Chemically removing Chrome Plating?

[belwar]

Has anyone here sucessfully removed chrome plating from any metal parts without the use of abrasives? The internet is full have half-bullshit answers to this question including Brake Fluid, Bleach, Battery acid.

The ideal would be to remove chrome and leave the copper pre-plate, but I'd take anything at this point.

[jonson]

Hi Matt. Yes the internet full of bullshit. Every acid been tried here and still the best success is to drop them into your local platers and they will hot dip them with a reverse current for you. even if that does take the copper off as well "and it shouldn't" it's small matter for them to replate the copper back on. Iv'e pissed about just for the hell of it with all and sundrie and getting someone set up to do it properly for you is the cheapest answer labour wise.

[belwar]

Jonson - Thanks for the answer. I didnt even think about having a plater remove it it. I should have thought about it. Thanks!

[jonson]

Glad if it helps Bro. When you get to doing your own plating it's just a case of using an old annode and reversing the procedure. My guy does it i'm sure with hot sulphuric in a current but I will have to ask him all the industrial procedures and print them here so we all understand a bit better.

[David King]

"Hard Chrome" can be stripped by dipping in muriatic acid, it takes a while, the fumes are gawdawful.

[tedmich]

NaOH makes hexavalent chromium which is BAAAD, I believe HCl does not, and muriatic acid (HCl) leaves the base Cu nice and shiny too! You can make Cu penny "skins" by notching the edge of a penny with a file and then putting them in HCl, the internal zinc goes away leaving a perfect foil penny.