Frank in Thailand
making mistakes so you don't have to...
Hi all,
I want to share with you my electroplating process.
Warning!!!!
I use strong hydrochloric acid!!
Only in a well ventilated place (outside) and use protection gloves band glasses.
First step is to clean the copper.
OCD type of clean.
Next step is to create the electroplating solution.
That's easy.
Cut small pieces of the metal you want to use for plating. Nickel today, last time I used Tin.
While both work, nickel is supposed to be longer shiny
For me per glass 25ml of Hydrochloric acid.
Leave the parts alone for 4 hours or more.
Next:
We need to make electrodes for positive (+)
I had nickel stays ribbon, 0.2 mm often used to make LiFePO4 cells from 13650.
I hang them on the side of the glass, and wrapped copper wire on the outside for power.
4 strips in each glass.
After 4 hours it's time to add water, mix is 1:10, total 250ml
I made copper wire above the glasses, and copper hooks to hang the bus-bar in the solution.
The copper wire goes to the negatief (-)
Do not touch the busbars with bare hands after cleaning.
Fingerprints will give ugly results.
Last cleaning for me is dipping in acetone.
After that, in the acid!!
Quite a fast reaction!
I see a lot of gass bubbles.
Probably not healthy to breathe them!
After 10-15 minutes the bars go out, and are finished.
Put them in a bucket with water.
If you want, add some baking soda (base) to neutralise the hydrochloric acid.
End result is "ok"
I probably need to give then an other round.
I did ran into trouble quickly.
My 0.2mm nickel desolved quickly in the acid, good for start, but continuous use...
Not so.
Buying things in Thailand is often a challenge, the nickel I had came from China.
It took me a while....
Zinc carbon battery!!
The can is Zinc
I love obtainium!!
Back in process.
I do have to say that the zinc from the Battery is less shiny.
It's not for the looks but to prevent galvanic corrosion.
Perhaps tin rods (widely available here) weren't a bad start.
The zinc lasted just a short time...
Due several mounts and remounts, cleaning with sandpaper in between, the tin got too much damage (I could see copper)
So decided to redo.
If I known the nickel would last such a short time....
I would not have used it.
The bars will now get a nickel /zinc / tin coating
As it has desolved nickel and tin.
I should have some magnesium.
Perhaps put that in the mix also.
All about equally electricity conductive, and all used in electroplating to prevent galvanic corrosion.
The Tin being most noble, desolving more slowly.
Amount of desolved nickel should be enough to plate all my Bus-bars...
I want to share with you my electroplating process.
Warning!!!!
I use strong hydrochloric acid!!
Only in a well ventilated place (outside) and use protection gloves band glasses.
First step is to clean the copper.
OCD type of clean.
Next step is to create the electroplating solution.
That's easy.
Cut small pieces of the metal you want to use for plating. Nickel today, last time I used Tin.
While both work, nickel is supposed to be longer shiny
For me per glass 25ml of Hydrochloric acid.
Leave the parts alone for 4 hours or more.
Next:
We need to make electrodes for positive (+)
I had nickel stays ribbon, 0.2 mm often used to make LiFePO4 cells from 13650.
I hang them on the side of the glass, and wrapped copper wire on the outside for power.
4 strips in each glass.
After 4 hours it's time to add water, mix is 1:10, total 250ml
I made copper wire above the glasses, and copper hooks to hang the bus-bar in the solution.
The copper wire goes to the negatief (-)
Do not touch the busbars with bare hands after cleaning.
Fingerprints will give ugly results.
Last cleaning for me is dipping in acetone.
After that, in the acid!!
Quite a fast reaction!
I see a lot of gass bubbles.
Probably not healthy to breathe them!
After 10-15 minutes the bars go out, and are finished.
Put them in a bucket with water.
If you want, add some baking soda (base) to neutralise the hydrochloric acid.
End result is "ok"
I probably need to give then an other round.
I did ran into trouble quickly.
My 0.2mm nickel desolved quickly in the acid, good for start, but continuous use...
Not so.
Buying things in Thailand is often a challenge, the nickel I had came from China.
It took me a while....
Zinc carbon battery!!
The can is Zinc
I love obtainium!!
Back in process.
I do have to say that the zinc from the Battery is less shiny.
It's not for the looks but to prevent galvanic corrosion.
Perhaps tin rods (widely available here) weren't a bad start.
The zinc lasted just a short time...
Due several mounts and remounts, cleaning with sandpaper in between, the tin got too much damage (I could see copper)
So decided to redo.
If I known the nickel would last such a short time....
I would not have used it.
The bars will now get a nickel /zinc / tin coating
As it has desolved nickel and tin.
I should have some magnesium.
Perhaps put that in the mix also.
All about equally electricity conductive, and all used in electroplating to prevent galvanic corrosion.
The Tin being most noble, desolving more slowly.
Amount of desolved nickel should be enough to plate all my Bus-bars...
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