Any way to remove hairline scratches in chrome?

[K9Anniv]

Short of buying a new cover or taking it off and having it rechromed, has anyone heard of a successful way to remove very slight hairline scratches in chrome? These are so slight you can only see them under certain light and at certain angles. Any 'normal' person would probably say "screw it, let's ride!" and forget about them. But..I'm not 'normal', and I know they're there and it's driving me NUTS!!! :bang::loony: Thanks for any ideas!

 

[WB Cycles]

Simichrome (sp?) is what I used in the past to buff the chrome out

 

[woodbutcher]

is it a scratch or a crack (from bad chroming)?

 

[K9Anniv]

It's several small scratches across the top front part of my headlight. If it were just on a cover, I'd replace it. It almost looks like something got brushed or swiped across it (it wasn't not me..it was the one-armed man!).

Like I said, you can't see them all the time - just in certain light and at certain angles..unfortunately, one being when I'm sitting on the bike! A headlight is too expensive to replace for a minor scratch and with my luck, about the time I would do it, I'd end up dropping a ladder or something on it out in the garage...isn't that always the way it works?! So, I'm just hoping for an easy, effective "quick-fix".

Someone suggested "semichrome polish" but I had some bad luck with that stuff on past bikes leaving more hairline scratches than it removed, and have since been wary of using any "paste" polishes on show chrome...but maybe they've changed the composition of the stuff from years ago when I used it.

 

[Loafington]

Nope

 

[barhopper]

Rechrome is in order.

 

[bdmridgeback]

If you do use something to polish it out, you will notice a slight goldish tint come through the thinned out chrome plating. I have done it before.

I would say screw it, go ride!!

 

[K9Anniv]

My practical side agrees...life's too short - so screw it, let's ride!!!

BUT, for us anal-retentive detail freaks who just can't let it go...here's an relatively inexpensive chrome & nickel polishing kit to consider:
Caswell Inc. - Chrome & Nickel Polishing Kit

However, as someone said previously..if you don't know what you're doing you could easily rub through the thin plating and really mess things up. :down: :bang:

So once again, here may be the best idea...screw it, let's ride!!!:lol:

 

[haze324]

i read a product GLARE that is a paint wax/polish can be applied to chrome and it fills in the gaps on the scratches and appears as though they are gone. you have to continue to reapply though