Cleaning Fine screen

[somnambulant]

The base metal my part is steel. I do not know the exact surface area because it is a 1inch by 2 inch screen or mesh made of wire that is smaller than 24 gage. I would like to use this process on 6x6in screen if I can get it down. I am building a hydrogen fuel cell for a school project. I am using various plating solutions.
The process I put the 1inch by 2 inch test screen through is:
Wash with acetone.
Burr with 100 grit sand paper.
Re-wash with acetone.
I am using as an RSR DC power supply model HY 3005
Electroclean anodically with Midas electrocleaning solution at 10 volts and .21 milli-Amps. 83C (150F) for 30 to 45 sec. Carbon cartridge cathode and screen anode.
Dip in deionized water.
Dip into Midas acid (NaHF2) dip for 30 sec.
Dip in deionized water.
Dip in Midas (Alkali/Basic) non-cyanide copper plating solution at 2 volts and .21 milli-Amps. 72C (130F) for 30 sec. 200 gram 2X2 inch Hanau Copper anode and screen cathode.
Dip in deionized water.
Dip into Midas acid (NaHF2) dip for 30 sec.
Dip in deionized water.
Dip in Midas (boric acid) bright nickel plating solution at 2 volts and .21 milli-Amps. 77C (140F) for 5 min.
Dip in deionized water. 80 gram 4X2 inch Nickel anode and screen cathode.
Dip into Midas acid (NaHF2) dip for 30 sec.
Dip in deionized water.
Dip in Midas non/low-cyanide gold plating solution at 3 volts and 50C (90F) for 3 min.
Dip in deionized water. 1 oz flattened Gold coin anode and screen cathode.
Place in plastic zip-lock bag to see if rust will form. What went wrong is that rust is forming in my parts. It’s less than it used to be, but it is still forming after about 3 to 4 hours.

[somnambulant]

Tech Support From Casswell

You are now chatting with Cindy Murphy (Sales (Pre-Sales Questions))

Cindy Murphy: Chanin, how can I help you?
Chanin King: The base metal my part is steel. I do not know the exact surface area because it is a 1inch by 2 inch screen or mesh made of wire that is smaller than 24 gage. I would like to use this process on 6x6in screen if I can get it down. I am building a hydrogen fuel cell for a school project. I am using various plating solutions.
The process I put the 1inch by 2 inch test screen through is:
Wash with acetone.
Burr with 100 grit sand paper.
Re-wash with acetone.
I am using as an RSR DC power supply model HY 3005
Electroclean anodically for 30 sec and cathodically for 10 sec with Midas electrocleaning solution at 10 volts and .21 milli-Amps. 83C (150F) for 30 to 45 sec. Carbon cartridge cathode and screen anode.
Dip in deionized water.
Dip into Midas acid (NaHF2) dip for 30 sec.
Dip in deionized water.
Dip in Midas (Alkali/Basic) non-cyanide copper plating solution at 2 volts and .21 milli-Amps. 72C (130F) for 30 sec. 200 gram 2X2 inch Hanau Copper anode and screen cathode.
Dip in deionized water.
Dip into Midas acid (NaHF2) dip for 30 sec.
Dip in deionized water.
Dip in Midas (boric acid) bright nickel plating solution at 2 volts and .21 milli-Amps. 77C (140F) for 5 min.
Dip in deionized water. 80 gram 4X2 inch Nickel anode and screen cathode.
Dip into Midas acid (NaHF2) dip for 30 sec.
Dip in deionized water.
Dip in Midas non/low-cyanide gold plating solution at 3 volts and 50C (90F) for 3 min.
Dip in deionized water. 1 oz flattened Gold coin anode and screen cathode.
Place in plastic zip-lock bag to see if rust will form. What went wrong is that rust is forming in my parts. It’s less than it used to be, but it is still forming after about 3 to 4 hours.
Chanin King: There is still paint inside the mesh in some parts, but the rust is forming other placesas well. baybeI just can't see the paint or iol there. do you have a solution that will disolve/clean the screen well enough to plate properly?
Cindy Murphy: Give me a second to check with our tech guy.
Cindy Murphy: Can you start at the beginning, what is the mesh that your talking about? If this is something you are trying to plate, I think all the paint should have been stripped off prior to plating.
Chanin King: This is steel wire woven into a screen (about the size of window screen) I purchased it from Mc Master-Carr. It has small dabs of paint every so often to mark or measure is as it's manufactured I guess. It also has cutting oil on it form the manufacturing process. I remove the oil with acetone and then electroclean it to get what the acetone and sandong won't.
Chanin King: Sorry, yes I am trying to plate the screen.
Cindy Murphy: I am going to transfer you to Craige, I don't know much about plating.
Cindy Murphy: Chanin King: There is still paint inside the mesh in some parts, but the rust is forming other placesas well. baybeI just can't see the paint or iol there. do you have a solution that will disolve/clean the screen well enough to plate properly? Cindy Murphy: Give me a second to check with our tech guy. Cindy Murphy: Can you start at the beginning, what is the mesh that your talking about? If this is something you are trying to plate, I think all the paint should have been stripped off prior to plating. Chanin King: This is steel wire woven into a screen (about the size of window screen) I purchased it from Mc Master-Carr. It has small dabs of paint every so often to mark or measure is as it's manufactured I guess. It also has cutting oil on it form the manufacturing process. I remove the oil with acetone and then electroclean it to get what the acetone and sandong won't. Chanin King: Sorry, yes I am trying to plate the screen.
Chanin King: OK
Cindy Murphy: Chanin King: There is still paint inside the mesh in some parts, but the rust is forming other placesas well. baybeI just can't see the paint or iol there. do you have a solution that will disolve/clean the screen well enough to plate properly? Cindy Murphy: Give me a second to check with our tech guy. Cindy Murphy: Can you start at the beginning, what is the mesh that your talking about? If this is something you are trying to plate, I think all the paint should have been stripped off prior to plating. Chanin King: This is steel wire woven into a screen (about the size of window screen) I purchased it from Mc Master-Carr. It has small dabs of paint every so often to mark or measure is as it's manufactured I guess. It also has cutting oil on it form the manufacturing process. I remove the oil with acetone and then electroclean it to get what the acetone and sandong won't. Chanin King: Sorry, yes I am trying to plate the screen
Cindy Murphy has left the chat conversation

Craige Brooks: I would suggest using a paint stripper to remove the existing paint, then we have a product ER1 Evapo-Rust 1 Gallon $24.99 to remove the rust
Chanin King: The rust is forming after I have plated it with copper, then nickel, then gold. I don't want to put anything on the screen electrode that will foul my fuel cell. It needs to be clean to opperate properly. Also on half of these screens I will be plating platinum.
Craige Brooks: the rust must be bleeding through the layers of plating. How long are you plating the parts for, copper? nickel?
Chanin King: Is this Evapo-Rust something that is ysed after electrocleaning?
Craige Brooks: usually before
Chanin King: copper 30 sec nickel 3 min
Craige Brooks: this is the problem
Craige Brooks: you should plate the copper for 2-3 minutes or longer then nickel plate for at least 15 minutes minimum
Chanin King: Really? the solutions recomend: Alkaline copper 20 - 30 sec, Boric acid nickel 1 -5 min. I suppose it cant hurt to plate them longer.
Craige Brooks: you need to increase the time for a good plate
Chanin King: Ok I'll try that. Do you still think the Evapo-Rust something that is still warrented?
Craige Brooks: if you clean the part thoroughly and increase the plating times there should not be a problem. Once the screen is clean I would process immediately to prevent the possibility of oxidization
Chanin King: Thankyou.
Craige Brooks: you are welcome, have a great day

Craige Brooks has left the chat conversation