[KCV6]

LOL damn technology...

Yep plating is all in the preperation. as you are doing decorative tripple chrome, your end result should be excelent. No one does a chrome kit here in Aus with the exception of Caswell, but the price is very high due to the hazardous goods transport costs, so I have avoided it, stuck with NiCo for now. My wife already questions the amount I have spent. LOL but her taps are looking good.

I always use muriatic for copper/brass/steel/nickel activation an zinc stripping, so use extreme caution with pot metal items as it will etch them away real fast if the flash copper/ nickle strike coat has not fully covered. Good old pool acid mixed so you end out with 10% is the go. The sulphuric is only used for zinc activating and bright dip pre chromating (passivating).

I know caswell have real good pickles, but once again they are pricey to get here in Aus due to the transport costs.

I have been fortunate as far as power supplies go as I can borrow them from work if I need a high current rectifier. I also own a 0-30V 5A and a 3-15V 25A power supply. Caswell supply great instructions on a salt water rectifier for battery use. Basically two plates in a bucket of salt water. move the plates closer together, and you draw more current at the plating tank, further appart and the current is reduced. works well so long as you have a good multimeter to monitor the current.

I would only ever try controlling the current this way, or with a nice big high wattage wire wound rheostat (also on loan from work). have a look on ebay, you may be able to score a decent rheostat, just make sure it is high enough wattage for the amount of current you require.

Cheers, and let us know how it all goes

Mark