Date: 4/14/04 1960’s Penn 9/0 Fishing Reel Spool: (Chrome over copper base) 3 ¾”x 3 ½”.
1) Soaked part in White Distilled Vinegar (5% acid) to remove green corrosion from copper based chrome spool for approximately 24hrs.
2) Rinsed spool with hot tap water.
3) Cleaned spool with odorless paint thinner.
4) Cleaned spool with Acetone.
5) Scrubbed exposed copper where corrosion was and rest of existing chrome areas of entire spool with Comet bathroom powder cleanser, Scotch Guard Green abrasive pad, and hot tap water. Dried with clean paper towel.
6) Set-up Plug N’ Plate Copy Chrome wand and solution. Poured approximately 1/4oz of Copy Chrome solution in glass shot glass. Soaked wand cloth in full bottle of Copy Chrome for initial soaking and closed bottle from any spills. Placed black alligator clip (neg./ Cathode) to spool. Placed red alligator clip to wand (pos./ Anode). The Negative Cathode attracts metal from the Positive Anode.
7) Plugged in transformer.
Moved the wand (energized) with steady, continuous, stroke along spool @ approximately 1sq. inch per minute. As wand seems not to be plating anymore, dip back into ¼ oz. Copy Chrome solution in shot glass. Continue plating with continuous steady motion. DO NOT STOP IN ANY ONE PLACE, or you will burn part and see it get darker very quickly. Relocate black (Negative Cathode) around part so wand red (Positive Anode) doesn’t get too close and maybe touch (Short Transformer) or wires tangle.
9) Plated spool for approximately 45min. and made 4 passes around inside of spool over original copper base and original chrome. Some dark spots and hazing seemed to appear after 3rd pass.
10) Unplugged transformer, disconnected black (neg. Cathode) and red (pos. Anode) alligator clips. Placed wand with wet pad on shot glass.
11) Rinsed plated spool in hot tap water for 1 min. and dried gently with clean paper towel.
12) Success! Part accepted Copy Chrome plate directly to copper base.
13) Applied Turtle Wax 100% Pure Brazilian Carnauba wax to entire plated spool by hand using small circular motion.
14) Once wax was dry approximately 10min., wiped off plated spool again with circular motions by hand, continuously using cleaner parts of clean white 100% cotton rag. Noticed 70% of dark spotting and hazing came off, and all copper base areas on spool had a more of a nickel look than chrome. All copper base areas did accept Copy Chrome plate.
15) Applied “Blue Coral” Clearcoat Polishing Compound using small circular motions to entire spool, and let dry for 15mins.
16) Removed Clearcoat polishing compound with small circular motions by hand from spool continuously using cleaner parts of clean white 100% cotton rag. Noticed about 20% more dark spotting and hazing came off.
17) Final Result: Approximately 90% of dark spotting and hazing came off with polishing. Spool does look a little darker after plating onto original copper base and over original chrome areas with Copy Chrome plate, possibly from heat? Original copper base areas seem more like nickel plate than chrome. Reel spool does look better than before and even though plated, the plating does show where the corrosion once was. Will try next time with 1st) Chrome Stripper solution, 2nd) A layer of Flash Copper onto original copper base, 3rd) Polish, 4th) A layer with Copy Chrome plate, 5th) Polish.[/size][/size][/size][/size]