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Tool Talk Discussion Forum

Somewhat OT copper plating

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bhb

03-20-2006 15:43:41




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Has anyone used a plating system from Caswell Plating Systems? I bought a system from them several years ago and didn't have a chance to use it much. I am trying to plate small items such as bolts and metal less then 5 sq. inchs. The system requires that a strike coat of nickle is applied, then acid coppper plated. The problem that I am having is the copper will not bond to the nickle. An air hose will blow it off or I can scrape it off with my finger nail. I have call them about this problem and all they say is the metal needs to be cleaner. I have brushed it with lacquer thinner, soaked it in electro cleaner, put electric through the electro cleaner and rinsed it with distilled water from a spay bottle. I don't see how it could be cleaner. The copper solution is copper sulfate with distilled water and battery acid. Could the acid be weak, using a hydrometer it reads the same as a dead battery when sampled. The mixture has set for several years. Can anyone offer help or advice? All the time I have spent trying to get this thing to work I could have made enough money flipping burgers to pay to have it plated and maybe had some money left over to buy gas for the Harley. Thank you, Bill

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chris cogburn

03-22-2006 08:10:10




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 Re: Somewhat OT copper plating in reply to bhb, 03-20-2006 15:43:41  
I'm pretty sure the copper needs to go on first. Chrome plating on steel (or whatever) is done in three steps: copper plating first, then nickel, then chrome. Nickel doesn't bond well with steel, but copper does. Ditto chrome to copper, hence the three steps. If you ever see a good-sized flake of chrome plating from a car bumper or something, the underside is copper-colored. Of course surface prep is the MOST important step of ANY coating process, be it paint or powder or plating or whatever. Base material must be CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN. But if you have a plating rig you knew that already.

Good Luck!

c.

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Dr.EVIL

03-22-2006 07:54:21




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 Re: Somewhat OT copper plating in reply to bhb, 03-20-2006 15:43:41  
Not sure what base metal Your trying to plate but I think You have to plate the copper FIRST, then the nickel. At least that's how everything I've ever heard about is plated. Only exception was when I was having 99.9+% pure nickel hard chrome plated.



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Scott#3

03-21-2006 09:50:33




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 Re: Somewhat OT copper plating in reply to bhb, 03-20-2006 15:43:41  
Even commercial acid copper baths are lousy at best, are you using sulfuric acid or spent battery acid? Does the nickel peel as well? The nickel needs to be active prior to Cu plate.
Make sure all of the cleaners you used are fully removed, organics or residual caustic will be a problem, then activate with a weak HCL solution. Make up a fresh copper solution with clean acid and try it. Small amounts of impurities cause big problems in plating.

Scott

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ErnieDD

03-20-2006 17:33:36




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 Re: Somewhat OT copper plating in reply to bhb, 03-20-2006 15:43:41  
Dead battery acid is very weak. Try some new acid.



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