I was reading the polishing thread and so far I can find anything about polishing a chrome frame. I have some Mothers alum and metal polish, 1000 grit wet sand , tons of towels, many drills .
I am wondering what kind of wheel to use ? Is it a linen polishing wheel?
Just slosh on the mothers and spin the wheel? I used some bar keepers to rmove the rust, worked great, but the chrome is not nearly as shiny as the fork tube that is kept protected in the head tube. My goal is to make the frame and fork as shiny as this spot since it stayed preserved in the head tube. I hand polished but it changed nothing. Does 0000 steel wool work? The frame has the to me is dull with no lustre and many surface scratches. Can some one help me out?

besides the Mother's polish (or similar) there's not much you can do to restore chrome plating. you can't wet sand it, or anything. obviously, scratches are scratches. the dull spots are either very fine scratches or spots where the chrome plate has worn down to the base nickel plate (or worse). in the latter case the chrome is just no longer there.

I have had great success with the Aluminum polishing as described by Ted Carl (abrasive and non-abrasive techniques as necessary/appropriate) but like you not with the chrome. I've come to the conclusion 'it is what it is' and if not satisfied the piece(s), they have to be 're-chromed'. Best of luck & let me know if you find something that I haven't.

Chris

I thought that maybe it was something I was missing. I see these pics where the bars and frames etc are rusted beyond belief than are dipped in OA and look like they are brand new. I did fork this weekend on about a 30hr soak and removed all the rust(with barkeepers friend) but I have no real shine.I did polish by hand so maybe i need a linen wheel or something. I would suppose I am looking for a wheel with no abrasive properties. I have mad envy for all those beautiful frame shines out there.

Polishing chrome is in the OA therad.

Page 8 lists polish, page 10 -13 covers plating and polishing it....

Its a Prego therad, its in there.

Thanks Ted, I would say you are the best polisher ever but that would be redundant. I have read the assigned homework and apreciate the lesson.Only question is that wouldn't it take forever to dremel a whole frame? Are you saying to use a white scothbrite pad one a dremel and polish uin that manner or use something like a linen wheel in a drill? Round on round right? I gotta get met -all though. I will definelty post pics if I get all the right tools together.

The mouse polisher is the ticket for the chrome. Thats what the white scotchbrite or foam pads are for. You are deep cleaning it with chrome, not much more, but it makes a huge difference none the less.

The dremel is for tight areas with the cotton wheel.

Grab a beverage of choice, and go through them from the beginning. It's always more interesting following it as the thread is unfolding, but understand re-writing it is tough to get overly ambitious about.