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Bbl Nickel Plating Of Jig Saw Blades

2000

We currently nickel plate jig saw blades. The blades are high carbon steel.

The process is as follows: soak, electroclean, rinse, HCl 25%, rinse, cyn. copper plate, rinse, brite nickel, rinse, dry.

We have difficulty with consistent nickel coverage. Some of the blades are heat treated and then ground to size. We have more difficulty with the ground blades than we do with the regular heat treated blades.

Some of the problems are:

Bad adhesion or blisters

Brown spots after the drying process

Dull milky deposits

Inconsistent coverage of nickel on the blade

I am open to suggestions. Thanks

George Wulf
a plating co. - Miami Fl.

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Since we can not see the results or the process, we have to guess. I think that the parts are not totally clean and therefore are not completely or uniformly etched.

As a starter, I would follow your process up thru the acid etch, make it about half an etch time and then electroclean again and go to a regular etch and follow the normal process from there. If this does not help, it is something else or a combination of numerous small problems.

If Bbl plating means barrel plating, I could see where you would have a great amount of problems.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
2000

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By the nature of the product you are plating , you are going to have difficulties with the flatness of the parts sticking together due to surface tension. I suggest you consider some staggered breakers , run light loads , less than 1/3 , closer to 1/4 full. Also , adequate rotation speed is important , you may need to increase rotation speed to break up the load. these ideas might help your process.

Ron Landrette
plating equipment supplier - Bristol, Connecticut
2000