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Sunday, August 13, 2006

HOW TO REMOVE RUST ON CHROME BICYCLE PARTS




Nothing kills the look of a bike like chrome parts that have rust on them. If the rust is straight thru the metal, it is already too late. Same thing goes if the chrome as started to flake. But it doesn't hurt to try. A very good friend gave me some fenders for my cruiser and I was half an inch from painting them flat black to match the frame. Then I thought, "Let's see if they would look good all cleaned up" before doing a no-turning-back move like that. If you look at the last pic, you'll realize, I think, that I did the right thing. Here's how I did it:

First you'll need some steel wool, I used a fine one for this job since the rust was not that bad. No need to scratch the metal too hard for nothing.

Second you'll need some metal polish to lubricate, and polish while you rub with the steel wool. Liquid polish works better for me.

Lastly, you'll need a clean rag to buff out everything after you've removed the rust. Mine is pretty dirty, but works great.

Rub the metal-polish-loaded steel wool on the part until you see the brown rust pits vanish. Don't do a circular motion, go in a back-and-forth motion instead to match the length of the part. Circular scratches will show even if they are very small.

Once you've made all the rusty spots go away, take your polishing rag, a clean cotton t-shirt can do the job, and buff the piece until you are happy with the result.

You can always finish with a regular application of metal polish without the steel wool after you're done.

Nicely polished chrome parts will always make any bike look good, even my flat-black-rattle-can painted cruiser. I can't leave this locked anywhere now! It will definitely sleep in the house starting today.

Until next time, ride safe.

Gerry :)

CHECK OUT THE FOLLOW UP ARTICLE WHERE I ACTUALLY TRY THE ALUMINUM FOIL RUST REMOVING TRICK HERE: http://www.howtofixbikes.ca/2010/03/how-to-remove-rust-on-chrome-bicycle.html

122 comments:

Anonymous said...

i like bronze or brass wool. it doesn't scratch as much. there's the grocery store variety for doing dishes and the hardware store variety for refinishing wood. brass bristled brushes are nice too.
ben

Anonymous said...

Hey there, I googled 'remove rust from chrome', and found a page that advised using aluminium foil, wetting it down and balling it up, then rubbing that across the frame. I tried it on a 1982 (25y.o) Apollo BMX that had been abused it's whole life, and it came up like new, with no scratching.

Gerry Lauzon said...

Now I'm curious, I'll have to try that aluminium foil trick. Thanks for the info and keep posted.

Gerry

Anonymous said...

I just tried the aluminum foil ( I wet it and folded it over a few times to avoid hard edges) on my rust speckled '69 handlebars and they look absolutely perfect now. Like shiny new chrome.

Anonymous said...

WOW I just tried the Alum,. Foil trick on my chrome running boards on my car,,,,they look like new.....they were in such bad shape was considering buying a new pair ,instead I'll just get some more foil :) ...thanks for the tip, really appreciate the info & the site....any tips on fixiing a few spots that are splitting & ready to flake? Thanks again!!!

Anonymous said...

Just tried the alum trick and OMG it works a treat and not expensive.

Give it a try folks and bee surprised.

And thank you for the great tip.

Anonymous said...

Or...if you can get ahold of a can of wd-40 you could just fix your whole bike!!! It lubricates, displaces moister (to prevent rust in the first place), it tackles rust to get rid of it, easy to get rid of thick friction marks or if you have a small child that likes to draw, it will get crayon and other writing tools out of your way, doesn't ruin paint either! My opinion is wd-40 could just fix the whole world. Seeing is beleiving.

Gerry Lauzon said...

Yes WD-40 can do all those things. BUT, it has no talent at being a long term lubricant. Try it on a bike chain and you will see what I mean. Great to prevent rust but not so for long term application. My 2 cents.

It's also great at removing permanent marker graffiti from smooth surfaces.

Gerry

Anonymous said...

That's right. The one thing WD-40 is not, is a lubricant. It will actually form into a varnish like coating in time.

But. This can also be useful.

There is a product called Frame Saver. You pour it into your frame to protect the inside of your steel frame from rusting. WD-40 can be used as a poor man's version of this. Just spray it into the inside of your frame tubes and in time it will form into a varnish coating that will help protect your frame from rust. Great stuff when you use it properly.

Unknown said...

Cool aluminum trick, works incredibly well.
THANKZ!

Anonymous said...

I used alum foil on the small rust pits on my '60 Jaguar's S7 rims. They look brand new!

Anonymous said...

Aluminum foil and water works great!

Anonymous said...

toothbrush and toothpaste work fabulously

Susan said...

Woops --- I should have read the following comments ------ you already know about the foil --- ISN'T IT GREAT? I've been telling everyone!

ZAPPDOG said...

WD-40
Name means
Water Displacement on the 40TH try at the formula.

Anonymous said...

I did the aluminium foil and water trick on my 1987 motorcycle chrome. OMG excellent. Thanks for the tip.

Anonymous said...

I've been using wadded up alum foil and water to clean oven and bbq grills for years. Also cleans the glass on the gas bbq too! We love it!

Anonymous said...

In the 60's my dad always used aluminum foil and coca-cola to clean the chrome on our car.

Anonymous said...

WOW! So much info! Thanks guys. I just bought an antique bike for my son. The lady had been using it as a decoration in her garden! (What the...?) I was wondering how on earth I was going to remove all that rust but now I actually have some hope. Thanks again!

Child of Pluto said...

Hey! I'm fixing up a '70s CCM Elite 5 speed lady's cruiser that I found in the garbage; there is a bunch of rust, but especially on the handlebars and brakes. I removed the rust, but the chrome has began to bubble and crack in some places. Is there a way to prevent rust from reappearing and spreading? May be some kind of varnish or clear finish?
Thanks!

P.S. Gerry, thanks for all this bike info on your blogs! The step by step visual instructions are really awesome!

Gerry Lauzon said...

Unfortunately capitan, there is no remedy to chrome pitting. You might want to dab it a little with oil to prevent rust, just don't forget to re-apply at some point.

Congrats on a nice save.

It's a pleasure for me to provide the bike information.

Gerry :)

Anonymous said...

I just tried the Aluminum Foil trick on a piece of Vintage chrome Furniture...WOW! I've been cleaning old chrome furniture for years with Old no 7, lots of exertion and lots of time. In 10 minutes the foil cleaned up a table that would have taken me 3 hours (If it ever came clean at all). Thanks so much for the tip

Anonymous said...

I thought this was some mean trick but it really worked! So glad!!

Anonymous said...

y Hi Gerry. You sound like a guy who respects an old bike and sentimental value when you see one. I was wondering, i got a 12 speed road bike for free from the side of the road. You may even very well be aware of this model. It is a 1980's Supercycle Medalist Series 2 road bike. Supercycle is a terrible name now but made great bikes back then. However, i have terrible pitting on the front rim, only about a 5 inch section of chromed rim. Do you know of anyone who has this specific bike and would be willing to part or sell one of his/her rims to me? The rim must be not pitted obviously. I'm going to say at least polishable without removing the chrome. The back rim i polished beautifully with steel wool, it has a blue tinge. Just as chromium plating should look like. If you know anyone who has this specific bike rim, please contact me at efabrizio@3web.com It is a Sun Wheels make rim. 27 by 1 1/4 inch rim. It must be the rim from a Supercycle Medalist Series 2 bike, the original bike, not the new Medalist, got it? Thanks alot man. I'm glad there are still people like you who are willing to restore old bicycles. I am 15 by the way, so my friends give me lots of flak for "trying" to restore a "shitty old" bike. They love those "heavyweight" mountain bikes.Thanks alot. Thanks, really!

Gerry Lauzon said...

Hey Matt, glad to hear that you caught the bike bug. Sad thing is, there is no cure for it. But who cares about such frivolous things, enjoy your new addiction fully. Supercycle was made by CCM by the way. So if you find an old CCM road bike with the same size wheel, it should be an exact replacement for what you have. I'll keep my eyes open and if I find anything, I'll contact you.

Gerry :)

Anonymous said...

UnREAL!!! My Harley sat in the Humid Garage in Florida for Three Years. I spend hours and hours with Mothers Chrome and Aluuminum Polish...scrubbed and scrubed with a little success but you could still see some of the rust and corrosion. Ready to buy $1,000 worth of new parts, I found your sight thru GOOGLE. The wet Aluminum Foil took of the Rust AND Corrosion with very little effort!
...And instantly...Thank you so much!!!

Mike
Tampa, FL

Gerry Lauzon said...

Hey Mike, I'm real glad we were able to bring the shine back to your HOG on a budget.

Gerry :)

Anonymous said...

who the hell is that guy adverting about WD-40. Sounded like he was actually a spokesperson for WD-40. Or a bot. Whatever one. If all he's going to do is boast and praise talk WD-40 and nothing to contribute, don't waste valuable bandwidth. You know the guy (Gerry) running this site has a limited bandwidth? He can't have it crapped out with no-good advertisements for WD-40!!

Anonymous said...

Hey actually, i think that fcuker is a bot. Why the fcuk would he voluntarily post a message about WD-40 at 1:47AM? What the fcuk is that? Stupid piece of tish! Ban his or "their" IP adress. Fcuk!

Anonymous said...

This website kicks ass dude keep it up im 17 form new zealand and i hav learnt so much about my bmx i never take it to the bike shop any more saved me some big dollarz.

CHeers

Gerry Lauzon said...

Helpimg bikers from all creed and from all over the world. That was my intent and I am glad that I'm on target.

Gerry :)

honey said...

Aloha from Oahu ~
Lots of rust here on everything!
Found this site searching for something to clean chrome base/legs of leather recliner.
Will try the wet foil - (also need help with the leather seat and back of the chair) - -
THANK YOU for the wonderful tip of wet foil - will let you know :)jean

Anonymous said...

After viewing your tip and thinking it too good to be true, I nevertheless wadded up some aluminum foil, stuck it in water, rubbed on my 1980 Schwinn, and Voila! Bike is now looking beautiful. Thanks so much for that tip and your site.

Anonymous said...

Just a note on WD-40.
There is a better product out there.
It's called "PLID":
http://www.ship-2-shore.com/plid.htm
It works great for keeping cables in good shape, and for breathing new life into old parts.

Anonymous said...

I saturated an abrasive kitchen sponge with WD40 to clean a chrome toothbrush holder in my bathroom. It completely erased the rust spots and is sparkling new!

Anonymous said...

3 Cheers to bikes!!

Hurray, all you eco-friendly people!! :D

Anonymous said...

hey i used clorox wipes on my bike 2 years ago so how i get that kind of rust off.

Unknown said...

I'll have to try that.

Thanks for sharing.

Gerry :)

Anonymous said...

thanks you all so much for the aluminum foil trick! It worked wonders for me!

My 8 year old step sister needs a new bike and the city we live in has an annual bike swap...they put you in categories depending on the condition of your bike...hers looked like someone had painted it brown! It was horrible but now I think she will be placed in a MUCH better category thus a much nicer bike :)

Took a lot of elbow grease but it was worth it. Thank you all again!

Unknown said...

Man this post keeps helping people every day! Glad it helped.

Gerry :)

Anonymous said...

2 years ago, I purchased an Iverson 3-wheel bicycle at a yard sale and my wife wanted to restore it. Well, nothing has been done, so I decided to make it a project this summer. Of course there's a lot of rust and I'm going to try the aluminum foil on chrome trick. Thanks for the info.

Anonymous said...

I'm posting to say "Thank You" for the aluminum foil and water/coke trick. I was totally blown away at it's effectiveness. My bike is the 2year weathered Iverson. Thanks to all.

rodbotic said...

I am another "thanks for the foil and water trick"

WOW.

I had brass foil and a wirebrush.

the wet foil won hands down.
I wonder if it has to do with the fact that they are dissimilar metals. cause the aluminium foil crumbles pretty quickly.

an encourager said...

I begged and begged till my dad gave me the old 1956 Schwinn that was doing nothing but furiously rusting on his back patio. It is complete with the two old brrrrringgg brrrringggg bells, the wire basket on front and the flat thing that snaps your stuff in place on the back. The whole bike is rusted, but I love it. My bike-riding husband shook his head when I pulled it out of the back of my car. I'll probably have to order white-wall tire replacements online... Anyhoo, yours was the first sight on Google for removing rust... My wadded up foil and I are heading out to the garage to work some magic! Thanks, whoever you are!

Anonymous said...

Hey everyone: I had recently purchased a 1985 Puch Cavalier 10 speed road bike. It rides really great, especially when going uphills. It just had some rust on the handlebars. First I used sandpaper to get off the rough spots. I then used CLR to clean off the rust and it really works. It really cleaned my handlebars and wheels and it looks like brand new. Next, to polish it , I used Brasso metal polish to give it a cleaning and polishing touch. Finally, I used Rustoleom to give a final touch. Now my bike has no rust at all, and I feel so happy to look at it and ride it as well. Trust me, if you really want that rust off your bike, use CLR, before using the Brasso metal polish. It really works.

Anonymous said...

Hey everyone: I had recently purchased a 1985 Puch Cavalier 10 speed road bike. It rides really great, especially when going uphills. It just had some rust on the handlebars. First I used sandpaper to get off the rough spots. I then used CLR to clean off the rust and it really works. It really cleaned my handlebars and wheels and it looks like brand new. Next, to polish it , I used Brasso metal polish to give it a cleaning and polishing touch. Finally, I used Rustoleom to give a final touch. Now my bike has no rust at all, and I feel so happy to look at it and ride it as well. Trust me, if you really want that rust off your bike, use CLR, before using the Brasso metal polish. It really works.

bmx said...

i just used aluminium foil on my 1984 mongoose expert wich was very rusty and WOW!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

$150.00 On polishing and cleaning equipment...Minimum result
$1.49 On Alum foil...WOW
Look on face after use - Priceless...
Thanks heaps!!!

Anonymous said...

aluminum foil works amazingly!

Anonymous said...

Well I'll be.. Tried the foil as suggested and needless to say i am gobsmacked.
Well done and thanks for helping bring my bike back to life.

Joe

Anonymous said...

I have a Triumph Bonnie and many of the chrome parts were badly rusted. Spent long hours polishing to try and fix it - hopeless. Was all set to have them rechromed and/or replaced.

Blundered onto this site and read about alufoil and water and thought its ridiculous but what the hell lets give it go.

Did it work?
Was it quick? (seconds not hours).
Was it easy?

HELL YEAH!!!!!!!

That is truly seriously amazing. I am so grateful for the advice.

GOOD ON YOU!!!!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Hello,

Yes the aluminum foil trick works well,
however I am trying to remove a load of rust
from an 80s roadbike frame. I used to foil and water
trick which removed a lot of the normal red brown
rust, but now there is a lot black marks left behind,
almost looks worse than the red rust... I'm not
totally sure, but it seems like the more I scrub it
with foil, the more little black marks appear..?!
Also, its hard to tell if they are sitting above or below the surface of the chrome itself. Any tips how to counteract these black bits all over the frame?

Many thanks

chrishegan said...

I don't know if you can get it in the USA, but in NZ we have a product called Fisholene, which is made out of, gosh, I don't know, but it sure smells like FISH! This is the ultimate long-term rust protector for non-touch areas like the interior of bike frames. Non-touch because it remains permanently sticky to the touch.
Obviously, it's just fish oil and pretty much any fish oil would do the same. Of course, it can be embarrassing cycling down the road pursued by a couple of dozen hungry cats but you get used to it.

chrishegan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Gerry Lauzon said...

I read somewhere that WD40 contains fish oil.

Gerry :)

Brandon said...

I tried the steel wool trick and it worked great. when I was done with the steel wool I went back and tried the aluminum foil trick on the minor stuff that I could not get with the steel wool and found it is better to use with cola than it is with water. By the way I am redoing the chrome on a 1981 Kawasaki CSR 350 motorcycle that sat in my grandpas barn for about 21 years

Anonymous said...

ALUMINUM FOIL - absolutely a great tip!!! Tried it on my son's bike which I got used and now it looks like new!

bonjovibabe said...

O M G!!! I cannot believe how incredible the aluminum foil with water worked! I just made my 10+ year old bike look like new! I cannot thank you enough!!!

Selma222 said...

Hi, my beautiful new bike was left out all year since last spring and is now covered in rust, is it too late for me to try the aluminum and water trick? Or does anyone have any other helpful suggestions for me? Thanks in advance.

Selma222 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Gerry Lauzon said...

You're just in time Selma, Break out the foil and be amazed!

Gerry :)

ronald1216 said...

wdo 40 works as soon as tiny serface rusts are showing, then and only then wd40 and black smooth sandpaper rubbed gently till the rust is gone will work. dd40 not only cleans rust makes everything smooth and clean and takes away paintful bee and other severe stings. withing 20 seconds wont take fully away but enough that theres no discompfort.

Anonymous said...

Will the aluminum foil and water or coke scratch the chrome?

Gerry Lauzon said...

I haven't noticed more scratches than when I used steel wool.

Gerry :)

Amy Gordon-Pruden said...

Gerry,
Schwinn collector here. After riding my retro Schwinn adult trike around for three years I've decided to restore it. The chrome is peeling on one of my fenders and I fear I won't be able to restore it, although I will try. It's not in the budget to send it out for rechroming so what's your experience on painting over chrome? Just sand it down and paint? Thanks!

Gerry Lauzon said...

Hello Amy,

I'm about to lay some paint on a apir of chrome fenders for the first time. I'll be using etching primer since the regular stuff won't grab and will eventually flake. I would recommend the same thing for your fenders and then apply some "chrome" paint in a rattle can. It ain't the best, but it's a lot cheaper than sending it to be plated.

Gerry :)

Amy Gordon-Pruden said...

Thanks Gerry, maybe I'll try that. Where do you find this etching primer?

Gerry Lauzon said...

Hardware stores should have that. I haven't bought the stuff yet, so I'm doing an educated guess here.

Gerry :)

Anonymous said...

I was just about to reconsider on a particular bicycle (as I am looking for a good town bike to ride in the summer)because there was rust on the front wheel. But now I have heard such wonderful tips I am going to go ahead and try a little project on it aswell!

Gerry Lauzon said...

Good for you. Keep us posted.

Gerry :)

Andrea said...

Amazing. After my bike was stolen last year, I thought I would have to buy a new one. However, my mother's late 70's Raleigh Record has been sitting in the garage with a flat tire since the mid 80's. The rust on it was unbelievable. The aluminum foil trick worked wonders. I showed her after I worked on it for a while and she couldn't believe it.

littleREDrn said...

I just got an old bike from a friend that is worn out, not very well taken care of, and rusty. I thought about fixin it up really cool lookin like guys do with old cars.Is it possible and worth it? Or should I just buy myself a new bike?

Gerry Lauzon said...

You can rebuild it, learn new skills and have a bike you can truly call your own or throw money at a new bike. It's all up to you and want you feel like doing. The true value of a bike is what you feel it is worth, not the market value.

My .02

Gerry :)

Thuy Kim said...

Hi guys, can I still use this 'foil and water' trick on none chrome parts of my bike? ie. the frame of the bike.
Also where can I buy bike lubricant? Hardware store?

Gerry Lauzon said...

I've used this trick on naked steel but not on painted surfaces, so I don't know what will happen. Try it on a small space that doesn't show. Bike lubricant can be bought at your local bike shop or you can use automatic transmission fluid from the auto parts store, works great.

Gerry :)

Thuy Kim said...

Great, thanks very much!

Lin said...

I bought a severely rusty bike to restore since I'm not an everyday rider. Will the wool pads work on all the rusty parts - wheels, bars, frame? Thx for the help! Lin

Gerry Lauzon said...

Lin, dump the wool pad and go for aluminum foil. You'll thank me later.

Gerry

Danielle Patenaude said...

Hey Gerry!

I've just been given an old Raleigh Ladies cruiser to restore, and I;m super excited to get started.

It pretty rusted all over and I'm going to try the aluminum foil trick on the chrome bits, but as for the paint and nooks and crannies, any suggestions? I;m not to sure how to go about the rust in these places...

Danielle

Gerry Lauzon said...

Hey Danielle, check out this post on my other blog, it will show you an easy and great looking solution: http://bikeoverhaul2.blogspot.com/2007/09/repainting-frame-of-bicycleor-not.html

Gerry :)

Professional Bicycle Restorer said...

Most bicycle enthusiasts/restorers cringe when they see someone use steel wool to remove rust because it is an amateur method. Does it work? Yes but it scratches. Use one of the other methods such as aluminum foil and coke or WD-40 (just do not use it on your chain)!

Unknown said...

alouminum foil trick works great just tried it on a rusty redline and most of it came off!

Anonymous said...

Hi Gerry, i have just bought an Oxford international loline. I love the shape of it and am looking forward to restoring it but I can't seem to find any info about them online. Would you know anything that could help? This is my first project and I know nothing about bikes but so far your site has been very helpful :) Kristen.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the aluminium foil tip! It's worked a treat on my daughters' bikes that have been sitting in the harsh Australian climate for the past year. I will be good now!
Leanne

Anonymous said...

my handle bar is completely covered in rust will this help

Gerry Lauzon said...

Yes it will.

Gerry :)

Anonymous said...

AMAZING!!!! I just read this foil trick and walked out to the garage to try it on my 70's Shwinn...even after reading all the posts, I had my doubts. No more!! I would like to add, and this may be a "duh" to some of you, that you probably want to wear gloves. The mess is hard to get off of your hands. Thanks so much for the help, people!

Anonymous said...

Hey Gerry and all you other helpful people, i wanted to add my name to the aluminium foil converts.
Great advice, thanks so much
Ash

Anonymous said...

Aluminum foil works!! On a bike frame over 10 years old:

:( Before: http://i.imgur.com/6cAlT.jpg

:D After: http://i.imgur.com/MfaXt.jpg

Anonymous said...

I just used the aluminum foil with WD-40 on my seat post, which was brown. It worked well, but for laughs I tried the foil with BarKeeper's Friend, and holy lord. It was like mud coming off. So far the seat post is almost perfect and I'm planning on doing a lot more with that combo. Thanks a million for this tip!

Radar said...

I have a 1960 Shwinn Speeder, lots of rust, gonna try out the tin fold trick when i get time, my question is , is there any way of saving the original paint now spotted with rust?

Gerry Lauzon said...

I have 2 vintage frames that have some surface rust. What I did was go over them very gently to remove any loose rust with steel wool and then sealed it with a few light coats of clear lacquer. So far so good but these bikes sleep indoors, so I don't know how long that would hold up in the elements outside.

Gerry :)

Lola said...

I just grabbed my Mum's old Indi 500 which she was throwing out. It had surface rust, but the alfoil took care of it, with hardly any effort!

Anonymous said...

So this is now 2011 and I see the original post was in 2006. Ran across this from Googleing "how to get rust off a bicycle" just tried the aluminum foil trick and am totally floored...thank you!!

Gerry Lauzon said...

Yes I still get fresh comments 5 years later. I guess there's a good reason that this is the most popular post of my entire blog. Glad it could help.

Gerry :)

Oli said...

I have a Honda Ruckus scooter with a chrome frame brace and didn't use it for most of the time my wife was pregnant. All that time, the chrome started to show signs of rust from being parked outside and exposed to the elements. I was just about to buy a new frame for $200 until I bumped into your blog. THANK YOU very much for your aluminum and water suggestion! That cost me nothing and my ride looks great again!!!

Gerry Lauzon said...

The most popular post on HTFB strikes again! Glad we could help you out.

Gerry :)

Anonymous said...

No shit, a friend of mine has a grandpa that uses WD-40 on his elbow. He swears by it that it helps with his joint pain. I would never do that AS IT IS A CARCINOGEN, but he swears by it, and is strong and active at 75+. UNBELIEVABLE!!!! Thanks for the alumunum foil trick....works like a charm.

Anonymous said...

Just used foil and water to de-rust my 17 year old GT BMX that was sitting in a barn for about 6 years rusting. I have a lot of work to do but it works great. Thank you! Now my son can maybe ride his dad's old bike and think it is cool.

Gerry Lauzon said...

It is actually very cool indeed. If it's taken care of he might pass it down to your grandson. :) Stories like that make my day, thanks for sharing.

Gerry :)

Anonymous said...

I have a1968 Schwinn that was so badly rusted that I thought for sure I would be painting flat black. I read this article and just had to go to the basement right now (New Years Eve). I am amazed, impressed and especially thankful. So thank you and Happy New Year!

Gerry Lauzon said...

Glad to hear we saved another one.

Happy New Year!

Gerry :)

Anonymous said...

LOVE U!!!! - son wanted a bike for his daughter for her birthday but could not afford a new one so picked up a 2nd hand one quite cheap and in pretty good nick except for the chrome to which the seat and pedals were attached that were covered in rust (rest was painted and no problem). She won't care, but it looked terrible. Had thought of using steel wool but on a whim googled and came across this and thought what the hell - not going to cost much to try ... and I am absolutely gobsmacked! - who would have thought! - certainly not me - thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!

Gerry Lauzon said...

And another happy kid. You made my day!

Gerry :)

Florida Sunshine said...

Can't wait to try the foil in the morning (now, in 2012)! Thank you. One of your commenters said not to spray WD40 on the chain. I did that today (on an old Huffy cruiser I was given). What is the damage and what should I do? (I hosed the bike down afterwards, since it was quite dirty.) Also, the paint is a little damaged but passable, but is it worth repainting a Huffy? It's red--and I'd love a bright pink for south Florida where the bike lives. Thank you so much!

mountainrocky said...

Okay, I get the final word on the aluminum foil trick because I just picked up a 1985 or 86 GT Backwoods and the frame, fork, bars, and stem are all chrome. It was lying in some tall grass when I found it and it was literally raining at the time.

No exaggeration: it now looks like a new bike.

That's it. The aluminum foil rants have now come to an end . . .

Gerry Lauzon said...

I would say that's the ultimate rave!

Gerry :)

LisaAnnB said...

Gerry- thank you for your blog! I have a few huffy bikes I would like to salvage. This maybe a dumb question, but everything here is saying to use foil on chrome... Idk what parts are what type of metal. 2 of the bikes are super weathered, handlebars, chains, and the other is painted/garage-kept so only little damage. Can foil be used on any parts, like the chains? Thanks!

Gerry Lauzon said...

I wouldn't try it on painted parts but I see no problem trying it on the chain. It might get messy but it won't damage it. Try it and let us know.

Gerry :)

Anonymous said...

OK...I picked up a 1978 Schwinn Stingray Chopper girl's bike (has training wheels) at Goodwill thrift today for $3.50. It's got varying degrees of rust on all of the chrome parts, some heavy some speckled. I drizzled some Coke on a part and rubbed with aluminum foil, but it just looks black now, not shiny. Will Coke eat the chrome? I don't want to go any further without asking!

Gerry Lauzon said...

You might have hit a part that's exposed steel and not chrome. Start over using only water or WD40.

Gerry

Anonymous said...

I used the wire wool on my forks however rubbed some paint work also. Have you anyadvice on restoring paint work?

Gerry Lauzon said...

On chrome, you'll need a self etching primer before applying the finish.

Gerry

Anonymous said...

Send me the link

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the advice. My friend gave me his childhood GT Performer which is all chrome with rust spots all over the bike. The aluminum foil worked great! I wanted to have a big boy bike for my son who is 5 like I had as a kid. Thanks again.

Gerry Lauzon said...

Always great to hear about a saved bike. I hope your son gets to enjoy it for a long time.

Gerry :)

Alex said...

This is great tip. I used this way for my old bike, now it looks like a new bike . Thanks again about great article.

Hayley said...

Hi Gerry,
I'm a novice at this. What do you mean by "clear"?
Thank you.

Unknown said...

It's not a lubricant, it's a water dispersant to stop rust

Marie Andrews said...

I will try it after seeing your advice. Thanks for the great advice about fixing bikes

Anonymous said...

Hi there

My poor bike has been sitting outside for two years. As I live right by the beach it is very very rusty indeed! I think the chain must have seized up. Is there any point in me trying all the de-rusting tips mentioned above or will it be beyond repair?

Thanks

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