Need to Remove Plating

[Narragansett]

I have just found out that my shiny parts are really just polished and that the nickel plating was actually removed. Someone suggested that I put a drop of cold blue on one of the parts and see if it "Takes". Well it did get blued, and I understand that if it was nickel plated then it would have just repelled the cold blue. So I guess the parts are just highly polished. Now to figure out how to make them look 'natural' again. I am thinking possibly some kind of sand paper or crocus cloth, but what grit?

I am not real fond of sandpaper and metal, but if I were going to sand, I would start with 1500 grit, and work up to 3000. I believe Walmart has this and any auto paint store will have it. You will get a polished finish

There is always a buffing wheel and jewelers rouge

 

[Vettepartz]

Thanks, Pete, but I am wanting to go the other way. Right now it is highly polished, which is not the way it left the factory. I am looking to find someone with a small, fine grit sand bead blaster and hope that might work. If not then I guess I will look into the metal sandpaper options.

 

[Narragansett]

Thanks, Pete, but I am wanting to go the other way. Right now it is highly polished, which is not the way it left the factory. I am looking to find someone with a small, fine grit sand bead blaster and hope that might work. If not then I guess I will look into the metal sandpaper options.

Well bead or sandblasting may be your answer, but I do not think sandpaper is.. Maybe something in the 600 range?

 

[2152hq]

I don't know what 'look' you want,,but a matted soft look on bare steel is easy to get with scotchbrite.
The maroon or grey colored scotchbrite are about the right grades and leaves a nice finish. Grey is the finer IIRC.
There is a White color and finer yet but I've never had much luck & use for it in metal polishing.

Use it dry and it will leave you with one finish. Use it with a little oil and you will get a slightly different effect with a bit more gloss and burnished effect..

If you polish with the stuff in non-directional motion you won't have any grit/grain lines to speak of. That'll especially be true if you are starting out on a surface that has an extremely high machine polished surface like you probably have from a nickle plating job.

The other thing that can get you there is a fine wire wheel at med speed used to polish & burnish the surface. Use it with the part surface covered with a thin layer of oil. That allows the wires to slide on the surface and not bite into it.
Leaves a nice smooth burnished finish and again non direction with no grit lines. Don't use a lot of pressure, just let the wire wheel swipe over the surface.
Most any oil will do from 3n'1 to motor oil to WD40.
I use this alot in rust blue prep before the actual bluing.


Probably not much response from the plating shops as they might still be closed up due to Covid rules.
I hadn't thought of that when I posted originally.