old chrome off and keeping the old nickel underneath, you might save yourself a few steps down the road.

Just a thought.

[Fireblade]

I have no setup for chrome at all now, so I wil have to decide whether or not it is monetarily feasible to do so. Most of the chrome I see is either slightly pitted and can be easily blasted to a good condition. Or rusted and pitted so bad that the nickel has to come off too, so if deplating just removes the chrome, and not the nickel it still may not do the job I need it do. I will have to think about this. Thanks