Nickel Stripping and Plating

[AllAlloyCup]

I've started to gather together all the little parts
That I Had to get ready for nickel
Plating.

Feeling brave I ordered a cheap nickel stripping kit (£16)and a cheaper 
polishing kit £5.

Spent an hour! Setting up and stripping all the parts in the photo using the
Chemicals provided, plus using my battery charger.

Two hours later they are now all polished and ready for plating.

So also Ordered the plating kit today ! 

Once I get that set up and working will post the results.

This system from Classic Plating Ltd could do
At least 5 batches this size.



Now to strip the chrome bits with the chrome stripping kit before 
I nickel plate those.

Plan to do door handles, wiper motor, bonnet catches too. Just a pity the rad shell is too big
But you never know! 

No waiting for weeks to get your plating back and worrying if they'll lose your best bitregards
Bill G

[Ritchie Wilson]

How do you dispose of the used solution?

[AllAlloyCup]

How do you dispose of the used solution?

It's only a 5 litre tub of ammonium chloride...

I live next to the North Sea.....

Bill G

[AllAlloyCup]

AllAlloyCup pid='1362' dateline='1504867381']

How do you dispose of the used solution?

It's only a 5 litre tub of ammonium chloride...

I live next to the North Sea.....

Bill G

Spent a few hours today , stripping the Chrome parts that 
I wanted to convert to Nickel bits today. For some parts this 
meant a second go in the nickel stripper solution.

The chrome stripping involved caustic soda so more care 
Needs to be taken. The Chrome is definitely harder to strip
And takes twice as long as nickel. Then some nickel stripping where 
The parts had been nickelled as a base plating.
See before and after photos below. Still to polish though and deep clean before  starting
To Bright nickel plate with the kit that came today.

[Ruairidh Dunford]

I am watching this thread with interest - thanks for sharing Bill.

[AllAlloyCup]

  FullSizeRender.jpg (Size: 117.88 KB / Downloads: 706) Nickel plating kit contents:

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[AllAlloyCup]

Nickel plating kit contents

Large amounts of nickel and pretty poisonous
Looking coloured chemicals.

The aquarium heater is to heat the electrolyte.
The resistance wire gadget is to act as a current controller.

Well supplied with safety sheets and protective gear!

Plating here we come... but not today I must have got poisoned
Yesterday as I have a tummy bug today!

  FullSizeRender.jpg (Size: 195.74 KB / Downloads: 652)

[AllAlloyCup]

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A week later I've finished the stripping and polishing plus
Nickel plated a great variety of parts , mostly for my GE Cup special.

The Lucas side marker lamps came up extremely well,
As well as the mirror and instrument rims.

I plated about 4 items at a time, takingperhaps
15-20 mins, mostly on the 6v setting on my battery charger.

This was a bright nickel kit and I used a fine scotchbrite pad
to knock back the glossy look.  Steel wool would also do .

My Screen and Rad shell will have to go to the Platers though.

Total cost of home plating exercise £90, but easily enough 
chemicals left to do another batch of similar size x 3 !!

The only difficulty was with two mazak handles that I had
Sanded . I think copper plating first would sort that base metal.

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Here are the messy bits
The orange tub is for rinsing .
The one with the bus bar is the plating tank.

The other two are for a caustic dip and an acid dip.

Two other tubs were used for the electto stripping
Solutions for Chrome and Nickel

[Ruairidh Dunford]

Nice work Bill!

[Special Bits]

Excellent results!

If its the same company, Classic Plating are based in Teignmouth, Devon, where I live. I popped in a few weeks ago to have a chat and found the owner extremely helpful and knowledgeable. an interesting aside to our conversation was that they do a Cadmium Nickel anode, which gives a more chrome like look, and is apparently considerably tougher than pure nickel.

I shall be attempting to plate some parts for the Grasshopper in the next few months, including the windscreen frame and the Radiator cowl, once we have a metal one. Obviously the amount of electrolyte required will be considerably more, but even so the cost of DIY plating is still considerably less than sending it away to be done.