Electroles Copy Krome looks like nickel

[tbloss001]

Strange problem.
I have small brass items I wish to electroless copy krome. (about 2 inches square)
I want a good, resistant finish, so I keep it in the solution for 15 minutes.
It comes out looking like all I did was just electroless nickel plate it. No blue tint at all, just the yellow hue of nickel.

However, if I only keep it in the electroless solution for FIVE minutes, it comes out looking just like hard chrome with the blue tint I'm looking for.

Any ideas?

[mcaswell]

Is this problem reproducable? Have you replenished the solution? How often? Have you kept track of your nickel credits? How many credits did you have when it looks chrome like; how many when it looks like nickel?

Guys, this is why we NEED you to post this stuff in our support system. We simply can't keep track of it all in this public forum...this forum software is not designed to track these sorts of issues. PRS is.

Please, help us, help you!!

[tbloss001]

I've only used the system three times and it's done the same thing each time. I'll probably use it again this weekend, but I'm thinking of making a fresh batch of solution.

I'll post on this thread again with the results.

[tbloss001]

Nuts.
Same thing, only even briefly dipping it did not give me the "chrome" look I was hoping for. Just the yellow of nickel.

I even made a fresh batch and used a different container (pyrex) and still get the same results.

I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

I polish the old nickel to a high shine.
I wipe it down with acetone, then distilled water.
I then pop it into a crock-pot with a 30% Sodium Hydroxide mixture @ 150 degrees.
I then take it out, rinse with distilled, wipe down with battery acid to activate the old nickel, rinse with water again, and then drop it into the electroless copy krome that is on the hotplate, set just below boiling.

I'm at a complete loss.

[mcaswell]

It's probably a reaction of the underlying brass. If you can 'double' plate it, I think you'll find the second layer will be bluer.

[tbloss001]

I gave up on the electroless copy krome and just bought the "plug n plate" copy krome kit. The brush plating kit worked perfectly, first time out. I'll just use what's left of my old electroless krome kit for electroless nickel plating.