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Cloudy chrome
Scott Buchanan writes:
>The chrome strips around my '87 535is side windows are very cloudy.
>NEVR DULL wadding doesn't help like it did around tail lights and kidney
>grill. Any suggestions for cleaning these up or should I consider
>re-chroming or replacing? I appreciate any advice.
Recently reworked all the bright metal on my 89 525i. The exterior chrome
around the windows was "cloudy" and required a fair amount of work to
refurbish. First, it's all a matter of time & friction. You can do all this
by hand but I used a buffing wheel attached to a variable speed drill
(saves -a lot- of time & tired arms). I already had this stuff on hand for
use in sculpture & jewelry projects. At any jewelry supply house obtain a
cotton buffing wheel with mandrel to attach to a drill (this is the type
where you use the edge of the wheel, not the face) and a bar of "tripoli"
which is a mild abrasive impregnated in a wax.
It is imperative that you first tape off your painted surfaces (the
compound is inert so it won't damage the paint, you just don't want to
abrade it). While the wheel is spinning, hold it against the tripoli bar to
heat up and transfer the compound to the wheel, then simply apply the wheel
to the chrome using the old back and forth motion. I like to alternate
(using the same wheel) with #7 Chrome Polish (liquid, at auto supplies).
This will take a while to do (chrome is -hard-!). You can do this by hand
but you'll be so burned out you probably won't want to finish the job!
I recently found an absolutely fabulous product by X-treem. A two part
metal polish / sealer. The polish is an extremely fine German powdered
abrasive injected into cotton with little bit of cutting oil. This works
wonders on the polished aluminum trim on the interior window sills. It
isn't abrasive enough for chrome however I still use it as a "finishing
touch" on exterior chrome before applying the sealer. Contact Brian Hulcher
(owner & formulator of the stuff) at:
Hulcher Enterprises, Inc.
1028 Shady Oaks Drive
Denton, TX 76205
817-898-1400
FAX 817-382-5402
BTW, I haven't tried the kidney trim but I'm pretty sure it's aluminum. To
test any metal, if it turns black while polishing it's aluminum; if no
change, it's chrome.
Steven C. Morey
smorey@domain.elided
Dallas, TX