Steve, I think that "chrome" on the older handwheels is just nickel plating. Wouldn't a wire wheel grind off that thin nickel pretty fast?
I was thinking that a series of buffing wheels with cutting/buffing compounds might be the safest way to start after the Evaporust?
The wire wheel scares me. A tad. Okay, more than a tad - it scares me a lot because it sparks, too!
I know, I'm a chicken.
I've read some very good things about the nickel electro-plating kits you can buy for small parts, too. Have you ever tried any of those?