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 0. Choosing a Finish (corrosion, compatibility)
  1. Preparing the part (mech. prepchem. pretreatmasking & racking)
    2. Metallic Finishing (stainless & titaniumanodizing & light metalselectroplatingelectroless platingPVD & vacuum processesgalvanizingbluingother inorganic processes)
      3. Organic Finishing (CED, electrocoatpowder coatinglacquers, clearcoatspainting, printing, adhesives)
        4. Post-treatments (chemical post-treatsbaking, soldering, dryingstripping & reworks)
          5. Supporting Issues (analysis, lab, QA/QCwater & wastesafety, emissionsplant/process engrg.specs, books, statslingometallurgyprecious metal recovery)

            6. NON-industrial (hobbyists, DIY, around homeresearch, thesisK-12 scienceArtists' Corner)
              7. NOT Metal Finishing (off topic but interesting)

   Read any thread & add your Q/A or Post a Question or RFQ of your own


0. CORROSION, COMPATIBILITY, CHOOSING A FINISH . . .

• Stainless steel grades suitable for very dilute salt water? - March 21

• What would make Brass magnetic? - March 20

• Electroplating onto phosphated steel parts - March 9

26092-1i Proper fastener material for Ti plate to Aluminum Extrusion? - February 19

• Coloring Nickel Plating, like red or blue open Q. - January 26

61503-1i Matte black finish for mild steel rivets - December 11

31503-2i Galvanic Corrosion between nickel & aluminum open Q. - November 26

• Want black bolts with no oil on them - November 21

• Black finishes for bolts and hardware Q&A - November 17

• Copper weathervane staining aluminum church steeple open Q. - October 26

• SPCC vs. SGCC vs. SECC steel for computer cases open Q. - October 20

• Galvanic Corrosion between Galvanized Steel and Aluminum - October 19

See more threads in this category



1. PREPARATION . . .

1a. MECHANICAL PREP [GRINDING, POLISHING, VIBRATORY FINISHING, BUFFING, HONING]

• De-rusting/De-scaling of Heat Treated Parts open Q. - February 28

• Difference between Ra and Rc - surface roughness - January 26

• Cracks in hard chromium platings not visible, but are deep in NDT open Q. - January 10

• Mechanical finishing of body jewelry and wires open Q. - December 25

• Surface finishes N1 thru N12 and their equivalents in Ra - November 27

• Polishing chromoly chandelier - October 30

See more threads in this category


1b. PRETREATMENTS [CLEANING, PICKLING, ETCHING, PHOSPHATIZING, ACTIVATION]

• How to do Bright Dipping of Brass - March 22

• Turbulent flow in strip-line electrolytic cleaner? open Q. - March 9

• Need Macro-Etch Chemical Process Consultant RFQ: Ohio - March 2

• Electropolishing the inside of a long tube - February 27

• Zinc Phosphate coating problems & issues; Q&A's open Q. - February 11

• Boiling Diamonds in Acid to Clean Them open Q. - February 7

34052-6i Manganese Phosphate coating color uneven, and not taking in spots - February 7

• Want good salt spray hours from phosphating without oil - February 6

• Pickling & passivating of welded carbon steel pipe open Q. - January 19

• Need details of 'the 7-tank process - January 16

• Coating Weight Specs. How to increase/decrease zinc phosphate coating weight - January 4

See more threads in this category


1c. MASKING, RACKING, TAPING, PLUGGING, PHOTOSENSITIVE MASKS

adv. maskcoat banner 

• How to selectively patina copper (darken it) - March 2

• Best Masking Materials & Methods for Aluminum Anodizing - February 11

• Masking material / method for electroless nickel plating - February 8

• Need TURCO 5580-G masking product - February 6

See more threads in this category



2. METALLIC & INORGANIC FINISHING . . .

2a. STAINLESS STEEL & TITANIUM PROCESSING

58499-1i Passivation Stains on 17-4 PH Stainless Steel - March 9

• Electropolishing with citric acid - February 19

• Electrolytic etching of titanium - February 11

• Electropolishing/deburring of hypodermic needles - January 10

• Stainless steel laser etch and passivation Q&A - January 10

5089-1i Removal of Heat Treat Scale from Stainless Steel open Q. - December 13

• Anodizing titanium black in color - December 8

• Haziness or Cloudiness on Type III Anodized Titanium - December 2

• Passivating long small dia., 316L SS tubing - December 1

See more threads in this category



2b. ANODIZING AND LIGHT METAL TREATMENTS (Aluminum, Magnesium)

61529-1 Anodized Aluminium edges not taking dye very well - March 20

• Problems achieving shiny/glossy anodizing - March 19

• "Neutralizing" sulphuric anodizing solution with nitric acid - March 5

46142-1i Bulk anodizing for aerospace open Q. - March 2

• Need black anodizing that is UV-proof - March 1

• Bright dip stains the aluminum with grain pattern - March 1

• Roller for adhesion test for chromate conversion coating - February 26

• Problems in cold sealing of anodized aluminum - February 25

61517-1i Crazing/cracking of anodized Type II film during powder coating baking open Q. - February 24

• Bending aluminum: best alloys and lubricants open Q. - January 19

• Aluminum anodizing: Constant current vs. controlling the voltage - January 11

• Thickness of Alodine/Iridite/Chemfilm on Aluminum - January 3

• MIL-DTL-5541 Chem film fails humidity test - January 2

• Burning problem in Hard Anodizing of Aluminum open Q. - January 1

See more threads in this category


  

2c. ELECTROPLATING and ELECTROFORMING

58278-2i Partial Plating of Chrome on copper base cylinder open Q. - March 20

61525-1i Chloride Nickel Plating is black and burned. open Q. - March 20

28851-9i Some problems in Zinc-Nickel Plating - March 20

• Zinc plating with chromate: is temperature causing the corrosion? - March 18

• Platinum plating on silver Q&A Problems & Solutions - March 18

• Brighteners used in Silver Plating bath open Q. - March 10

• Blisters in Nickel Plating after Heat Treatment open Q. - March 10

• Need Ductility in Nickel Electroplate - March 6

• Nickel Carbonate not Dissolving open Q. - March 2

• Wood's Nickel Strike Bath Analysis & Maintenance - March 2

• Brass plating peels off -- Q&A, Problems & Solutions - March 2

• Non uniform thickness problem in electroplating - March 1

• Gold isn't bright when plating leaded stained glass - March 1

11955-4i Chrome thickness variations on gravure cylinders open Q. - February 26

• Choosing Plating Rectifier Voltage & Current - February 24

• Zinc plating thickness vs. salt spray resistance - February 23

• Nickel Electroplating is peeling off Stainless Steel - February 19

See more threads in this category


2d. ELECTROLESS PLATING, PLATING ON PLASTICS, IMMERSION PLATING, CHROME-LOOK SPRAYS, LIQUID METAL COATINGS

• Plating Electroless nickel onto stainless steel powders - February 28

• Hydrogen Embrittlement vs. Electroless Nickel Plating - February 11

• Spray chroming with silver nitrate - January 3

• Can citric acid passivate a stainless tank used for electroless nickel plating? - October 26

• Palladium activation & Plating on Plastic - October 1

• Heat treatment of Electroless Nickel Plating open Q. - September 23

• Electroless gold plating (autocatalytic) open Q. - September 18

• Composite electroless nickel-PTFE plating open Q. - September 13

• Electroless Nickel Plating of Aluminum without Zincate - September 9

• Barrel plating on plastics/ABS - September 5

• A method for electroless brass plating? - September 3

See more threads in this category



2e. PVD, CVD, ION IMPLANTATION, VACUUM PROCESSES

• PVD gold color control and matching open Q. - February 14

7846-4i PVD coatings: color control open Q. - December 7

• Need base coats and top coats for vacuum metallizing RFQ South Africa - November 20

• How to make glass in colors? open Q. - November 15

• How to get Black PVD finish open Q. - September 2



2f. GALVANIZING, ALUMINIZING, HOT TIN DIPPING

• Want to do Hot Dip Galvanizing Off and On - February 24

• Want pre-galvanized sheet with 720 hours salt spray resistance - February 21

• Zinc adherence defect on edges of galvanized steel sheet open Q. - February 19

57163-7i Galvanizing defects: black spots, lumps, streaks open Q. - February 17

hot dip galvanizing black spots Hot dip galvanizing flux Q & A's - February 17

• Hand re-tinning of copper cooking utensils? open Q. - January 31

• Safety in a Zinc hot-dip galvanizing process open Q. - January 26

• Can stainless steel be hot dip galvanized? open Q. - January 9

• Galvanizing flux bath has iron contamination - January 8

See more threads in this category



2g. BLACK OXIDE, BLUING, COLORING, PATINAS, NITRIDING

• Does black oxide on stainless fasteners improve resistance to galling? open Q. - February 9

• Blackening formulas for steel and cast iron - January 2

• How to do smut-free mid temp black oxide on wood screws - December 25

• Black Ox problems due to lot variations in type 300 SS? - December 20

• Black Oxide Coating Thickness - November 18

• Which oil BLACK OXIDE finish? open Q. - October 2

• Black oxide is salmon colored. Is copper the problem? - September 19



2h. OTHER INORGANIC FINISHING: Mechanical Plating, QPQ, Metal Spray, Zinc-rich Dip-Spin Coatings, Sherardizing, etc.



3. ORGANIC FINISHING [PAINT, POWDER COATING] . . .

3a. ELECTROPAINT PRIMING, AUTOPHORETIC COATINGS

• Why does zinc & cathodic e-coat lose adhesion after humidity test? open Q. - March 8

• E-coating on anodized aluminum? - December 8

• Low pH Problem & Dropping Anolyte Level in CED Bath - December 1

61499-1i Excessive foam formation in UF1 dip tank open Q. - November 23

• How to perform Acid MEQ of CED Bath manually? open Q. - November 3

45618-1i E-coating over Zinc or Zinc Cobalt Plating -- Problems & Solutions - September 27



3b. POWDER COATING

• Chromated & Powder coated ADC12 Aluminum doesn't pass 366-hour salt spray test open Q. - January 31

• Industry specs for powder coating thickness and testing methods? open Q. - January 9

• Sublimation heat transfer paper for powder coating? open Q. - November 15

50530-2i Powder coating burns during cutting & slotting of profiles - September 18



3c. LACQUERS, CLEAR COATS, ELECTROPHORETIC TINTING, ANTI-TARNISH

• E-Coating Zinc Alloys -- Q&A; Problems & Solutions open Q. - March 6

• DFT problems in CED open Q. - February 18

• Clear coating silicon bronze open Q. - September 27

• How to make long lasting Dye Gold Plating on Imitation Jewelry open Q. - September 5



3d. PAINTING, PRINTING, ADHESIVES AND OTHER ORGANIC COATINGS

• Painting plastic imitation wicker furniture? open Q. - March 8

• Need Formula for NC Thinner & Auto Thinner open Q. - February 25

15909-2i Plastisol stays sticky after curing open Q. - December 12

• Solar Heat Reflective Paint Consultant RFQ London U.K. - December 6

• Q&A on MIL-P-23377 primer - December 6

• Scratch marks are appearing in ABS Parts after painting open Q. - October 2

35114-1i Can You Paint a Car with House Paint? - September 16

See more threads in this category



4. POST-TREATMENTS

4a. CHEMICAL POST-TREATMENTS [CHROMATE CONVERSION COATINGS, RUST PREVENTATIVES, PATINAS, COLORIZING]

• Post-dip to improve color of imitation gold plating? - December 20

• Help with dye over zinc plating - December 2

• Yellow/gold Iridite leached to clear - October 12

• Answer to why Black Chromate turns green - July 15

• Is Zinc Plating with Chromate Conversion Coating RoHS compliant? open Q. - July 9

• Chromate conversion on cadmium not adhering open Q. - March 23

• Generic solution for chromating brass - March 22

• Bright Dipping of Brass: some shop problems open Q. - March 20



4b. BAKING AND NON-CHEMICAL POST-TREATMENTS [HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT AND DE-EMBRITTLEMENT, ANNEALING, WHISKERS, SOLDERING, REFLOWING]

• Post Cadmium Plating Tarnish from Baking open Q. - March 2

• Reflow of Tin-Lead Solder open Q. - March 2

• Matte tin turns into bright with reflow open Q. - January 12

45934i Are tiny solid blobs of tin detrimental to PCB? open Q. - January 4

• Hydrogen Embrittlement and the Lawrence Gauge - November 16

• Chrome plating and Hydrogen Embrittlement Relief - September 9

• How to improve the solderability of tin electroplating? open Q. - July 16



4c. STRIPPING, REWORKS, ETC.

adv. metalx

• Removing chrome plating from plastic (ABS) parts open Q. - March 6

61519i Nickel plating on brass parts looks layered. - March 3

• What chemical is safe, cheap & best to remove zinc coating? - February 12

• Stripping Tin / tinplate from Steel open Q. - November 18

• Can sulfuric acid be used to remove nickel plating from aluminum? open Q. - October 26

• What to use as anodize remover/stripper open Q. - October 14

• How to strip chromate from silver plated finish - October 14

• Removing rhodium plating electrolytically - September 8

11499-1i Removing TiN (Titanium Nitride) coatings - August 19

See more threads in this category



5. SUPPORTING ISSUES

5a. ANALYSIS, LAB TECHNIQUE, Q.A., SALT SPRAY TESTING

• Controlling iron content in hydrochloric acid - March 21

22320-4i Hull Cell Test for Cadmium Plating open Q. - March 13

• How to know 304 vs. 316 Stainless; tests & suggestions - March 1

• Can I use NaOH solution instead of NaCl in Salt Spray test? - February 21

• Silver plating: atomic absorption analysis of silver open Q. - February 19

• ASTM B117 Salt Fog Test Chamber Operational Q&As, Problems: Salt Spray Woes - February 10

• Determine % Nitric Acid. Titration? open Q. - February 6

• Taber ASTM D 4060: conditioning aluminum coupons open Q. - February 4

• Fluoride analysis in HF/Nitric (etch for titanium) - January 30

• Maintaining and Monitoring Acid Copper brighteners open Q. - January 17

• Analyze for iron content in hydrochloric acid - January 4

See more threads in this category



5b. WASTE & WASTEWATER TREATMENT, POLLUTION CONTROL

• Cyanide Disposal/Destruction for school lab - March 11

• How to electrowin/recover copper (plating waste) open Q. - March 2

• Caustic & aluminum recovery from cleaning processes - February 21

• Recovery of copper from electroplating & etching solutions open Q. - January 19

• Recycling of Chrome Stripping solution (HCl) - December 30

• DM System Problem: Poor OBR, short SBA life open Q. - November 20

• TDS vs PPM vs. µS? - October 14



5c. SAFETY ISSUES, EMISSIONS, TOXICITY, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

• Remove Teflon coating from Visions & Pyrex Cookware - March 14

52592-1i Is corrosion in copper water vessel hazardous? - March 10

• Inhaled fumes from Bleach and C.L.R. accidentally mixed - February 26

• Is worn silverware a Health Hazard open Q. - February 2

• Does my silver plated flatware contain lead? open Q. - January 16

• Sick from welding galvanized steel - January 16

• Danger in Cast aluminum cookware? open Q. - December 5

11353-3i Yellow zinc hex nuts in arts and crafts projects - November 28

• Safety of hibachi barbecue with yellow zinc screws and damper open Q. - September 22

• Permit requirements for powdercoating - September 13

• PTFE/Teflon Environmental Concerns - September 6

See more threads in this category



5d. PLANT & PROCESS ENGINEERING, CONSTRUCTION

0061i Passivating electroless nickel tanks; anodic protection systems - March 1

• FRP to protect "tub" from hot temperatures, pressure, rust and leaking? - February 28

• Chemical cleaning of boilers and inhibitors open Q. - February 26

• Concrete tank for zinc phosphate? - February 23

• Designing a Copper Refining Plant open Q. - February 19

• Hydrogen "Explosions" in Plating, Anodizing open Q. - February 8

• Titanium anode baskets get copper buildup in Rochelle Copper Plating - February 3

• Need design assistance on French process zinc oxide furnace So. Africa - January 16

• Avoiding Tank Overflows in Plating Shop - January 13

• 2% Sulphuric Acid in 316SS tank is turning green & smutty during Aluminium pickling - November 15

• Best way to remove lining from Chrome tank - October 14

See more threads in this category



5e. QUESTIONS ABOUT SOFTWARE, SPECS, BOOKS, EDUCATION, INDUSTRY STATS, ETC.

• Alkaline Anodizing Titanium per AMS 2488 open Q. - March 2

• International standards for phosphating processes open Q. - February 4

• BAC 5709 and Opening Oven Door to Load More Parts open Q. - December 12

• MIL-DTL-5541 Class 1A vs. Class 3 - October 8

• Phosphatizing standards -- MIL-DTL-16232 - August 9

• Is MIL-PRF-23377 equivalent to BMS10-11? open Q. - August 4



5f. W...W...W...WORD OF THE WEEK

• Thickness of CMS-02 or F4383 type T3? open Q. - March 15

• What is the Helodor 100 process open Q. - March 10

• Is there such thing as sterling silver plating? open Q. - August 30

• How Did Kitchen Zinc become Sink? open Q. - June 26



5g. MOSTLY METALLURGY; Heat Treatment

• Problems in Annealing of Copper Wire open Q. - January 26

• Is 6063 aluminum a precipitation hardening alloy? open Q. - January 11

• 316L Stainless is too spring-y - January 3

• How to decarbonize the surface of high carbon steel - December 22

• Does forging create mill scale? open Q. - September 8

• Hardening EN8 / EN9 parts. Q&A's, Problems & Solutions open Q. - August 10



5h. PRECIOUS METAL RECOVERY

• How can I produce rhodium sulfate in lab? open Q. - March 4

43983-8i Is this rock Rhodium? open Q. - February 20

• Acid testing for silver & precious metals open Q. - February 19

• Specific gravity table for gold open Q. - January 16

27814-3i Why is broken catalytic converter honeycomb worthless as scrap? open Q. - November 10

• Refining of silver chloride to silver metal open Q. - July 28

• Refining of Palladium and making its salt open Q. - July 16

• How to precipitate gold from HAuCl4 solution open Q. - July 12



6. NON-INDUSTRIAL ISSUES

Hobbyists, DIY, Around Home

• Blackening stainless steel without using Potassium dichromate? - March 21

• Copper plating onto Silver - March 21

• What could be causing the pitting and corroding to chrome fixtures - March 15

• Stripping plating from welding clamps leaves them copper color - March 15

• How to turn 18-8 fasteners black? - March 13

• Need help painting brass! open Q. - March 10

61523-1i How to get beautiful galaxy-like vintage finish on pot lids? - March 10

• Geneva Metal Kitchen Cabinets: Painting, Removing Dents, Parts open Q. - March 9

• Remove tin plating from copper pots, trays, cookware - March 6

• Best type of clearcoat for wheel application? open Q. - March 6

• Clear coat sealer/varnish safe for birds? - March 5

8204-1i Brown heat mark on refrigerator open Q. - March 4

• How to paint screw heads - March 2

50888-8i Damaged finish on copper table - February 19

41066-8i Dishwasher ruined shiny aluminum - February 19

• Restoring a black & copper "japanned" antique finish - February 10

• How To Rust Metal like Jingle Bells & Safety Pins - February 10

• Restoring rusty cast iron wood stove, painting it open Q. - February 8

61509i Sealing lightly corroded aluminum engine parts with crude oil - February 6

• Clear coating to protect rust patina finish - February 2

• Carburetor re-plating / re-coloring open Q. - January 30

41407-3i Magnetic, silver-color, 1998 penny open Q. - January 30

• Removing Teflon non-stick coating from Glass Cookware open Q. - January 26

• Restoring the yellow dichromate finish on automobile carburetors open Q. - January 20

• D-I-Y Yellow gold engagement ring to white gold? open Q. - January 20

• Solving an electrolysis problem in home plumbing open Q. - January 18

• Acid copper plating is not responding to brightener open Q. - January 18

See more threads in this category



6b. RESEARCH, THESIS TOPICS, UNIVERSITY & POST-GRAD STUDENTS

• Electrodeposition of Molybdenum - March 21

• Why can we copper plate iron/steel in alkaline solution but not acid? - March 14

61527-1i Nickel plates okay in one barrel, but not another - March 14

• How do I make citric-based copper plating smooth open Q. - March 10

• Trouble with Concentration Calculations - February 20

• Electroless Nickel: need intro and technical info - January 31

• Electrodeposition of titanium remains a bust :-( - October 28

• Procedure for electropolishing stainless steel - October 26

• Silver paste on PZT blisters after firing open Q. - October 12

Copper Plating on Sputtered Gold Electroplating Copper onto PVD/Sputtered Gold Substrate - September 8

61452-1i Recovery of Metallic Magnesium from Magnesium Citrate. Is It Possible? - June 13

• Electrolytic Passivation of Nickel Plating - June 7

• Electroplating on 3D Printed & Stereolithography (SLA) models open Q. - June 6

See more threads in this category



6c. K-12 Science Projects, Grammar & High School Student Questions

• Why does tarnished penny weigh less than shiny one - January 28

• Science project: To rust and trust - January 6

• Copper sulphate reaction with a nail or steel wool - November 11

• Rusting in distilled water vs. saltwater - October 3

• Why can't we store electricity in water? - June 14

• How many mL of water must be added to 10 grams of NaOH to make a 0.50 molar solution? Thanks! Resolved :-) - May 23



6d. The Artists' Corner

23853-1i Repaint Cast Iron Statue from "The Little Chapel" in Guernsey - February 28

• Can print maker prevent ink discoloration on etching plates? open Q. - December 6

53936-1i Long ridges on copper electroform - October 17

C. Curtis metal sculpture How to clean/repair C. Curtis metal sculpture open Q. - September 7

61479-1i Can't restore bright finish to bare aluminum piece - September 1

41408-8i Painting cast iron fountains / restoring rusty fountains - August 9

• Archival painting on brass and copper open Q. - July 29

red spots when bronze casting Dark Reddish Spots when Bronze Casting - June 7

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7. DRIFTED OFF FINISHING, BUT INTERESTING :-)

• Identifying rings/hallmarks: JA and nothing else open Q. - March 20

19039-23i "Red Mountain" Cast Iron Cook Stoves: restoration hints plus where to find parts & info open Q. - March 11

33143-10i Stiffel lamps repair Q&A's - March 7

54890-6i Theda Sterling Silver Medals, Crosses, Jewelry Q&A - March 4

32413-1i About sweet spirits of nitre (the traditional folk medicine) - February 25

• Brass Finishers in the 1800's open Q. - February 23

• Best pipe for natural gas lines: Copper vs. steel, plastic, CSST, etc. - February 19

24359-33i Barber Chair Restoration Q&A's and Successes open Q. - February 13

• Mother of pearl button collection molding away. open Q. - February 9

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