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Q&As since 1989


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Chrome plating on a small scale

2005

I HAVE A PLATING KIT WHICH WORKS FINE FOR GOLD PLATING. IT USES A VARIABLE RECTIFIER, CHEMICALS AND PADDED ANODES TO PLATE. I DO A GOOD JOB ON COPPER AND NICKEL BUT I CAN'T GET IT TO PUT DOWN A GOOD CHROME PLATE. I FOUND THAT IF I USE A COPPER PADDED ANODE, SODIUM HYDROXIDE WITH A POSITIVE POLARITY I GET A GOOD COPPER COATING. THE NICKEL AND CHROME CHEMICALS THAT COME WITH THE KIT JUST DON'T GIVE ME GOOD RESULTS. THAT IS WHY I WAS HOPING THAT I MIGHT GET BETTER RESULTS IF I USED A NICKEL OR CHROME PADDED ANODE WITH SODIUM HYDROXIDE OR SODIUM CYANIDE. YOU TELL ME THAT CHROME PLATING IS DONE WITH A LEAD ANODE. I WOULD LOVE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ART OF PLATING BUT THE AREA LIBRARIES DON'T HAVE ANY BOOKS ON THE SUBJECTS. I TRIED THE BOOK OUTLETS AND NO LUCK. ON THE INTERNET I DID FIND SOME BOOKS BUT THEY WERE IN THE $150 TO $200 DOLLAR BRACKET. THE ONLY BOOK I HAVE TO GO ON NOW IS Electroplating & Electroforming for Artists BY LEE AND JAY NEWMAN .
I HOPE THAT YOU CAN POINT ME TOWARDS SOME READING MATERIAL THAT WILL MAKE ME MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE ON THE ART OF PLATING.

SINCERELY,

EDWARD KOCH
HOBBYIST - PENNDEL, Pennsylvania, USA

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2005

Your best bet is to ring up the company that made the kit and discuss the problems with them.
My advice is DON'T start mixing the plating chemicals to see if it works better, especially chromic acid and cyanide ... lethal combo that will evolve toxic gases!

My second piece of advice is do yourself and your community a favour and don't try doing chrome plating at home (unless perhaps it's a fake chrome-look product) real chrome solutions are established cancer causing agents and must be handled and disposed of properly

Peter Van de Luecht
- Melbourne, VIc, Australia