What would you use to polish your chrome semi?

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worldishis

New member
I saw a post over at thehighroad where this guy got his stainless semi and used Mother's polish to refinish it, and after 17 or 18 coats the damn thing looked nickel.

Well my desert eagle.50 has a chrome finish, but its rather dull, and Id like to make it lok like that guys. Since mine is chrome, will I damage the finish at all? Have you done this before? If so, what kind of polish did you use?
 
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sawrecker

New member
do not use "mother's" on your chrome. It is lightly abrasive and will scratch Nickel and chrome. Make sure what your finish is then find the right polish.
 
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ShovelheadDan

New member
Chrome is a very light or "flash" coating over nickel. The nickel is what you see. The chrome just gives the piece its color. Most guns are nickel plated. About the only thing you can do to a plated finish is to clean it with something not abrasive and then polish it with something not abrasive.
Abrasives only scratch the piece and the only time you want to use abrasive polishes is when your chrome is rusty.
A good cheap chrome cleaner is windex then get it gleaming by polishing it with newspaper. Wad it up and polish the piece with it (after you have washed it clean) and watch it shine. Something about the newsprint.
Now with a stainless piece, you use abrasives in finer grits on buffing wheels to get it shiny. You can even buff out scratches in plastic.
I'm by no means a chrome expert, these are just things I've picked up over the years having bike parts plated.
 
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ShovelheadDan

New member
You asked for chrome polish brands.
Simichrome (may be abrasive) can't remember.
Mother's
Neverdull
Crap, my mind went blank. I've been using windex for so many years, I can't remember the stuff I used to use.
Neverdull was the brand I used the longest. Its good stuff. Its a cotton-like stuff in a blue can and you tear off whatever size piece you want and unless you totally destroy it, put it back in the can for reuse. Just because it's black doesn't mean it hasn't got a lot of polishing left in it.
I can't remember the brand name but there was some stuff that was a heavy cloth impregnated with a polish that you used to polish rusty chrome that worked like a champ. Kept it in a sealed plastic bag.
If I can remember the name, I'll post it.
A lot of gun owners use Flitz on stainless. I think it can be used on chrome. It says on the tube that it isn't abrasive and it will get the black off the end of revolver cylinders.
 
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Bill DeShivs

New member
You can't practically polish chrome plating.
If your gun was satin chromed originally, the only way to make it shiny is to remove the plating, polish the steel, and replate.
All of the polishes mentioned are abrasive to some degree.
 
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Bill DeShivs

New member
You can clean it, shine it, wax it, and even remove a few shallow scratches.
Chrome plating is exceedingly thin. Even the nickel underplate on decorative chrome is thin.
Much chrome plating on firearms is not even underplated with nickel.
Besides, the OP is asking about polishing a satin chromed piece to mirror polish. This is impossible without removing the plating, polishing the steel, and replating.
 
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Orvil Newton

New member
Quickest way to ruin chrome

is to use an abrasive polish on it.:eek: Use Windex or similar glass cleaner and a soft cloth to clean the surface then wipe down with light oil. WD40 is excellent for cleaning and protecting chrome although you may be told never to use it on a gun.

Simichrome(tm) is NOT a chrome polish, neither is Mother's. They are designed to remove oxidation from metals such as aluminum and brass. They work like sandpaper and will remove the chrome plating or, at best, scratch it and make it dull. Never, never, never use an abrasive on chrome. This includes "Green pads" and such. Same for anodized aluminum or blued steel.
 
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WSM MAGNUM

New member
Simichrome(tm) is NOT a chrome polish
Click to expand...

Then I guess the manufacturer`s instructions are wrong. :rolleyes: It says right on the tube to use it for aluminium, silver, brass, chrome, or any metal. I`ve used it on chrome and it did not scratch or wear the chrome off.
All polishes are abrasive. that`s how you are getting the shine, by using some type of polish (abrasive) along with some elbow grease.

do not use "mother's" on your chrome
Click to expand...


There is Mother`s mag wheel polish. That is for chrome.
 
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CraigC

Moderator
You can't practically polish chrome plating.
If your gun was satin chromed originally, the only way to make it shiny is to remove the plating, polish the steel, and replate.
All of the polishes mentioned are abrasive to some degree.
Click to expand...

Listen to Bill. If you want to ruin your finish, try to polish it. Regardless of what the label says, if it is "polish", it is an abrasive and will damage your finish. You can't make something shiny without taking something off or putting something on.


Don't tell that to the Harley crowd. They seem to do just fine with it.
Click to expand...

Actually, I use Windex on mine. Bright chrome plating is already bright, all it ever needs is cleaning. A satin chrome (or nickel) Desert Eagle cannot be polished to a bright finish without first stripping the plating and polishing the underlying metal. They're not even the same type of chrome.
 
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Samuel2001

New member
Rust-eze Medicated Bumper Ointment. What else? Speed McQueen swears by the stuff! :p

Actually, I have used Flitz to lightly polish the front of some revolvers cylinders (Stainless) and light scratches from a nickle gun before.
 
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Orvil Newton

New member
"Then I guess the manufacturer`s instructions are wrong. "

That's right. As a service manager in a Harley-Davidson Dealership I frequently had to deal with customers who had polished the plating off of their exhaust pipes with Simichrome then wanted them replaced under warranty :rolleyes:

If you got good results using Simichrome on chrome plating you weren't rubbing hard enough:D

Simichrome works well on badly oxidized aluminum, especially if followed up with Mothers which has a finer abrasive, then Cape Cod or Never Dull wadding. In fact, Simichrome is so gritty and messy I don't think I'd ever let it near a gun.
 
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Joe the Redneck

New member
I just use something like windex to clean off any carbon and just wipe it down with a soft cotton diaper.

If you do use soemthing like Fitz, remember, a little goes a long way. On my crappy little Jennings, I just use as much polish that clings to grooves in my fingerprint, thats it.

Joe
 
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shortwave

New member
or bike bright:D wouldn`t use semi-chrome. nice cleaning with windex, something similar and wiped down with very lightly oiled rag if your not going to carry piece. i`ve ruined nice chrome with semi-chrome same as toothpaste.
 
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tipoc

New member
Go down to the hardware store. Look at the bottles, tubes, etc. of polish. If it says abrasive on it, get another one. Go home and get the gun. Put a little bit of the polish on the gun and using an old piece of t shirt or flannel lightly polish an inconspicuous area. Don't rub like a maniac, lightly rub.

By the way what have you been using to clean your gun with? This can't be the first time you've rubbed the piece down and wiped off powder residue and dirt, didn't it polish up then?

tipoc
 
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