Wipe the surface with a dry, bleached cloth and then wait until it is fully dry. This is done before sanding to eliminate the possibility of impressing any foreign particles into the metal and contaminating your work. Using a bleached cloth maintains as close to a sterile environment as possible, which will lead to a better-finished product.
 If you are working with any metal that has an exterior and interior side, you will always hammer the interior side. So remove any parts that may be blocking access to the interior side. Place a hard material against the exterior surface and hammer out the dent, pressing against the hard material. Move slowly and work around the dent's perimeter towards the center.Once the dent is hammered out, place your hard material on the interior side. Then lightly hammer the area surrounding your dent to remove any peaks in the metal.
 Sanding is the least complicated method of removing chrome and therefore a favorite. Although chrome can be difficult to remove it's best to start with a grit less than 160 to remove a majority of the particles.Afterwards you can use 320 grit sandpaper to remove any marks left by the first round, and give a smoother finish.


Note that with sanding it is important to be careful and use an equal amount of time and pressure over the entire surface to ensure an even result. This will create an ideal surface where the paint will stick more easily, and course texture won't show through the paint.
 If sandpaper is not cutting it, many professionals' next choice is a blasting gun. These tools use pressurized air to send tiny particles (usually plastic beads, ground-up walnut shells, glass beads, and aluminum oxide) to strip paint from base material, as well as smoothing out very durable metals.In order to contain the mess of media blasters, it is recommended to use a blasting cabinet. This will decrease the size of your work space, but also maintains cleanliness.
In addition to the PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) already in use, it is safest to use some form of ear protection with media blasters as they create a loud noise and could cause hearing damage/problems.
 Spray down the parts with wax and grease remover. It is easiest to use an atomizer bottle to coat all surfaces. Use clean, bleached rags to wipe everything off.
Wash the chrome with soap and water until it is thoroughly cleaned.
Hammer out any unwanted bends or dents using a body hammer.This must be done before any paint is applied, as hammering later on would damage the coat of paint.
Sand the chrome exterior using sandpaper.
Use a media blaster to clean your parts.
Wipe down the chrome pieces to remove any dust and excess particles from the surface.
{"src": "wikihow-all_test", "title": "How to Paint Over a Chrome Surface2"}