Removing chrome but a different question...

[Jimbot58]

I already know about the various chemicals we use to strip chrome from parts, and I have used various methods with usual success. However, I am bothered by what's left behind: I find a thick yellowish coating that I assume is used to give the plating something to stick to. It appears the sprue was dipped into this substance as it tends to pool into corners and around other detail. It blurs these details and also seems to interfere with paint and cement. Is there a way to safely remove this without damage? I tried an overnight soak in Super Clean, but it had no effect on this coating.

Thanks

 

[the Baron]

What kit are you working with? It may be specific to that manufacturer.
I have never had this problem with SuperClean, but I have only stripped chrome from Monogram kits. The plastic was left squeaky clean, literally. Chrome removed down to the bare styrene, no residue of any kind.

 

[stevethefish]

Soak it in Coca-Cola for a few days.

 

[Jimbot58]

It is an AMT kit:

Don't ask me what inspired me to buy this, but it looked interesting, Not a new kit as there is some flash to deal with, but not a lot. Over 300 parts, including some vinyl tubing to simulate hydraulic lines and stepped metal tube for the large ram piston inside the compactor.

This is not my actual kit photos, but pulled from web pages.

I will start a WIP thread soon.

I would also add that with shipping, I am already into this for a C-note.

 

[BarleyBop]

what inspired me

...come to think of it, what other service truck has worked for you every week of your life?
Cool project!

 

[the Baron]

It is an AMT kit...

OK, I have never tried to strip the chrome from an AMT kit, so I can't speak to your results. I only can say that I've never had that residue issue with SuperClean and the Monogram kits. I was inspired to use SuperClean by another modeler who used it to strip the chrome from Tamiya's chromed P-51D kit, and he didn't report having any issue like that, either. I suspect that it's either with AMT kits, generally, or, something from that specific case, that might not happen again.
In any case, if you found a method that works for you, then you're all set.

 

[TimM63]

thick yellowish coating

Thanks

I had the same issue with the AMT George Barris ALA Kart. I have never ran into this on any other manufacturers kits so I'm with Baron on it is an AMT specific process of applying chrome.
I didn't try an remove the yellow coating. I just primed, undercoat and and sprayed chrome over it.

 

[Tommergun]

I've had this issue with some older kits. Sometimes a second or longer soak will get it (in bleach, then scrubbed with a toothbrush), but a few times I've had to sand that residue off, unfortunately.

 

[Jimbot58]

Soak it in Coca-Cola for a few days.

The Coca Cola didn't have any effect on this stuff and neither did bleach, so I'm going for another soak in Super Clean. These are tiny parts and includes such things as distributer caps, fuel pumps, a carburetor and hydraulic pumps for above trash truck above. Why would you chrome a distributor cap and a carb??

 

[PatW]

In the UK I use oven cleaner called OVEN PRIDE, it's eco friendly so doesn't burn us and takes off layers of chrome in 2 hours or so!

 

[Cameron38]

Same, over cleaner works really well.

 

[the Baron]

The active ingredient in most oven cleaners (including Oven Pride) -and grill cleaners, too-is lye, sodium hydroxide. That's the same ingredient used in SuperClean.
The advantage of SuperClean over oven cleaners is that you can re-use a batch of SC, whereas oven cleaners are pretty much once-and-done for a batch.

 

[mjensen939]

I had the same issue with the AMT George Barris ALA Kart. I have never ran into this on any other manufacturers kits so I'm with Baron on it is an AMT specific process of applying chrome.
I didn't try an remove the yellow coating. I just primed, undercoat and and sprayed chrome over it.

I've got several newer AMT and Revell kits with this issue so I'm thinking it's not just AMT and I've even found it on Atlantis reissues so I'm thinking it's a process that More and more people are using prior to chroming. And, no, I haven't found anything that takes it off either

 

[Demolition]

I've got several newer AMT and Revell kits with this issue so I'm thinking it's not just AMT and I've even found it on Atlantis reissues so I'm thinking it's a process that More and more people are using prior to chroming. And, no, I haven't found anything that takes it off either

Same, I've ran into it several times, sometimes it's a thin coat, sometimes it's very thick, nothing I've used has removed it.

 

[Jimbot58]

I just stripped some chrome off of some Revell parts on a Ford Bronco kit. There is a thin blue coating beneath the chrome that almost dissolved faster than the chrome with Super Clean. Whatever the yellow coating is on the AMT kit parts should be used to protect fighter jets or Navy ships...