Smoked Chrome Hardware Maintenance

[Steve Dombroski]

Hey Folks,

Has anyone used a special polish for black chrome or “smoked chrome” hardware?

I’m aware of polishes for Standard nickel hardware, but I’m getting a little bit of of the black chrome plating coming off my bridge on a wood library using the stuff I have.

Any recommendations?

 

[Shizzrock]

You can't use anything that's abrasive, because while chrome plating tends to be more durable, the smoked part is a super thin layer over that. You should probably just use a damp cloth to clean it. If you really need to use something, I use this stuff on pretty much everything:

https://www.autogeek.net/klasseallinone.html

It's made for cars but I've found it to work on everything.

 

[Steve Dombroski]

Nice! Water has never helped me with oxidation. Does this stuff work for oxidation well?

 

[Shizzrock]

If you have oxidation it's too late. This stuff will remove the dirt and add some protection, but the only way to remove the rust is using an abrasive, which will remove material. You could try electrolysis but that will remove the rust and leave the pitting. It would be better to figure out the conditions that caused the oxidation (sweat,humidity), and then try to prevent those conditions.

 

[Steve Dombroski]

If you have oxidation it's too late. This stuff will remove the dirt and add some protection, but the only way to remove the rust is using an abrasive, which will remove material. You could try electrolysis but that will remove the rust and leave the pitting. It would be better to figure out the conditions that caused the oxidation (sweat,humidity), and then try to prevent those conditions.

Sorry, I'm an idiot. Not oxidation, but tarnish. You know that haze you get on the hardware from heavy palm muted metal riffs of terror? That stuff.

 

[Shizzrock]

This stuff is pretty remarkable, but I don't know if it will get the haze off. I think it would so I would try it. It will also protect the chrome in the future. I would say acetone might work but I wouldn't try it. Maybe buy a "test piece" and see what happens?