Got my old plating setup back up and running after 10 years

[AshimotoK0]

With great reluctance  have had to start home BZP plating again, as Allenchrome won't do small batches anymore GRR ! 

So gone are the days when I dropped a batch off ..bought Cathy lunch ... picked them  up a month later all nice any shiny  ... bought Cathy lunch again ... Oh sh*t that plating was whatever plus at least £70 ..so no so cheap. 

Anywhere here is my setup in action again in the two video links. Working well but a load of faffing about prepping the parts.

Gone back to Gateros chemicals again after a disastrous attempt and tons of emails trying to use YouPlate's ready mixed stuff. GRR ! again 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/kqenhb4a6najypa/AAAtZmhLZN3FO2e1ow3ufqBca?dl=0

[paul G]

Ash,
            John street platers in Sheffield drop off Monday pick up Wednesday.

[AshimotoK0]

Cathy reminded me that so called  'NORMAL' people have clothes hanging on their washing line to dry 

[Laverda Dave]

Nice finish there Ash.
What are your business opening times, I'll drop some items off when you are next open. Any discount for a large batch 😉

[Lobo]

Cunning set-up Ash, particularly like the carbon brush addition in preference to some agitation pump. Very clever…

[Lobo]

A general question…. How do you get the ‘difficult bits’ spotlessly clean for the plating bath. I’m thinking screw threads, the internal threads on the nuts, hidden recesses etc.

[AshimotoK0]

A general question…. How do you get the ‘difficult bits’ spotlessly clean for the plating bath. I’m thinking screw threads, the internal threads on the nuts, hidden recesses etc.

Basically a PITA

Dunk in solvent or petrol to remove main oily crud
Rinse in very hot soapy water
Strip old zinc off with my magic brew (alkali based not acidic) ..you can use around 25% Hydrochloric Acid but this method can cause hydrogen embrittlement  and snot so kind the base steel, so I wouldn't recommend for critical parts springs or spokes.

 http://www.sohc.co.uk/index.php/topic,12925.msg188251/topicseen.html#msg188251

Bead blast with 0/50 glass beads .. preferred... or clean with rotary wire brush
Dunk in acid salts solution immediately prior to plating (Gateros and YouPlate sell this & not too expensive)
Rinse in DI water
Plate at around 100mA/square inch of surface area at constant current for around 40 mins.
Rinse in DI water
Immediately dunk in chromate passivate either yellow or bluish tinge (unfortunately I don't think Gateros sell the proper stuff any more ..may be wrong though so check ... Oddjob may know ....mine I bought around ten years ago and will last for all of my plating I reckon)
Rinse and then air-dry to develop the iridescence you get with gold/bluish passivation

Told you it's a PITA and if you don't get everything scrupulously clean the results won't look very nice.

[philward]

A general question…. How do you get the ‘difficult bits’ spotlessly clean for the plating bath. I’m thinking screw threads, the internal threads on the nuts, hidden recesses etc.

I clean with petrol etc then rotary wire brush - can also use food grade citric acid (buttons off ebay) to remove zinc

[linuxrob]

Also use Gateros chemicals now, v helpful chap, they are a short run form my daughters house so visit both on occasions.

have to be very matriculates about the cleaning, would love to know where i can get Nitric acid as it helps a lot before passivisation.

pic of my setup [ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Rob you're a bit early for having eaten all your Christams Chocks in October just to use the tin for bolts!

[Oddjob]

Just Zinc or Zinc/Nickel?

Looks like you're getting good results.

[Lobo]

Very nice Rob; what do you use to ensure the brightness?

[linuxrob]

Have the proprietary brightener that came with the chemicals, did half that tin and had to top up, only 1 cap full and did the rest. Have good results with the Olive drab passivate too.