Chrome kit sizing question

[dagobert]

Hi. I wound up getting a good deal on a 0-15 volt, 0-50 Amp power supplyand now I'm tryin to decide which size of triple chrome kit to order. I understand that the upper limits of my power supply for chroming will limit me to about 50 square inches max, right? But what I didn't understand from the pick-a-kit helper was which gallon size kit would match that amount of square inches. I don't want to buy a kit that's too small to make use of the power available, but I don't want to spend money on capacity I don't have the power for, either.

Also, if I should run across a deal on a 250 Amp power supply later on, is it possible to just order the supplies to match the then-increased capacity?

And finally, one last question about capacity. I remember in the online manual about how to set up the long tube-type bath for doing long, thin parts by passing them through it. Could a similar set-up be done for chroming motorcycle solid wheels, by plating them and then rotating the wheel in the bath 1/4 turn at a time, then polishing it together afterwards?
Thanks again.

[mcaswell]

Your power supply is right in no-mans land. Too big to plate the very small stuff (no control in the low amps range) and not enough to do large chrome plating. A 4.5 gal chrome kit will plate 100-200 sq" - no problem, so your unit is actually underpowered for even that kit when it comes to chrome.

Still, you could supplement it by using one of our new 3 amp digital power supplies ( a snip @ $95) and then use the nichrome wire principal for stuff over 50 sq"

Don't think the nichrome wire principal is tacky, it might look it, but its VERY effective- and costs $10!!!!!!!!

I doubt you'd have too much good luck with the wheels idea! But then, our customers are pretty ingenious!!!!

[dagobert]

I went through my copy of the online manual I subscribed to, and I didn't find the nichrome wire part in the power supply section. Am I looking in the wrong place, or can you give me a page number in the manual or maybe a description of what you are talking about, and would it work without damaging the power supply? Thanks.

[mtlgd]

I don't have the on-line manual subscription, but in the printed version, its on page 24. Right after the section on "Power Source".
BTW for any of you who might know. Is the printed manual the same information as the On-line manual? Or is the on-line version updated?

[dagobert]

Hmm, that's odd. My online version's page 24 had Ohm's Law and a series of formulas for figuring out electrical Amps, Volts, Resistance, Watts, etc. but no mention of nichrome wire. Caswell's moderator, is there a difference between the printed and online manuals?

[mcaswell]

I HAD updated the online manual with this info, but it disappeared. I put it up again this evening. It's right at the bottom of the page.

[dagobert]

Got it and read it over. Thank you. It looks like that could do the trick for larger items, especially on something like motorcycle wheels, where there would be a consistent size of item to be plated once the set-up was done. Now to just get the rest of my cash together...

One other question on this subject- the manual doesn't say; should I use the Nichrome 60, Nichrome 80, or Nichrome 80 stranded? All three come in 18 gauge.

[mcaswell]

We used 80, but the alloys are so close, it shouldn't matter.