new flash&acid copper plating job/burn through

[jjones9620]

When plating steel with flash copper followed by acid copper, and while sanding this latter plate to fill minor imperfections, if you reach through to the bare steel again is the correct method to remedy this to return part to the flash copper and then once again to the acid copper?

[bhhodges]

you answered your own question


bill

[dadkar2]

I have become a big fan of sticking with flash copper for ALL plating on steel. On other less sensitive substrates, acid copper is great. IF there are any small pin holes in the flash copper, the acid copper attacks the steel and you end up with little corrosion specks at those sites. It's not worth the hassle. I use acid copper for smoothing out brass but I avoid using it with steel even after flash copper.

The trade off is it takes longer, but the results are worth it.

Interestingly, the original manufacturer of Caswell's flash copper formulation advertises it as a substitute for cyanide copper and acid copper! It works just fine but takes more time.

Ken