Clean a stain on chrome?

[mello dude]

I did a dumbazz thing and grabbed a micro fibre cloth to wipe the pipes down and foole me didnt think about that the thing is still hot. Well the cloth stuck to the pipe - the right hand long cover on the stock pipe, and stained the living sh!t out of it. F...k!  I let it cool down and went at it with various chrome cleaners, - Mothers, Meguirs, Eagle polishing wads, S100 polishing soap, semi chrome and a bunch other stuff. No workie. That damn stain is etched into the pipe and I cant get it out.

What do you suggest?

[NITRO]

You could try getting the pipes hot and use wax on a rag on it. That's what I use to get boot marks off the pipes and it works every time. I have no idea if it'll get melted cloth off though.

[mello dude]

You could try getting the pipes hot and use wax on a rag on it. That's what I use to get boot marks off the pipes and it works every time. I have no idea if it'll get melted cloth off though.

Dunno if I want to do that, the rag on a hot pipe is what got me in trouble in the first place.

[NITRO]

You could try getting the pipes hot and use wax on a rag on it. That's what I use to get boot marks off the pipes and it works every time. I have no idea if it'll get melted cloth off though.

Dunno if I want to do that, the rag on a hot pipe is what got me in trouble in the first place.

The wax will keep it from melting, just don't burn your hand if the dampness from the wax soaks through the rag. You will need a wet wax, like Turtle Wax. I doubt caranuba would be wet enough to keep the rag from melting. Like I said, I have used this method a few times to get melted boot rubber off my pipes and it has always worked.

[larswlvs]

try easy off oven cleaner the cold formula

[JetDriver]

I'm not tracking with this idea of a rag "melting."  If it's cotton, it doesn't melt.  It may burn, but even then, I don't think it would stain.  I'm open to the idea of being wrong, though.   Mellow dude, was your micro fiber towel cotton?

[mello dude]

Cant say if the rag was cotton or not. But yeah - it burnt itself onto the pipe, etching a 4 x 4 inch area stain marking on the pipe. No amount of elbow grease thus far has made any headway in eliminating the goof up. I may give up and just buy a frickn new cover.

[JetDriver]

If you're at the point of buying a new cover, now is a good time to experiment with what you can and can't do to chrome.  Try Nitro's method; if it doesn't work and damages it further, buy a new one.  Try larswlves "easy off," you've got nothing to lose.  I've had good success with a razor blade, although that makes most people cringe.  You DO have to be careful, but the method is the same as though were scraping a sticker off glass.  Use soapy water or detailer as a lubricant and keep the blade as flat to the surface as you can.  Like I say, I've had good success with it multiple times.  I've scratched the chrome once, too.  If it doesn't work, buy a new one!!

[MrBones]

I was told by Rodeo 1 (which you new people won't remember but he is an auto painter) that steel wool #0000 will take off the rubber marks from the chrome. Which I have tried and done several times with no scratches or marks what so ever. I also know lots of people will disagree but it is easy and worked for me. Remember #0000. Luck to you all.

[ossvalk]

he is still around Bones and building himself a yellow Valk trike

got an email from him today in fact

[FlatSixLover]

I was told by Rodeo 1 (which you new people won't remember but he is an auto painter) that steel wool #0000 will take off the rubber marks from the chrome. Which I have tried and done several times with no scratches or marks what so ever. I also know lots of people will disagree but it is easy and worked for me. Remember #0000. Luck to you all.

+1 on the #0000 steel wool.  Works great on removing just about anything from my pipes with no damage to the chrome. 

[MrBones]

Oss guess all is well with him then. He had it rough for a while. Flatsix glad to hear someone besides me uses it.

[BigChris99]

Rodeo1 is still around. I hear from him often. He got his trike put together and it turned out fantastic!!!  Very yellow.

[bikerboy1951]

Spray brake cleaner on a rag and wipe away.  Brake cleaner will take off boot rubber marks and just about anything else.  It might take a little rubbing, but I remove marks from my pipes all the time using this method.  I would shy away from steel wool.  It will remove most marks, but it does so by scratching the surface of the pipe.  Just my opinion.

Brad

[mello dude]

Tried the brake cleaner on a rag and --- no workie. Really didnt like that. The stain is sorta on a molecular level in the chrome, you cant feel it with your finger nail. I'm kinda at replate or replace, maybe this winter.......------ at some angles you cant see it. But sitting on the bike and look down at it, it pops out at you. (Grrrrrrrr)