Peter:
We need more info. You say everything is just right, but haven't given us any numbers to go by, so all we can do it guess.
- How big is your part?
- How much current are you putting into it?
- Are you using original or new formula electrolyte? They DO use different temps & currents.
- Are you using the "brightener"
You haven't mentioned brightener at all, so I assume you are not using it. In this case, parts will
always come out dull gray. You have to acid-dip them afterwards to get the silver white color.
You say acid dip doesn't work. What kind of acid, and at what % concentration?
What are you expecting it to look like? If you want a bright silver reflective surface, like commercial nuts & bolts, you need to use either brightener, or chromate. Without either of those, you'll always get a "matte" finish.
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A fine grey foam grows around the piece and the wire it is hanging from
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That's a good indication that it is indeed plating.
To confirm, throw the part into a 5-10% muriatic acid solution. Within 5-10 minutes it should be fizzing away, stripping off the zinc. If it does NOT fizz, then it did not plate.
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There are now some pieces of this foam (looks like miniature lava) floating in the tank.
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That's an indication of insufficiently clean part.
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I adjusted the voltage to around 1.5 volts
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Ignore the voltage, adjust only the current.
Sean