Rectifiers... and plating

[cash_75248]

I ran across your web site the other day and I am very excited. I'm goinf to probably buy a zinc plating kit. I have some limited experience with electronics so this might be a dumb question, but would a variable power supply (variable amps and volts) be ok to use as power or is there a need for a specific tool. I'm going to be plating old car parts and bolt, nuts, etc.

Also, would the kit come with info not rust removal or can I use a reverse version of the plating by using a bath of wath and trisodium phosphate and use the part as the negative lead and a secrificial anode as the positive lead. I was going to use a twelve volt battery charger/booster to run the electricity and wonder if that would be problematic for the plating proccess.

One other thing. I've got boat loads of nuts and bolts to plate. Can I plate these as a batch (and how do I do that) or do I have to do them one at a time?

-Thanks-
-Cash

[red911]

Hello,

I have been using the Copy Cad six gallon kit for over a year now and I have been very pleased. I am restoring old Porsches and wanted to get nuts and bolts looking like the yellow cad of olden days.

I have been very successful and pleased with the Caswell kit, support and results.

To take off the rust, I prefer the fine six inch wire wheels in a grinder. It takes a while, but the results are consistent.

I have learned a lot that I can pass on to you over the past year, such as the kit comes with two anodes (or, Zinc plating), and I used only one for my plating. Therefore, after a year, I am on the second anode. My advice, use two Anodes at the same time for more material transfer.

I use thin brass wire to hang the parts in the solution from the plating bar. Using the SP Degreaser, I dip them from the wire in this solution from the kit for cleaning off my fingerprints, then to the plating solution. I only plate one at a time with a three minute second timer on each side of the bolt. Then rinse them in water and then dip them for 30 seconds in the heated yellow chromate solution and hang for drying.

Secondly, I strongly recommend the manual. Caswell has an online manua now, so you can seek the latest data as it gets updated.

The manual details all the techniques of other rust removal techiques and the overall process.

I am still having a problem with larger parts, but as Mike Caswell says, just keep experimenting.

Have fun.

Tom