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Brush Plating of Decorative Chrome (portable/pen/tampon plating)



Please see also --

Topic 56583 "Can hard chromium plating be spot repaired?"

Current question and answers:

Q. Can a conventional chrome plating solution be use for brush chrome plating? Any information on brush chrome plating process is greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

Jorge Vargas
- Wichita, Kansas
December 18, 2020


A. Hi Jorge, probably not.

Weiner & Walmsley "Chromium Plating" only has a half-page about brush plating but says the solution is Cr(C2O4)3(NH4)3 in methyl alcohol or hydroxylamine with an organic amine wetting agent.

Rubinstein [affil link to info/book on Amazon] includes data sheets for 3 different brush plating solutions but they are proprietary so only limited information on the composition is available. Good luck.

Luck & Regards,

pic of Ted Mooney
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
December 2020




⇩ Closely related postings, oldest first ⇩



Q. Am curious about comparative durability of brush plating as opposed to tank or immersion plating. Will brush plated chrome last as long as tank plated chrome when exposed to the weather? Is brush plating considered any more safe an application than tank plating as far as chemicals are concerned?

Bill Miller
- Shinnston, West Virginia USA
2000


A. Unfortunately, the answer to your question is "it depends" on your criteria. Brush plating is probably 10 times more sensitive to operator influence than tank plating. Operators are typically very poorly trained. (NOT ALWAYS)!

0.001 of say nickel, is a very columnar vs laminar for tank plating. Therefore, it is easier to have a vertical void that does not show.

Brush plating can be an excellent plating process, but normally is not the equal to a tank process on OEM. Conversely, try to take a shaft out of a large boat, That is why the US Navy has brush units on many of its ships.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
2000



2000

A. All things being equal, the brush plated chrome will be as durable as tank plated chrome. The caveat is, of course, that things are not always equal. Typically, a brush plated deposit is not as thick or as uniform, and the surface preparation prior to plating is not as good.

With respect to toxicity, etc., brush plating solutions tend to be MORE concentrated than their tank brethren.

James Totter
James Totter, CEF
- Tallahassee, Florida




Color of Brush plated Chrome

Q. Is there any Brush plating solution with color match to chrome? I use Nickel-Cobalt and Cobalt-Tungsten, and the color after grinding is light yellow.

Manfred Satzinger
- Vienna, Austria
2002


A. One of the beauties of brush plating is that for most applications it does not need grinding after plating. Cobalt is certainly whiter than nickel. Adding tungsten makes it harder. For a non chrome, that is the best you will get. Is it possible that you are burning the plate in grinding? Nickel is relative too soft for grinding and it is not recommended in many applications. If you must post grind, I would try a wheel with a more open structure and a binder that breaks down faster. At least one brush plating company sells a trivalent chrome that you could apply after grinding for a chrome finish. It is slightly off color, faint blue, and can only be applied in very thin coats.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
2002




Q. I specialise in Gold Brush plating with a variable voltage machine. Could someone advise what is required to chrome plate and chemicals etc required please.

Lindsay Chappell
brush plater - Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand
2004


A. It is a good rule of thumb to start with whatever chemicals/process that your equipment MFG sells for their equipment. After you have got the process down pat, then start looking for alternative sources. PS, brush chrome is a very very thin cap layer.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
2004


A. For tank plating, as you surely know, there is hexavalent and trivalent chrome. For brush plating, only trivalent has been thoroughly developed. It can be plated to some 0.001" or perhaps even more, though its color resembles more the nickel. To my knowledge what Jim said is correct hexchrome can only be applied in very thin caps before the brush, wrapping and anode reactions start decomposing and plating stops. Final result is always disappointing, specially if you want to match existing chrome to its blueish cast.

Guillermo Marrufo
Monterrey, NL, Mexico
2004




Need help to make chrome brush plating solution

Q. Dear all.
I have a desire to do chrome brush plating (decorative chrome plating - not hard chrome ). It will help me repairing a lot of breaking things, so I need all your help to making chrome plating solution (brush plating) based on chrome dipping solution.
Thank and best Wishes for you .

hai vu van
love working by myself - Hanoi, Viet Nam
August 3, 2017




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