Patty - I was able to find the following in your area;
http://gorillachrome.com/las-vegas-w...chrome-plating
http://decometalfinishing.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/american-pol...ting-henderson
http://www.chromeplatingusa.com/
Pam - I just read the website for the "Evaporust". cool stuff. What this did was to basically "eat" (read breakdown) the rust and leave the metal. I would not believe that you did anything wrong. It just needs to be polished now.
So, to explain in really basic terms how metal shines....
If you imagine taking a piece of dull metal, cutting it, and then looking at the side REALLY close the top and bottom surface would look like this...
Top surface: \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Bottom surface: ----------------------
When light comes from the top towards the metal it hits all of those angled faces and the light bounces off at a different angle.
Since only a small portion of the light is actually bounced back to the viewer and the light that does make it back is not all "side by side" the surface looks dull.
When you polish a surface and then cut it, viewed from the side it looks like this...
Top surface: -----------------------
Bottom surface: -----------------------
The light now bounces mostly back to the viewer making the surface reflective.
Now Imagine your piece of metal with rust on it...
Top surface: -0-0-0---00-0---0--
Bottom surface: ----------------------
Now remove the rust.... ( the "v" is the pocket left when the rust particle leaves)
Top surface: -v-v-v---vv-v---v--
Bottom surface: ----------------------
The process of polishing lowers the rest of the surface until there are less "disturbances" in the surface.
Another "image" of this is to imagine a pool of water. when it is Still it is reflective, when it is "rippled" it is not. (actually it is, but the reflections are strongly distorted)