[adamthomas]

Thanks for the reply Sean. I'm just attempting to plate nuts and bolts and some small bracketry at this time, nothing a 25 amp plater shouldn't be able to handle.

I'm using the new Caswell Copy Cad/Zinc formula so I"m shooting for 140ma/sq in., and running the bath temp at ~110F. I purchased the 1.5gal kit so I have 2-4x8 zinc anodes that are ~9" apart when in place, which puts the parts ~4.5" from each one when centered in the bath.

The largest thing I have tried to plate so far was no more than 4 sq in(big M20 x 30mm bolt). My results obviously vary depending on the voltage I set initially. Fun thing is that I have to set the voltage using the dial and voltmeter before completing the circuit, or I get nothing. Once the circuit is completed, the voltmeter shows the voltage drop across the circuit, and the ammeter moves slightly above 0. Not sure what this is supposed to indicate. Attempting to adjust the voltage dial once the circuit has been completed does nothing. The primary issue is that I have no idea what's actually going on since both gauges are reading < 1 amp or volt, and no way of determining what voltage should be applied to being with. Not having the ability to vary the voltage once plating starts is also a pain.

I can't be the only one who has come up against this.