I have the Batmobile from the Tim Burton Batman movies and the chrome is in all the wrong places. I want to get rid of the stuff, but the usual “soak in bleach” approach hasn’t worked. Instead of the usual 10 minutes, it’s been over 2 WEEKS and most of the stuff is still on!
Is there something else I can use that won’t damage the plastic, or am I stuck waiting for who-knows-how-long for the bleach to work?
You might try oven cleaner. Chrome plating on models is not the same as electro plating on metal. Parts are sprayed with clear base coat and placed in a vacum chamber. Vaporized aluminum is created and collects on the still wet base coat. As you can see almost anything that will safely strip paint from styrene can be used to strip the “chrome” from model parts.
I dilute Kitchen bleach with water in the ratio of 1:3 or 1:5 and than let the parts lie in it for 1~2hrs.
Toothbrush for hard to reach areas and I found that this worked well so far.
I just had a thought. What brand of bleach are you using? Not all bleachs are chemically the same. If you are not using it already may I suggest Clorox.
I use full strength clorox, and it works like a charm!!!
I used Clorox, both straight and with about 3 parts water.
Guess, I should have read it more closely…[:-^][:-^] I just got too excited to give out advice, I suppose. Whatever you do, DON’T use nail polish remover, it eats the plastic!! Sorry, I couldn’t be much help.
That must be some strange chrome, I have never had a problem with Clorox. I hope it’s not some new type they have come out with to keep us from useing something else.
I tried Clorox once out here & it failed, however, in the UK, a brand called Domestos worked within seconds.
Pete
Bought myself a can of EASY-Off oven cleaner and tried it on chrome parts. It simply work like magic. Within seconds, all the chrome disolve almost immediately. Lucky enough to get it in ACE harware superstore in Malaysia. BTW, how much izit for a can in the US ?
I use Clorox Cleanup. Takes about 10-15 minutes.
I use a cleaner called Simple Green, takes off the stuff in about 30 minutes. Doesn’t stink as bad as oven cleaner either.
I use Castrol Super Clean – it’s an automotive cleaner/degreaser. It comes in a big purple bottle and you can find it in auto-parts stores. It’ll remove the chrome plating and the clear coat underneath. I just used it on the parts in Revell’s 1966 GTO and it worked like a charm.
Make sure to follow the safety directions on the bottle, by the way.
Matt Usher @ FineScale Modeler
Thanks for the tips, guys.
As far as the chrome being some new formula resistant to removal, I suspect it may have been the bleach formula that’s been changed. About 2 years ago, I built the Batmissile kit ( made by the same company at the same time as the Batmobile ) and the Clorox I had at that time worked in about 10 minutes.
Castrol Super CLean all the way, baby! Yeppo, like Mr. Usher said, follow the directions! I accidentally got a drop on my hand and didn’t notice it. After a while it started to burn. CSC only needs about ten minutes to do the job. The chrome will be liguidfied, vaporized-gone. Good lick, dude!
Oh yeah, gotta go with the Castrol Super Clean too. I used it to strip some chrome parts…worked like a charm. Good stuff!
Jerry
Whoops! I just noticed something-I mean good LUCK. [:I]
“Spic’n Span” works for me !