Rinsing Process

[BryanD]

Don't buy from hobbyplating.com


I have noticed that in a lot of commercial setups that instead of actually running a part under water they just dip it in a tank of fresh water. Is this what we should be doing? Would it work as effectively? Pros and cons?



Don't buy from hobbyplating.com

[mcaswell]

That's what we recommend also...highly.

If you have a rinse tank for each process, you can use the rinse water to top up any evaporation from the corresponding tank. This creates a zero waste water system.

[loctite]

I plan on having a bucket for each rinse on the triple chrome kit. Also I will top off the plating buckets with this water does the rinse water need to be distilled or tap water?

[dadkar2]

I have found that what works best is distilled water throughout. When you consider how many times you will immerse a part just rinsed, still wet, passing waterbreak (hopefully), into your plating solution, whatever's in that rinse tank will end up in the plating tank. The pro's call this "drag in." It is unavoidable.

You don't want tap water in the plating solutions.

I use two rinse tanks after cleaning and two after the pickle tank, but only one after the plating. I rotate the pre-plate tanks so I only have to replace one at a time. I use the top off technique described above. No plating solution goes down the drain. The system I have is 2/3 of the triple chrome; that is, I don't use the chrome step. But everything else is exactly the same. I'm getting results that are 100% and the solutions last through 100's of parts.

Ken

[loctite]

Thanks Ken. That is what I thought. Keep the tanks clean of tap water. The manual sez rinse with fresh water not distilled water. It makes sense to keep all tap water out of the tanks.

[dadkar2]

You're welcome.

One more thought. If you are rinsing in order to transfer an item from one plating tank directly into another, beware! In this case, you might want to use two rinse tanks, and keep the second tank clean all the time! The last thing you want is copper in your nickel tank, etc.

Alternatively, after the first rinse, use Caswell's spray bottle idea (distilled of course) but spray and rinse well. Drip into the rinse tank so you don't pollute.

Regards,
Ken

[bhhodges]

rinse tanks are almost as important as your plating tanks but not quite. use distilled water thruout and your nickel and copper risnes can be used to top off your plating tanks.

bill