matt chrome regs

[treasureman]

I went over this a while ago and got the reasons from this forum why the matt regs dont seem to flake like thwe shiny chrome.

I have inherited approx 5 Da Aaqumasters two chrome, the rest matt finish.

In all cases these regs were salt water used.

My observations were as follows. The chrome bodies and the box with the nozzle in it) were all without exception chipping, and the chorme boxes were pitted.

The matt finish has little if any pitting, and the bodies looked like they were NOS. Now I already had two DA's in Matt from when I was young and they have been in pieces (until i discovered this forum and this site). They have all been restored lovingly, and look like they just came off the assembly line.

Does any one know how I would get the shiny chrome off the bodies and the boxes. I thought of trying my hand at powder coating as a colleague of mine has a body shop with the ovens and paint booths. The pwder I am about to use is a Polyethylene powder (TGIC), 100% gloss, it is not affected by Uv and will not chalk like the expoxy coats.

If this is as good as the paint supplier says, it wouldsave a bundle on chroming up here. Regretably there is no one nearby that does it, everyone send it across the country so it gets pricey with all the middle men.

So the question to ponder is this. would a chemical strip be better for the shiny chrome, or a sand blast with beads. Any one with experience on this.

I am willing to sacrifice these parts because of the heavy pitting on them..so let me be the guinnea pig.

[captain]

Parts can be de-chromed py a plating shop. I have had it done on some chromed aluminum motorcycle parts that were peeling.

[duckbill]

I got the impression that your whole point was to avoid having to send the parts out to a plating shop.
Hydrochloric (muriatic) acid, like I think you can still find at pool supply stores, or lawn and garden stores as a patio/concrete cleaner (33% is good) should do the trick on removing the chrome, but not the underlying nickel. I can't remember what we used for the nickel. I think it was a reverse polarity electrolosis in sulfuric acid, but watch that it doesn't eat the brass!
I'm running on memory here, so don't quote me.
Of course, your safest bet would be to do the plating shop bit afterall. I thought Bryan had ties to a plating service.