Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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Copper Plating.....Rat Rod Style

July 19, 2011

I just want to say thanks in advance for a great resource. I've got an old British bike that I'm building rat rod style. I'm doing my own fabricating, my own wiring, my own powdercoating, etc. I've decided to leave my rear fender and my gas tank in raw metal rather than fancy paint. Then, I thought it would look good to put on a light copper finish to both and either let it age or antique it and cover with clearcoat. So....long story short, I need to plate some large pieces on a small budget without expecting perfect results. I've got the power supply and a 50 gal plastic drum to plate in. I can come up with copper anode.
What else do I need?
How much acid and what is most cost effective and easy?
Distilled water or can I use tap? 50 gals of distilled water is gong to break the budget.
What about copper sulphate?? Should I order some online or get it from the local lawn and garden?
If you guys don't mind...try to keep the ratios simple and based on the 50 gal drum, as I have several drums of different sizes so I could adjust the amounts to fit the parts.

Shane Morrell
Disassembly Pro, Reassembly Apprentice - Dallas, Texas

I just wanted to post a little followup note....I'm starting to gather up material for this plating project and was wondering if anyone has any nuggets of wisdom relating to my first question of if I'm completely in left field? Thanks

Shane Morrell
- Dallas, Texas
November 7, 2011