Hi Gang.
So it looks like I have to do a bit of electroplating. A subject
about which I know enough to fake it if I had to, but I’d rather have
more info. What I have: an old 10amp rectifier, a hotplate/mag
stirrer unit, and plenty of glassware. What I need to do: strip off
some old nickel plate from some steel parts (hardware for a Gerstner
chest), then replate it in nickel. My belief is that I need to
copper flash it first, to help the nickel adhere.
Anybody got a book they’d recommend as a solid resource for plating
info?
Anybody know anything about electropolishing? The parts have been in
a tumbler, so they’re satin, which is more-or-less what I want, but
electropolishing is something I’ve always been curious about.
(No just sending them out isn’t an option: the quotes I’ve been
getting are in the $250+ range, which seems just insane, at least to
me.)
Regards,
Brian.
A subject about which I know enough to fake it if I had to, but
I'd rather have more info.
I’ll point out to Orchid and to Brian that this is CC’d to him, so
he’ll get it now. It’s useful to all, though. I’m sure there are
other books out there. The book that taught me the essentials of
plating is, or was, the Vigor Plating Guide - Vigor as a company is
no more, of course. It’s cheap, but when I looked online lo and
behold it’s also free for download here:
http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/11x
I didn’t test it, I assume it’s what it says it is. If it’s the book
I have, it’s not deep but it does give the voltages and procedures
and gets into pre-plating and whatnot. In Brian’s case, I’d probably
forget the stripping and just mechanically remove or clean up the old
plating. Even a careful HCl dip will remove it, though it will also
etch the steel if you’re not careful. Stripping would also do it, but
stripping is almost trickier than plating itself, at times. Anyway,
here’s the book. I imagine others might post some other literature,
too…
I use Caswell’s set up for nickel plate. They have a good general
book for all their plating products that has served me well. Copper
does seem to be the best base. I have done steel, brass, copper and
recently enameled pieces. I am always amazed when I pull the pieces
out of the bath… it works!
Any questions let me know.
Take care
Greg