# Removing paint from T-jet chrome



## rholmesr (Oct 8, 2010)

I got a nice t-jet olive jag in a box of old beaters but it's painted blue. I know how to get the blue paint off the plastic body, but the kid that painted it got some paint also on the bumpers.

I went after it in an inconspicuous spot with a q-tip and rubbing alcohol but noticed it was taking the chrome off too. 

Is there any recommendation for getting the paint off but not the chrome?


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## Ralphthe3rd (Feb 24, 2011)

Try Brake Fluid on a Q-tip and rub in an inconspicuous spot, it should work on the paint gently, but not sure how it will affect the chrome ? Have a bowl of warm soapy water standing by, to dunk the body in should the Brake Fluid start attacking the Chrome, as the water will neutralize the solvent effect. 
The bad news is, usually ANY rubbing of the chrome usually starts to rub it off, even from the salts and acids in your skin oils....


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Ralphs right, yer probably boned.


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## 22tall (Jul 28, 2002)

Try Easy Lift Off


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## slotcardan (Jun 9, 2012)

all the suggestions will remove the chrome with paint.

really nothing is going to remove the paint and maintain the chrome. you can try picking it off with your finger nail since the paint will usually not stick well to chrome, you can try freezing the part in an effort to shrink the plastic it may pop the paint loose,, but could pop the chrome loose also.


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## bobwoodly (Aug 25, 2008)

Soak in plain water. Depending upon the paint it will sometime loosen up such that you can gently scrape if off with your fingernail. A long shot for sure.


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## Illinislotfan (Mar 8, 2009)

Mike Vitale's restoration guide suggests turpentine. Try putting some on a cotton swab, and rubbing the paint. If the paint starts to come off, soak in some turpentine. If that doesn't work, he suggests removing the chrome, and rechroming.


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## slotcardan (Jun 9, 2012)

turpentine will take the chrome off, Chrome is the easiest finish to damage or remove. even soaking the chrome part in Hard water will water spot the chrome and remove it in some areas. Windex will remove chrome from plastic as well.

if the part is small you might get away with removing the chrome washing the part well then using bare metal foil to recreate the chrome. 

Spray paint chrome never works, the closest you will come is ALCAD II chrome paint, that requires a high gloss black base coat. then you have to Dust the ALCAD II onto the basecoat to simulate chrome. The problem is ALCAD II paint is even easier to damage then the original chromed plastic, if you clear coat ALCAD II it completely kills the chrome effect you have to practically use Water color Clear coat to save ALCAD from damage. ALCAD II works well on LEXAN bodies because the high gloss lexan Acts as the final clear coat. and you work in reverse, dust the ALCAD on the surface then back fill with gloss black usually you hit it again with Silver because its opaque and to protect the black base coat and then you spray bomb the rest of the body. 

ultimately you get something your not happy with and end up going custom or searching for a donor part.

you can rechrome plastic but its expensive and the part must be cleaned very well and usually the chromers don't care about your tiny little piece it comes back with imperfection or it doesn't come back at all and they lose it. 

Years ago i would do batches of chroming and send them to Chrometech USA. it was horrible i stopped.


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## 22tall (Jul 28, 2002)

Easy Lift Off is not the same as Easy Off oven cleaner. Aurora released plated cars which were translucent paint over chrome. The ELO takes off the paint and doesn't harm the chrome. I have done it with several bodies.


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## slotcardan (Jun 9, 2012)

I've used Elo easy lift off as well and it does take chrome off, use caution.
It reacts to the chrome plating like enamel paint 

I've used Elo to remove the chrome on the Sunoco #4 yellow plated chrome cars. Interesting to note it removed the chrome and left the orange stripe of paint as a mask. Oven cleaner then removed the orange paint. 

If you try it you can try Elo on a foam brush wipe it on and off quickly if you let it sit on the chrome surface first the chrome will go translucent then it will wrinkle like enamel paint and come off the surface.


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## rholmesr (Oct 8, 2010)

Thanks for the helpful posts. 

Sounds like there's no real good way to do this. The bumpers on the car already have some chrome loss so they're not ever gonna be right anyway. Maybe I'll just go buy some new ones from RRR.


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