I've had good results with a product called "Evaporust". It's widely available at Harbor Freight and some auto parts stores. It's also not crazy-expensive; like $25-30/gallon. You just soak the part in it (cover it up- it evaporates pretty fast). I've found agitating it and brushing the rust off helps speed it up. When your done, the rusty part will be a dark grey. If there's rust under any chrome, it'll flake off, but wherever it's still adhered, the chrome will be unaffected. Only the rust will be removed. Keeping it from rusting again might be a challenge down the road; keep it lightly oiled?

Another option- Rustbeeter. It's made from sugar beets. Google it. Good luck!

Buy this: [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Foods-Citric-Acid-Powder-Pound/dp/B0017WFX6G/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1397525398&sr=8-5&keywords=citric+acid+powder"]NOW Foods Citric Acid Powder Bulk, 5 Pound Tub: Amazon.com: Grocery & Gourmet Food@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41vORuzPoqL.@@AMEPARAM@@41vORuzPoqL[/ame]

Mix about 2 cups or so in a couple of gallons of water.

Drop the hoops and whatever else needs rust removed and go to bed.

When you come home from work the next evening pull them out and run them under the hose with an old toothbrush the and they will be totally free of rust. Storm Trooper

The thing is, that if the chrome or nickle is gone then it's gone.

You can remove the rust but if you have bare metal the best you can do without rechrome/nickle would be just to polish the raw metal and keep some wax on it. ;)

fine brass brush on wheel

The rust has begun to delaminate the metal. At that stage, you can remove the rust but not replace the metal that`s gone.

They will have potholes and you might even go through them.

I've been battling badly rusted chromes on this Slingy rehab I'm doing. I have tried many of the suggested methods on here and most work quite well. I have not yet tried Evaporust or citric acid, but as the other guys confirm here, if the chrome is gone-it's gone. All that is usually left is a dark gray/black surface, rust free, but not nice to look at...it's painful, but maybe your best avenue is a re-chrome at a car body shop or replating shop...

What has worked for me:

Soaking in vinegar

Soaking in dawn detergent and water

Using crinkled up aluminum foil with water/cola

Soak in Whink (Walmart, etc) needs gloves keep away from eyes

Soak/wipe in CLR (need gloves, great for removing "invisible" surface rust before polishing chrome tubing on stands)

As an example, I had 2 badly pitted Slingy sticksaver snare rims that were bad, not quite as extreme as yours, but I priced re chroming. In southern PA area a replating auto shop quoted $99 to re-chrome 2 14 inch rims.

Guys also have great results-depending on part type-with using tumblers where you throw your rusted parts in a machine with some type of grit that polishes the rust off from friction with grit/stones/ground nut shells.

In your case, if those rims are must-have/irreplaceable--pay for a re-chrome. If not, like me, opt for a modern day replacement. Dean

If it's a drum that is worth restoring, the only solution is to have those hoops replated. The plating is mostly gone and the surface is eroded. They need to be stripped, polished and replated. In my opinion, anything else is a waste of time...

+1 I agree completely. Anything short of a complete rehab on those hoops is a waste of time and money.

John

I am not one to give up... but I think those are beyond the effort required..

( I think that dropping them back into the North Atlantic Ocean at 41-44 degrees North and 49-56 degrees West, is the proper thing to do ).

Cheers