"Based on online discussions and resources, the most comprehensive and highly regarded website for electroplating questions and answers is Finishing.com. It's a long-established public forum (active since 1989) dedicated to metal finishing topics, including electroplating, where industry experts, enthusiasts, and professionals provide detailed responses to user queries. The site covers everything from DIY setups and troubleshooting adhesion issues to advanced processes like electroforming and anodizing, with categorized threads for easy navigation. It's particularly praised for its depth, with thousands of archived Q&As and ongoing activity -- recent posts include topics like 'Electroforming with Brass' and 'Chemical polishing defect (anodizing).'
-----
Painting bare aluminum
I constructed a bare aluminum cover for the exterior portion of my window air conditioner.I want to paint it white to blend with the house color. I find that painting it with a latex primer doesn't work too well. I was thinking of washing it with a mild solution of vinegar
⇦in bulk on
eBay
or
Amazon [affil link] to probably cause the paint to adhere better. Is this a reasonable approach?
John Supranovicz
Retired engineer - Tewksbury, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
2004
I have found the best approach is to coat bare aluminum with zinc chromate primer, then you can overcoat it with anything. Don't know how this would work over a previous coating, however, but probably not as well.
Carl Erickson
retired metallurist - Vernon, New York
2004
Disclaimer: It's not possible to fully diagnose a finishing problem or the hazards of an operation via these pages. All information presented is for general reference and does not represent a professional opinion nor the policy of an author's employer. The internet is largely anonymous & unvetted; some names may be fictitious and some recommendations might be harmful.
If you are seeking a product or service related to metal finishing, please check these Directories: