Best Way To Prep & Plate Nuts & Bolts

[seanc]

Woody:

This may sound dumb, but how do you ensure that the SS rod or butter knife is in contact with all the parts all the time?

Well, those are the "kinks" I haven't worked out entirely. Particularly a mounting which would hold the rod in just the right position all the time. It really needs to be spring loaded so it can shift position with the parts as they tumble.

Some large commercial plating barrels use this method. They call it a "dangler". Some danglers are large balls which simply ride on top of the parts pile. Others are thin rods which get surrounded by the parts. Of course, they are complicated devices using slip rings for electrical contact, while I'm trying to keep it simple. The tradeoffs aren't as easy to overcome as I figured.

Does it just touch one, and they then touch each other?

Exactly.

Don't know how well this would work for nickle or copper. The current in zinc is fairly low, so it passes through the parts easily.

Sean

[overcashier]

You might try the motors they use for making fishing rods. I built a rod making set up and the little motor seems as though it would have enough torque and turns pretty slow. I think it would turn your plastic basket.
Greg

[seanc]

Greg:

You might try the motors they use for making fishing rods.

I'm not familiar with making fishing rods. Sounds interesting.

However, I have the ideal motor now: barbeque rotisserie motor. They turn at just the right speed, 4 RPM, have gobs of torque, and are designed for continuous use.

I have it set up for motorized use now, but still haven't quite got a fool-proof electrical connection to the parts, so haven't posted an update. When I figure that out, I'll be posting a full update.

Thanks for the tip though!

Sean

[seanc]

It's been a long road, but I finally have a functional motorized barrel plating setup:

Plating Barrel

It's not perfect, and I continue to investigate improvements, but if you can adapt the design to your own needs, go for it & post the results!

Sean

[seanc]

My plating pages have moved, but can't edit my previous post. New location:

Plating Barrel