got be a missed pun there about repenting at leisure and guilt. Sorry, doesnt really add to the thread but had to be said.Back in the 1980s the rather rare first series Colnago Mexico was built with Columbus Record tubing and often featured gilt plating. I write 'gilt' because I doubt that it was actual gold.
my gut reaction is that walnut/pip-stone is the better option. I have vague concerns about soda/alkali causing long-term chem changes to steel and creating probs. A legacy of time spent in the nuclear industry.Media? Walnut or soda - they should take the paint off without damaging the chrome plate or overheating the tubing.