Anyone Tried Nickel Plating at Home ?

lsayre · Post by **lsayre** » Fri. May. 01, 2015 5:45 am

Pauliewog wrote:It sounds like a good thing you got out of there when you did. Hydroflouric is pretty nasty. I read where they used it as a step before plating back in the early 1900s

I had a small bottle years ago I used for etching glass. You don't want a drop of that on your skin !!

Paulie

Almost fried my left arm off with only about 8-9 drops of "anhydrous" hitting it. Dr. asked me if I was prepared to lose it. Still causes me loads of problems to this day.

The plant was closed down when it was found that 17 of its 19 buildings were still dangerously radioactively hot. A good portion of the uranium enrichment for the Manhattan Project was done there. The electroless building and another across the street not among them.

Photog200 · Post by **Photog200** » Thu. May. 14, 2015 6:50 am

Pauliewog wrote:
joeq wrote:Guess that's a big fat "NO" Paulie. I'ld be curious, because a buddy of mine just took my G111 trim pieces to clean up on a buffing wheel he's got at home. I told him to go easy, cause I've heard that nickel plating is a bit costly.
I guess time will tell. Its just about the end of the heating season and the fourm is not as active as it is in the dead of the winter.

We move,modify , relocate and install major powder coating and e- coating equipment thruout the US, Canada and Mexico but only worked on three plating lines. Proper preparation in all three operations the most time consuming part of the job and the most important for a quality finish.

The nickel is very thin, so stress again to your buddy to take it light and slow with the right rouge.

I think Randy or possibly William posted a really nice You Tube video on nickel polishing.

Buck47 sent me that video showing me how he did the polishing and I talked him into posting it on here. He did a nice job on that video, and I used that process on the nickel for my Geneva Andes.

Im working close with a plater who specializes in Church restorations. Most of his work is in gold and silver but he also does nickel, copper and brass.

He is getting intrigued with the old stoves and has me prepping my parts, some at home and some in his shop. This reduces my plating costs by 2/3

Other than the rectifier and the knowledge, I have everything else required. So over the next few months Ill be spending a day or so a week helping him plate. I went out to Long Island NY today and picked up a base burner that we will both share the time and expense to restore.

Bottom line ........ I teach him stoves .....He teaches me plating.

Paulie

Pauliewog · Post by **Pauliewog** » Wed. Feb. 01, 2017 6:20 pm

I decided last week to bite the bullet and give this an all out try.

A few months back I picked up two brush plating kits from Caswell Plating to experiment with. The kits I purchased were for copper and brass, and although a very time consuming process the results were better than expected for my first plating project on a finial my wife and I picked up while antique hunting last year.

With close to two years of research on electroplating, a strong background in powder and e-coating, and now that retirement is finally here, it's time to reduce the costs on the most expensive part of my stove restoration hobby ..........Nickel Plating

This morning I ordered the Caswell 4.5 gallon kit , a far cry from last month, when I was looking at an 11 stage 120 gallon automated programmible hoist dip line. Not that that or similar lines are out of the question............ But it's possible in my old age, I may have gotten wiser, or just slowing down a bit.

Picked up a 25a constant voltage plating rectifier on Ebay this week, and picking up two 60a plating rectifiers tomorrow.

Stay Tuned

Paulie

Sunny Boy · Post by **Sunny Boy** » Wed. Feb. 01, 2017 6:46 pm

Looks great, Paulie.

I guess you missed when I posted about replating some nickel parts on my range.

I got tried of sending out very small nickel parts for extremely rare late 1920's carburetors I restore. Expensive and there's the risk that the parts can be lost in shipment or a plating tank. If some of those parts are lost I'm looking at a few thousand dollars, if I can find a parts carburetor to get replacements off of.

Bought the same kit as you and because I do other small parts plating I had a lot of what doesn't come in the kit. ...which as you know by now, cost more than the kit.

Anyway, here's the two door, a bunch of tool and pull handles and other bling for my range.

Since the parts weren't highly polished to begin with I didn't get crazy polishing them more. What you see is a fine bead blast finish which was then burnished smoother on a wire wheel.

When I get more time I'll set up a "tube tank" to plate the 5 long nickeled rails.

After plating, the nickel gets a quick polish on a white polish wheel.

BTW is it just coincidence we both have the same name too ?

Paul

Pauliewog · Post by **Pauliewog** » Wed. Feb. 01, 2017 7:44 pm

I did miss your post on the stove parts plating, or you know I would have been picking your brain !

Your parts came out really nice.
Did you brush plate them or dip them ?

And yes, the kit is the least expensive part. Rectifier, pumps, filters, heaters, anodes,.......
and the list goes on. Of course, next is the copper strike, acid copper, and brass kits.

We share the fear of lost or damaged parts, actually that became the biggest factor in deciding to attempt it myself. Insurance is of little consolation when a footrest or finial part from a stove is lost in transit.

My heart was in my throat for days after that FedEx trailer was hit by the train a few weeks ago, wondering if any of my parts were on it.

Plating, brick molds, what's next on your agenda? ........... Possibly a cast iron
foundry? I see you are pretty well versed in metallurgy

You might have hit on something ..... Maybe it's something in the name Paul !

Paulie

Sunny Boy · Post by **Sunny Boy** » Wed. Feb. 01, 2017 8:06 pm

Not much to pick, but ok.

They are all dip plated.

I went straight over the steel with the nickel. That's the way it was done originally. The two metals get along very well and I'm not using copper as a filler/sanding base, so no need of the added expense of another kit and setups. A lot of the original nickel was still there after 113 years, just painted over at some time. Same with the early nickeled parts I do on the carbs and other fuel system parts - no base plating - just nickel over steel.

I've tried brush plating with other metals not nickel. I found it went on too thin trying to keep it smooth. To get it thick enough to be durable, it got streak-y.

Ha, maybe someday I'll do some sand casting. I have the forge and some aluminum sand mold copes, plus a graphite crucible and tongs that I got from my brother after he finished building his last sailboat. But so far I haven't had time to set it up. For now, just cold-molding rubber parts is as close as I get. There's only so many hours in a part-time retirement day.

The other Paul

Pauliewog · Post by **Pauliewog** » Fri. Feb. 03, 2017 6:09 pm

Picked up the first five of eight 50 gallon plating tanks, two 60 amp rectifiers, and a Powertec Super Switcher today. I'm thinking about using the 25 amp rectifier on the electrolysis rust removal tank in place of the battery charger.

Other than a badly scratched or pitted part, I also plan to plate the nickel directly to the
cast iron.

In order to plate copper or brass on any of the steel finial parts, they require a flash copper or nickel strike. My plater prefers a copper strike, so that's probably the route I'll go.

Paulie

joeq · Post by **joeq** » Fri. Feb. 03, 2017 8:43 pm

Whoa! Pretty serious stuff Paulie. Talk about being independent. Won't have to worry about that step, while doing your stoves over. Make a nice little side business for yourself too. Good luck in your endeavors, and please keep us up on your progress.

Pauliewog · Post by **Pauliewog** » Sat. Feb. 04, 2017 1:00 am

joeq wrote:Whoa! Pretty serious stuff Paulie. Talk about being independent. Won't have to worry about that step, while doing your stoves over. Make a nice little side business for yourself too. Good luck in your endeavors, and please keep us up on your progress.

Well Joe, it did start out with a small brush nickel touch up kit and you know what happens when that stove addiction takes hold.

A 5 gallon home kit is large enough to do about half of the typical stove parts, and a 15 gallon kit would handle just about everything but the top reflector rings and bonnet pieces.

But ............. With 50 gallon tanks....... Ya can do it all ! So............, I thought to myself,

Do I really need to buy a new pickup, or can I get a few more years out of the one that's already paid for ?

I spent my life building automated finishing lines for others, so now that Im retired, why not a little one for myself?

Paulie

joeq · Post by **joeq** » Sat. Feb. 04, 2017 9:45 am

Pauliewog wrote: Well Joe, it did start out with a small brush nickel touch up kit and you know what happens when that stove addiction takes hold.

A 5 gallon home kit is large enough to do about half of the typical stove parts, and a 15 gallon kit would handle just about everything but the top reflector rings and bonnet pieces.

But ............. With 50 gallon tanks....... Ya can do it all ! So............, I thought to myself, Do I really need to buy a new pickup, or can I get a few more years out of the one that's already paid for ?

I spent my life building automated finishing lines for others, so now that Im retired, why not a little one for myself?
Paulie

I'll give you a little incentive Paulie. Here's a photo of my truck. I'll bet yours is in much better condition, and because of that, you should hold off on any new payments, and reap the rewards of owning a "free vehicle", with the tax and insurance breaks that go along with them. You can always buy a new truck. Not as easy finding a perfectly plated finial for a specific antique stove.

Pauliewog · Post by **Pauliewog** » Thu. Feb. 23, 2017 2:36 am

joeq wrote:
I'll give you a little incentive Paulie. Here's a photo of my truck. I'll bet yours is in much better condition, and because of that, you should hold off on any new payments, and reap the rewards of owning a "free vehicle", with the tax and insurance breaks that go along with them. You can always buy a new truck. Not as easy finding a perfectly plated finial for a specific antique stove.

Mine may look better but in the last 9 years it's been run hard and put away wet. Other than Alaska and Hawaii it's made it's rounds to every other state, half the Providence's in Canada and twice to Mexico. But your absolutely right, as long as it runs it's just a work truck. I took your advice and put that truck payment money to proper use.

I bought the 4.5 gallon nickel kit, had a little time this week and set it up in the basement.
Rather than plate scrap pieces for a trial run, I decided to try it out on a rusted, oval, double heater vent grille I picked up on Ebay.

I gave it a quick shot in the blaster, hit it with the wire wheel, scotch Brite pad and ran it thru the degreaser solution.

Then a quick rinse in the RO bucket and into the nickel bath for 40 minutes. Hmmmm..... For my first test piece I was pretty satisfied.

Paulie

joeq · Post by **joeq** » Thu. Feb. 23, 2017 6:22 am

Nice work Paulie Guess you're on your way. When comes the heat test?

KingCoal · Post by **KingCoal** » Fri. Feb. 24, 2017 5:41 am

i need to send you some pics of some damage for an opinion.

steve

Pauliewog · Post by **Pauliewog** » Fri. Feb. 24, 2017 10:00 am

Steve, Take a few close up pics and Email them to me.

Paulie

KingCoal · Post by **KingCoal** » Fri. Feb. 24, 2017 10:09 am

Pauliewog wrote:Steve, Take a few close up pics and Email them to me.

Paulie

probably will tonight, first i'm going to try some hand work with "semi-chrome" and see if it not as deep as I think.

judging from the work member Paned has been showing ( his acorn looked way worse than this ) I might get lucky.

thanks,
steve

Anyone Tried Nickel Plating at Home ?

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