which kit to choose please

[smokeyone]

After cleaning up a steam fitting with 50 years of baked on paint I find that most of the parts are either brass, copper or bronze. However there are a few parts made of steel which I have now polished up with 800 emery paper.
The steel parts are a few brackets about 8" long plus a steel disc around 8" in diameter by half an inch thick (much like a brake disc).

I am just going to have the assembly as an ornament in future but rather than paint the steel parts again I was thinking of nickel plating them. Unless I coat them with oil they will soon rust in any event.

Just opions wanted please as to the best choice of finish - chrome would be out of keeping and zinc needs a rough surface (not after all my polishing).

Thanks very much

[KCV6]

Zinc is still the cheapest finish and will go over a polished surface with no problems at all. The final Zinc layer will polish up nicely as a decorative finish without the addition of a chromate finish. It will keep this finish if not handled or subjected to the outside elements. You just need to be careful not to cut through the coating during final polish as Zinc is very soft.

Copy chrome is great as a decorative finish especially if the item is to be kept inside.

Possibly a polished and lacquered copper finish to go with the brass? I have used flash copper for this very reason on an old Kerosene lantern for a work colleague. The trick is to get a good mirror polish on the steel first then flash copper for 15 mins to half an hour followed by a hand polish. I always lacquer my "decorative" parts with clear 2 pac polyurethane. One of the aerosol clear coats will work fine as not everyone has access to a spray booth for use with 2 pac paints.

Hope some of these ideas help.

Cheers... Mark

[smokeyone]

Thanks very much for the ideas. I always thought a zinc finish would need a rough surface to adhere - but your flash copper thought is good.
So I would nickel plate first and then go over the nickel with a copper kit !

Good idea about the aerosol varnish clear coat as even indoors the metal would tarnish over a period of time.

Cheers

[KCV6]

Not quite with the copper. Flash copper is brilliant stuff as it doesn't require a strike coat to go over most conductive metals. Flash copper will go straight over the steel item and it's bond is brilliant so long as all the correct cleaning and activating steps are carried out. The next step would be nickel over the highly polished copper if a chrome like finish is whats desired.

Cheers... Mark

[smokeyone]

Thanks again -
I have my shines muddled up - so nickel would be almost like chrome which I think might be a bit bright.
Please could you explain a little more about flash copper -

[KCV6]

Flash copper is an Alkaline copper plating system that will bond to copper, brass, steel, Zinc diecast (pot metal) and zincated Aluminium. For most of us low run "hobby platers" it's ideal as it is very forgiving. The finish is extremely fine grained. If the part to be plated is ground back of defects and highly polished (all the hard work done up front) the copper plated finish can be lightly hand buffed to give a perfect mirror copper finish. The only real downside is it is slow to build when compared with Acid Copper, hence my recommendation to do all the hard work up front. It is without a doubt next to zinc, the easiest system I have used. I have run my flash copper bath for over 2 years now with the only maintenance being a run through a cloth filter every 6 months to remove dust solids that have made their way into the tank.

Take a look here Caswell Inc. - Flash Copper™ Plating Kit

Cheers.... Mark

[smokeyone]

I think flash copper could be the kit for me. Thank you for all the information.
Although the project I have in mind will be for indoors how does flash copper stand up to the outside world - will it keep rust at bay for a few years.
Cheers

[KCV6]

Provided the parts are corrosion free to start with and de-greased, activated and scrubbed immediately prior to plating, the finish will be extremely corrosion resistant. As with all electroplating, the finished item is all about the preparation and cleaning up front.

The ultimate corrosion protection would be to flash a thin coat of zinc onto the item, rinse it and immediately flash copper it. The zinc will then do what zinc is best at and be a sacrificial layer to corrosion sealed between the steel item and the flash copper finish.

The one thing I did forget to mention and another reason I am such a fan of the flash copper is its ability to throw into all (current density) areas, even on complex parts with threads, without the hastles of complex anode setups and robbers. Acid copper and nickel simply won't do this. Flash copper will throw onto the inside of pipes no problems at all.

Cheers... Mark

[smokeyone]

Thanks very much for all your advice - I do appreciate it. Going by what you have advised Flash Copper would be fine for steel indoors and possibily outdoors as well but for something like car parts it might be wise to put a zince layer underneath for added protection.........
Cannot wait to make a start..............................