Hello Seth,
Fist to address the sulfuric acid issue. The solution Caswell recommends will work fine. 50/50 would work, but the stronger formulation will do the job great.
Second, I would stay far, far away from the cyanide formulations. It is just too easy to make a mistake resulting in cyanide gas formation. And by the time you realize it, it's too late. You've suffered serious side effects. Using an acid pickle before the cyanide bath is certain disaster. So you end up using cyanide from the beginning of the process to the end. It's too risky.
You can't use acid copper directly over steel, so forget that. Recommendation: Caswell Flash Copper. This is the best non-cyanide copper out there. In many ways it works better than cyanide.
Caswell's Nickel Plate with the new brightener: It's amazing stuff. It eliminates the need for a 2-step nickel process. I would buy anything to get the results I need and I'd pick the Caswell nickel any day. They are professional grade in every way and they work. Caswell's the way to go.
Kind regards,
Ken
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