[-ego-]

The kit arrived as expected. I set everything up and gave it a go. However, like any beginner I haven't quite perfected the process. I can get a dull shine but nothing perfectly smooth like the chrome plated one on the very right of the 3 lugs pictured below.

If I understand correctly the copper is supposed to be shiny as the copy chrome will only be as shiny as the finish underneath it. I think this is part of my problem. I can get the copper to stick and look smooth with no blisters but its not shiny. I buffed the lug to a mirror shine and then degreased it, rinsed it, put it in the zincate for 30 seconds to get an even grey color, and then shake excess zincate off and then strait into the copper bath. I get a peice that looks like the one on the very left of the picture posted below.

I have never plated with the flash copper before nor any plating really so I'm not sure if that is what it is supposed to look like or if it should have a mirror shine on it before the copy chrome.

The lug in the middle is a pic of the copy chrome over a lug that was plated copper like the one shown in the pic. If you look closely its not as shiny and does not reflect as much as the chrome lug on the right.

If anybody has any suggestions please advise. We calculated the lug to be about 4 sqaure inches. The diameter of the base of the lug is 7/8". I was using .28 amps with the 3amp rectifier that caswell sells.