ATSMusic:
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First and biggest problem I have currently is a motorcycle axle I actually forgot about and when I realized it was in the plating solution I pulled it out rinsed it off and the plating got so thick the nut no longer fits it. Whats the best way to remove the zinc coating so that I can start over?
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Drop it in a 10-20% solution of Muriatic acid & water. The acid will dissolve the zinc. The zinc will bubble & fizz as it's dissolving. Pull the axle out as soon as all fizzing stops. DON"T FORGET to keep an eye on it this time
Although it's very slow, the acid will dissolve steel too, so pull it out ASAP & rinse good.
Silly question of my own now. Why do you want to plate an axle? Won't bearing fit be an issue?
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Second important question is that after noticing impurities in my solution I decided to filter it through some coffee filters, clean my tupperware and restore it all. When I filter the solution I'm getting a yellow sandy/very fine layer of particle on my filter. I'm almost sure this is the (Needed) zinc additive in the solution since it looks like what came in my original bottle. Is there another way to 'clean' the solution without using filters? I have read to do it through charcoal but what would I use other than a coffee filter?
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I've filtered my original solution 3 times and it still works good. I don't know what the sedimentation is, but it's not the zinc chloride. Filtering will remove brightener, perhaps it's that.
I first tried coffee filters, but they plugged up too quickly. I use an in-line charcoal water filter now. Plumbed up to fit my aquarium pump (normally used for agitation), and suspended directly over the plating tank, so the output returns to the tank. It takes a couple of hours for the solution to flow clear again, but no labor needed.
Sean