Plating Problem grey finish from chrome plating

[tshirah]

Ok here goes my first question, I have the 3.5 gal triple plate chrome kit. I plated yesterday for my first time! I was able to plate a very good nickel plate onto 1/2 copper tubes, actually this went pretty easy for me so I moved to copper, which was actully prettty good, i got the pink salmon color. At that time I tried a plain copper tube into the chrome, results were fine for not having any nickel on the tube. the chrome plating was reflective but not as shiney as it could be with the nickel underneath. He is where the question comes, I started the triple plate process on my first copper tube for my first complete process. With saying that, the copper and nickel came out just as decribsed above. The problem was when i tried to plate the chrome. I had correct amp 21 sq inches = 21 amps ( I had 21.3 amps) temperature was 113 respectfully, the tube stayed in the bath for 3 mins, when I removed the tube it was a milky grey color, I was just wondering what I did wrong? Should Chrome plating come out shiney? I did rinse, polish ,degrease, and water break after each stage. It just sucks to have a beatiful nickel shiney plate an ruin it... any help would be appericated!

[fxstcguy98]

If your chrome is a grey that usually means you burned it. It might buff out but if it doesn't strip the chrome off using 50/50 muratic/water, Activate the nickle in 10 to 20% sulfuric and chrome plate it again. Go over your surface area calcs and make sure they are right. If that is OK, then you may need to put robbers near the high current density areas (edges and high spots). One other thing, let the part sit dead (no current) in the chrome for a minute or two before applying power. Hope this helps.

[fly]

When I plate in the chrome tank I like to look at my volts instead of the amps, just a little trick I learned from a plater. My 300 amp rect. has a 8 volt meter, I take the the volts to about 7.5 for (5) sec. and then drop down to 5.5 for 1 min. and if the parts are small I hang a dumy piece on the rack to take some of the current. The reason for going to 7.5 for 5 sec. is to make sure the whole piece gets covered, because the first 5 sec. is when it gets its plating, the last few sec. is just plating over what you plated in the first 5 sec. of plating.