How to age/dull chrome

[Trucked Up]

Done a search but no luck.

I'm building a '54 Chevy Pickup that has an original chrome grille in it. I have searched the swaps for about a year trying to find a couple aged/dull chrome bumpers. No luck.

So I bought a couple of the cheap imported chrome bumpers to use until I find some more to my liking.

Can anyone tell me how to dull or age these new bumpers to match a 55 year old original chrome dulled grille???? [S

Thanks

 

[ratdog]

I would think it would have to be done with a chemical, sanding and stuff will just make it look scratched. I know for a fact that chlorine will eat chrome cause I soaked a Kohler faucet aeretor in some bleach for too long when we had bacteria problems and it started to attack the chrome. Dont know what it would look like on a bumper, could try it on a small chrome piece thats junk.

 

[dmw56]

Why would you want to do that??

 

[cantwell.colton]

just get them wet and covered and mud then just leave it ---
seems to do the trick on every truck i ever owned (not intentional lol)

 

[Trucked Up]

Why would you want to do that??

The truck is a rusty/patinaed build and the new chrome shiney bumpers just stand out to much.

 

[Willowbilly3]

Send me money. I have some scratched up bumpers laying arounf with 70 yeat old chrome

 

[CB_Chief]

If they are the same cheap bumpers I have been seeing around here lately don't worry, they will be rusty and old looking in a couple of months. Just don't wax them or do anything to protect the "chrome" and it will age very quickly. I ordered chrome headlamp bezels for my '58 Apache and they started rusting in about 30 days.

 

[ratphotog]

Throw rocks at them, shoot them with a bee bee gun, and then let them rust.

 

[jfg455]

I heard (haven't tried yet) that if you open a battery and coat the acid on the chrome, or paintit on with a steel brush, that it will age/etch the surface. Other than that, you could hit the back side with an acetalyne torch and turn it all kinds of colors. And let it rust naturally as well.

 

[BigIrish]

You could wet-sand them lightly with 1500 grit. That will knock some of the shine off of them.

 

[Flipper_1938]

Maybe try painting them with flat/satin clear?

A can of spray paint would be cheap enough to try it out.

 

[racer32]

Scotch-Brite pads and some elbow grease will knock the shine off. You can also buy a sanding/cleaning disc at the hardware store or WM that you can chuck up in your drill. Don't use the coarse one. I've used both on various chromed parts to dull them out.