Stainless has Rust, what to do? Can You Chrome?

[Guest BJM]

I have a 49 Kaiser with what appears to be stainless steel grille. This is 3-4 bars typical of late 40's American cars. ALL have surface rust.

I would imagine others have dealt with this issue as I see show cars with nice chrome (look) on what was stainless steel originally.

I will add a photo later but do I just assume these need to be sent out for chroming? I can't imagine that they can be polished out.

[Matt Harwood]

If it's rusty, it's not stainless steel. Stainless truly does not rust, although it does get cloudy. Real stainless trim can be buffed to a chrome-like shine, but if the part is rusty, I'm betting it's stamped steel that actually was chromed originally. Try a light duty magnet on it--stainless is non-ferrous, so a magnet won't stick.

I'm guessing that your choice here is chrome plating, polishing won't get rid of the pitting, and the rust will come back without the protection of plating.

Hope this helps.

[keiser31]

I have seen some stainless steel parts that have a rust stain on them from lying close to other rusty parts, but you can buff that off as Matt says.

[trimacar]

I'm in the dairy business, and we used stainless steel for just about everything.

We have to be very careful. Stainless won't rust, that's correct, but if you use a steel wire wheel to clean up a weld on stainless, for example, the ferrous steel will get imbedded in the stainless, rust, and it's very, very difficult to remove. I've even had to replace a stainless sink that had the "sparks" from grinding on regular steel hit it, and two weeks later it was useless.

My guess is that someone tried to clean the stainless with a piece of steel wool, and some of the fibers are imbedded in the stainless.

Stainless is a very soft metal (some people think it's hard because it's difficult to cut, but that's because it work hardens so quickly, you need a saw blade with deep teeth to cut beyond the hardening), so if steel is imbedded in it, it's tough to eliminate. Just surface rust from laying next to steel, as mentioned, buffs off easily.

[auburnseeker]

Since part of stainless steel is actually steel I have seen deposits on brand new unistalled trim that actually rusted. They are actual impurities where for some reason the nickel didn't mix correctly with the steel. Not sure why but I have had brand new NOS car side mouldings before with a bad rust pit spot in the middle of a piece of trim that was otherwise perfect. Check it with a magnet it might have a hi steel content to begin with. Who knows what grade of stainless it was to begin with.

I suspect as the others mentioned though it's surface contamination that can be buffed out. You will know when you hit with polishing compound.

[Coley]

I used to cast door strikers, hood retainers, hood handles and bumper bolts from a 300 series stainless.

One order of parts that I got back from the foundry was made of 400 series stainless.

I put them on display at the Belevidere swap meet and we got rained on.

Why pickup stainless from a little rain? It will show how good the parts are.

Well, when the rain stopped, I had red parts lying in the puddles on my table.

When I aske the foundry about it they claimed the added strength or the 400 series was a better product.

Told them can't sell parts that will rust.

Also, some stainless is atracted to a magnet. Depends on the alloy.

[Curti]

There are many kinds of stainless steel. I believe 18-8 stainless is both magnetic and will rust.

[roadfossil]

I once worked in a chemical plant that had a very harsh atmosphere( acids, caustics, etc) and the stainless equiptment would rust.

[rhb1999]

It depends on the chemical composition, 304 and 316 have good corrosion resistance. 316 is used on boats. The boatyards I worked at we would have to remove stainless steel guard metal or rub rail. We would use a long pneumatic spindle-like tool, with a polishing wheel, turn the tool on, then take a square stick of compound and get some on the wheel, then start polishing the metal, repeating the application. I also started using a product called FLITZ metal polish with good success.

[Guest Al Brass]

There are many kinds of stainless steel. I believe 18-8 stainless is both magnetic and will rust.

Absolutely correct Curti, lower grade stainless steel does rust. Cast stainless steel can also carry impurities that rust.

As for chrome plating stainless steel, it can be done but only by specialist platers.

Regards

Al

[Guest BJM]

Thanks for the overwhelming response. Lots of good information. OK, as promised, here are the photos.

3 bars, My top bar has a slight crack in it and some dings. Middle bar is the rustiest and lower one appears OK.

With this much rust, I guess these were chrome plated base metal. BUT that base metal is fairly thin so that is what made me think this was stainless steel.

I always associate chrome plating with pot metal or thick cast parts or bumpers.

So, I should be able to remove these and send them to the plater after straightening, correct?

[Guest BJM]

Try a light duty magnet on it--stainless is non-ferrous, so a magnet won't stick.

Magnet stuck to it BUT I think the grille is a "shell" that is affixed to metal underneath. I would have to remove the shell to know for sure.

By the way, this is a 49 Kaiser Virginian, a four door hardtop, and worthy of a restoration. Not that all Kaisers aren't, but that's kind of a sad looking photo from the front.

[Rusty_OToole]

For chrome plated steel try cleaning with a copper scrubbing pad and Pledge. The copper will not scratch like steel wool. The pads are 3 for a $1 buck at the Dollar Store. Get off as much rust as you can then polish with Flitz, Simichrome or your favorite chrome polish. Finally, wax with car wax for protection. If you polish and wax it regularly it will not rust again.

For stainless trim stained by nearby rusty metal just the chrome polish should clean it up.

[lozrocks]

As far as I am aware there is no such thing as 100% stainless. The best quality stainless on the market today will rust. You just have to look around the local boat yard to see rusty stainless. If the problem is only surface it can be polished out with some fine wet and dry or even some 00 steel wool with mineral oil. Stainless is the same material all the way through so the rusty area can be ground down a bit and then polished.

[rhb1999]

As far as I am aware there is no such thing as 100% stainless. The best quality stainless on the market today will rust. You just have to look around the local boat yard to see rusty stainless. If the problem is only surface it can be polished out with some fine wet and dry or even some 00 steel wool with mineral oil. Stainless is the same material all the way through so the rusty area can be ground down a bit and then polished.

The worst stainless I saw were on the boats built in Taiwan, like Cheoy Lee. 316 stainless is the best for marine application.

[Pete K.]

BJM, Your Kaiser is a good car to restore! All the above posts are worthy too. You may consider sending the pieces to a plater to polish them. I would imagine it would only be half the cost of getting them plated over. I've had luck with a place called "Courtesy Metal Polishing" in Villa Park, Ill. Victor was the lead man there as I remember. They're very reasonable and have a fast turn around time.--Pete.

[Guest 36chev]

When we used to go looking for old cars in the countryside, it was always amazing to me to see the rusty hulk of a 1930-31 Model A Ford sitting out in a field, with the unblemished stainless radiator shell still shining! For whatever reason, I've never seen a rusty 30-31 Model A radiator shell (except for the painted insert part on the 31), no matter how long out in the weather. Perhaps rust stains from the metal around it, but not rusted.

Edited May 18, 2012 by 36chev (see edit history)

[Guest BJM]

I don't understand why bars 1 and 3 are not rusty but the middle bar is rusted.

[rhb1999]

I don't understand why bars 1 and 3 are not rusty but the middle bar is rusted.

It could be like Matt Harwood said, it's not stainless, but plated or if it is stainless maybe the stainless plate that this came from didn't have enough chromium and nickel in it's composition. I believe there are lower grades of stainless. Type 408?, 409?, or 410? The stainless I've worked with was not magnetic.