How good is Simichrome Polish? We test it on a heavily rusted spoked wheel

November 20, 2008 · Filed Under Simichrome 

We put Simichrome Metal Polish to a tough test to see if it could remove heavy rust from a spoke wheel on baby stroller. The instructions & tips will show you a how we restored this stroller that had been left in an unheated, dirt floor garage and never been polished so that it looks shiny and new again using Simchrome Polish.

Simichrome polish in a can

Materials Used:

Application:

1. Apply a small amount of Simichrome polish right out of the can about the size of a dime and spread it evenly over the entire surface of the wheel rim with your nitrile gloved hand. Repeat until the whole surface of the wheel rim is covered. Use the polish sparingly, a little goes a long way.

2. Let the polish stay on the wheel rims for several minutes, but do not let the polish dry.

3. Take a pad of 000 steel wool  and unroll a 2 to 3 inch piece and tear off.

4. Work the polish with the steel wool with mild pressure over the rust and remove it.

5. Wipe the polish/rust residue off the wheel rim with a soft paper towel or cloth. Repeat steps 1 -3 until the heavy encrusted rust has been polished off. Please note that Simichrome will not take out pitting or deep scratches.

6. At this point apply additional dabs of Simichrome with the tip of your nitrile glove all over the surface of the rim.  Allow to sit and work for a several minutes, but do not let the polish dry.

7. Change to 0000 steel wool ( the finest grade )and gently rub the Simichrome onto the surface, polishing the remaining rust and corrosion from the wheel.

8. Wipe off excess polish / rust residue with a soft paper towel or cloth.

9. Apply a some  Simichrome polish with the finger tip of your nitrile glove from the can onto the wheel spokes.  Again let sit for a several minutes and polish with more  0000 steel wool.

10. Use a Fuller Moldable Horse Hair Detail brush to get the polish into the area of the wheel where the spokes attach to the rim and the hub. Take a clean paper towel & remove the remaining polish residue of the wheel and spokes. Check your work and if any rust or corrosion is still present reapply the polish and work with 0000 steel wool until you are satisfied that it is as good as you can get it. Wipe off all residue with another clean paper towel.

11. Buff the wheel with a microfiber cloth to a high shine mirror finish. Simichrome will leave a film on the wheel that is not greasy. This retards corrosion and tarnish so your wheel will look better longer. Elapsed time to shine wheel was under an hour. This was a good test of what Simichrome polish is capable of doing. The polish and a little TLC brought this stroller that was purchased at a tag sale for $5.00 into a nice usable piece of equipment. That salvaged it from the local landfill . If you have a tough job to do, don’t hesitate to try Simichrome polish on it. Think green–recycle!

Before and After:

Graco stoller rusty wheel Graco stroller wheel after being polished
Polish Guy Tip Polish Guy Tip : “This project is a good example why its a good idea to use nitrile gloves when using polish. Not only will it help to keep the rusty grime off your hands but it also helps to apply the polish evenly right where you want it..”

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