Does copper wire react with Zincated Aluminum??

[krsimulis]

I hung my part with that I had dipped in the zincate solution with a copper wire. When it was done, it was not plated wherever the copper wire touched the part. This included a place that I touched the wire to the part before I submersed it into the plating solution. I dipped the copper wire in the zincate solution with the part, and the copper wire came off with chrome crystals. I also got this coppery looking film on the plate around where the copper wire was. It buffs off though. I want to use aluminum wire, but I don't know if there is a problem with that.
I don't know if I should take my solution to the charcoal again, I already filtered it.
thanks,
Kenny

[bhhodges]

I dipped the copper wire in the zincate solution with the part, and the copper wire came off with chrome crystals

im not clear--- how did the wire come out of the zincate with chrome crystals on it?? it also looks to me like from the previous picture your plating with to many amps.


bill

[krsimulis]

I was told that before about plating with too many amps, but I constantly test the amperage when plating. and the plating does look good except for the coppery looking coating that buffs off. I am an electrical engineer, and getting a proper current is the one thing I am pretty sure of.

When I dipped the part into the zincate to coat the aluminum part, I dipped it in there with it hanging from a copper wire. I used the same wire to hang the part from in the plating solution. So I guess you could say I zincated the copper wire the same way I did the aluminum piece I was trying to chrome.

After an hour, I took it out of the plating solution, the copper wire had was chromed, but was flaking off. The chrome flakes on the wire was what I called crystals. It was like it tried to plate the copper wire, but nothing stuck, and I could wipe the chrome flakes off the wire with my fingers.

Hope that clears things up. I don't know what happens to copper when you dip it in zincate, probably isn't good. And I can't tell if there was some kind of reaction between the copper and zincate with the aluminum

When I need 1 amp, I use 250 milliamp bulbs, but when I check my current, it shows I am pulling less. So I add more until my meter shows the current I need, not always what the bulbs show. Don't know if that is a problem.
thanks alot,
kenny