I have had numerous replies to my original question about removing paint
overspray from a chrome bumper. Steel wool was featured in a number of
the replies. However, one lister (R. John Lye) recommended not using
steel wool because he felt (based on his father's advice) that the steel
would react with the chrome and facilitate rust of the chrome part down
the road. I include John's comments below for clarification. Also, since
I am no chemical engineer, I will heed his advice to be safe and start
of the paint removal with just lacquer thinner and/or acetone. Then I'll
see how it goes. Ok Here is John's note:
Be careful here - *don't* use steel wool on chrome. This will
destroy the chrome. Steel and chrome have an electrolytic
reaction that will cause rust all over your chrome. That's
why they put a layer of copper and a layer of nickel between
the steel of the bumper and the chrome so as the keep them separate.
At least this is what my father (a materials scientist) told me
when we cleaned up a friend's hubcaps with steel wool and they
immediately rusted as soon as they got wet.
R. John Lye
'59 TR-3A; '62 TR-4; '70 GT-6+
Palmyra, VA USA
rjl6n@Virginia.edu
http://avery.med.virginia.edu/~rjl6n/homepage.htm
Peter Zaborski
76 TR6 (CF58310 UO)
Calgary AB Canada
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Justin Wagner [SMTP:jmwagner@greenheart.com]
> Sent: Friday, March 27, 1998 12:35 PM
> To: Bill Kelly
> Cc: peterz@merak.com; triumphs@autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: chrome
>
> Interesting to me that 0000 Steel wool...would scratch CHROME? I've
> used it a number of times. (This stuff is pretty fine!)
>
> --Justin
>
> Bill Kelly wrote:
> >
> > Peter -
> >
> > DON'T USE STEEL WOOL!!! Nor a scrubby pad, nor an abrasive cleanser.
> > They'll all scratch the chrome.
> >
> > Try the chemicals first. Actually, I've had success removing
> overspray
> > from the chrome on my Herald using a soft rag soaked in gasoline,
> which
> > is a bit more easily available than acetone or laquer thinner.
> >
> > Bill Kelly
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