Carburetor Plating Cadmium Dichromate

How carburetors are plated and dichromate conversion coating applied.
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[@MegaLuckydog1]

Nice to watch a simple vid. No "music" no BS just someone who knows their subject.

[@gregh7457]

Someone could make a lot of $ if they came up with a browser add on that muted that crappy music people seem to think they need in their videos. Nothing worse than a techno beat drowning out a beautiful exhaust note or engine sound.

[@donrutter6550]

After searching, I found His contact information, [e-mail] He had already contacted me because he saw one of my statements trying to get a hold of him.

[@donrutter6550]

To mix the yellow chromate solution, you said 1/2 oz. sulfuric acid(battery acid) per gallon and 10 oz. of sodium dichromate per gallon. I thought battery acid was HYDROCHLORIC acid ?

[@tectalabyss]

Hi Don. I worked at Exide Battery for a few years and all of the Acid used was Sulfuric acid. Hope this helps.

[@johnbeer5242]

MegaLuckydog1 and also no 30 inch wheels😨👏😨👏😨👏😨👏😨👏😨👏😨👏😨👏😨👏

[@DayRider76]

People at work think I'm so smart? Truth is, I cut the cable years ago and learn new shit like this every night! Great vid. Thanks!

[@user-sm8wo3dj5z]

you mean you no longer watch tv ? the internet has lots of crap too, but at least here we can choose what to see/hear

[@kashubelua]

Smart move

[@vieuetcon]

TV is made to avoid learning things.

[@fredc8346]

@@vieuetcon Yes, made to deaden and brainwash the masses. I have never been much of a mainstream tv watcher and I am glad of that.

[@fredc8346]

Yes DayRider, a person can watch youtube videos (discerningly of course) and learn lots and keep a working mind. This is the good of youtube for sure.

[@fredc8346]

That just about brought tears to my eyes when you showed that choke plate. And the other parts were beautiful also.

[@mikesonneson2824]

22 minutes and 16 seconds of my life well spent. Thanks for the very informative video.

[@richardliston6245]

I'm an old guy that's been rebuilding carburetors and restoring cars for nearly half a century. Now, thanks to your video Mr. Demes, I have the Caswell "Copy Cad" system and have started plating my rebuilds. For all you guys out there who are thinking about doing this type of plating, the Caswell kit takes 90% of the guesswork out of it. I practiced on junk cores for about a week before plating a 1970 428 cobra jet Holley carb. for a customer car. Remember, if you don't like the way your yellow chromate turns out the first time simply soda blast or glass bead blast it off and start over. I also found that most of the old carburetors will need to be zinc plated over the original aluminum / zinc alloy diecast for the yellow chromate to bond and look good. The Caswell blue chromate looks really good on brackets, bolts , and misc hardware. Two things: The amperage at which you plate parts is an educated guess and is very forgiving....to a point! Follow the instructions to the letter, never use tap water for any solution or rinse, and you will be good to go.

[@madmanmechanic8847]

I have done carbs for 40 something years and have always thought about getting one of these kits . If I had a demand for carb over hauls I would do it. What do you do for Holleys they have that greenish tint

[@lupejara755]

What do you use for rinse if you’re not using tap water.?Do I use distilled water.

[@priestleyharker4046]

Best video I've watched all year. Right to the point, no mucking around just well Explained. Thank you

[@jesseparris6507]

I've watched this tutorial three or four times now, never gets old. Hope to get this setup in my garage one of these days. Thanks for the video, you make it seem easy.

[@FiuzasAutoDetailing]

Very helpful. Outstanding video with a wealth of knowledge. I like that you spoke slow as you explained the process and very clear on the detailed directions on how to plate and apply the chemical ratio mix. I truly learned alot from this short and educational video. Well done👏🏻!

[@killerkane1957]

Chemicals and current. Simple stuff. Your experience? Priceless. Excellent. Thank you!

[@ChrisLee-UK]

Absolutely outstanding! I have often wondered how this is done and wished I knew when I used to rebuild engines and cars. Something to try one day for sure. Thank you for the video Sir :)

[@DavidTurner-pp4hx]

Chris Lee - UK oi

[@edwardkoperski3659]

I am proud to call Harold my friend, he is a wizard at almost anything automotive. One of the best mechanics I have ever met.

[@maxlacugnato442]

what is the best way to get ahold of him? ive been e mailing him and not working

[@Shane-Singleton]

Very nicely done, sir. You've got me half considering ripping the old quadrajet off of my project pickup, taking it apart, and shipping it to you for this treatment.

[@gtsteve9481]

Bloody brilliant - wanting to do it, knew nothing about it, now you've helped me out AND as Richard mentioned below (or above), I can get the Caswell stuff here in OZ! Made my night - never too old to learn stuff! Thank you Mr Demes.

[@freedom_aint_free]

Excellent quality of plating, very professional looking!

[@Wooley689]

This is so informative. We have parts at work done by an outside service and we have to inspect the finish to match the certs for the parts. I am trying to learn the different processes involved to have better understanding of what and how this is done.

[@pattiboychannel311]

Electro plating was my first job when I left school some 35 years ago. We used to do zinc chrome cadmium and Nichol, obviously Nichol plating is also the process before chrome, well done mate great results and good watching.

[@davelowell3008]

Thank you Harold, very informative video and professionally presented.

[@handsfree1000]

That was very impressive Harold. Thanks

[@bikefarmtaiwan1800]

Hey Harold. Thanks so much for the video- lots of great info and a super set up you have there. This IMO is the best zinc plating video on the web. Carbs are as you said made of Zamac or Maizac or Pot metal- it is all the same stuff- a bit of everything but mostly zinc. The name is an acronym of the materials included.Did not occur to me to plate them I just vapour blast them which looks good too. The brass inserts look great as well but it is a masking nightmare :)

[@BubbaAyers1969]

Man that’s a Art right there, that brought carb rebuilding to the highest level 😃, thanks for sharing this

[@thisisyourcaptainspeaking2259]

Great work, thanks for showing us how it's done.

[@Primoesuno36]

Fascinating. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I appreciate the straight forward video as Mega said below. The carb looks great! That finish would go great with my Ford engine!

[@Desertduleler_88]

Reminds me of the "Alodine" sollution for alloy parts when I used to work in the aviation industry.

[@pixelpatter01]

Very informative video, and a nice setup. Watch your exposure to chromates, especially the dust from the dried up droplets, the red dust on the bucket and the stuff you are soaking in through your skin when you handle the dipped pieces.

[@chewykarma]

Love learning from someone who has learned by experience. Great stuff. Thanks.

[@freddykugr]

Good good GOOD , video my friend , i loved it , very to the point , i soaked it in like a spounge , as back in the days i was trying to do just this very proccess with carbs and bolts for hot rods and custom work and all i could find was from eastwood was an imitation proccess , we were not pleased with the results so i had to drop that idea , but at the time i was buffing and polishing alluminum parts and wheels alternaters and alluminum firewalls on hotrods , that was satisfying work , those turned out prettier than chrome , keepup your good work my friend and God Bless

[@_CAT-lg4sr]

I learned a lot from your experience and tutorial here. Thank you soooo... much!

[@FABTECH1958]

Thank you for the information, Fantastic detail with fantastic results!

[@sneugler]

I was looking at quadrajet rebuild videos and ended up here, fantastic video!

[@MySonMarlon]

me too.. hahahah

[@Motown454]

Great video, I love to watch and learn. Thanks.

[@dontquestionjustbelieve5757]

this is so nice to watch its like I've been put back in time to when KZbin was a simpler "better" place.

[@miatafan]

If all goes right I’ll never own a carburetor, but any metal playing peeks my interest. You have a nice setup 👍

[@pfgmako330]

Bravo! Thank you Sir for your time and information. It is greatly appreciated!

[@dpmulvan]

Nice job Harold enjoyed the knowledge

[@wvadam]

Beautiful results. nice job

[@TL-ds8ux]

Wow, your setup is one to be envied!

[@billarmstrong9850]

Thanks Harold :) I have used your recipe for years now and it still works great. Great video, as are the rest of your videos. No nonsense or stupid music, just the facts. Great video..

[@calysagora3615]

Thanks for sharing. Hey! What's the recipe? Or rather, "per gallon" of what? Destilled water? Or Vinager?

[@basketballjones6782]

@@calysagora3615 Piss. A gallon of piss. Female piss works best.

[@richardhead8264]

_Finished product is gorgeous!_ 🏆

[@booterone1]

I sure like the way the carbs look when done!!

[@tomkneeland2638]

This is an awesome video tutorial. I also love the fact that your a Corvette guy too :-) I'm giving plating a try on my Holley 3810 from my C2 Corvette and hope it turns out okay. I'll be test plating a few things before I dunk anything I'd hate to lose!!

[@gridrover]

Thank you for explaining how this is done.

[@warrenzevonsangryghost6055]

Why can't I have a neighbor that cool? Good work Harold.

[@alphaone101]

Great video with beautiful results!

[@Mrcaffinebean]

Fascinating thanks for sharing you knowledge man. It’s not something I’d want to get into but I enjoyed learning about it.

[@harmankardon478]

great setup, fantastic finish!

[@133dave133]

I'd like to start plating some parts. My relatives used to own a Yamaha dealership for years. I remember seeing that yellow rainbowish coating on all of the three wheeler and four wheeler axles, including on some of the bolts and brackets. That coating seemed like it worked really well, plus always thought that it looked pretty cool.

[@johnnybgood1288]

Great video! Thank you! No crappy background music or useless bullshit! You’re very knowledgeable about what you’re doing and you know how to speak. Instead of saying, uh uh um every two seconds!!

[@rent2ownnz]

Great Video Harold. .... Thanks for sharing you knowledge with the world. - Cheers Westy

[@flickcogswell220]

Very good video, well done with excellent results. I have a similar set up and have been using the Caswell chromates. I will give your solution a try, appears to work quite well. I always wear gloves when working with the chromate dips because I believe the hexavalent chromes are toxic when absorbed through the skin.

[@backnine]

Hi Flick I always wear gloves. It was hard to operate camera with the gloves.

[@GeneralElectricCNC]

Very nice vid! I'm a retired Machinist and never knew. Thank you, maybe I'll try to get some equipment and play!

[@1936Studebaker]

Wow, awesome finish.

[@MrBrymstond]

Harold Demes+ I rarely compliment anyone because most of the time they did a poor job or it goes to their head so please, I'm not a good follower, but I must admit, you did a fantastic job Harold. It's a work of art! Most people don't want any part in real work these days, but if you took the same video and aired it in the 70s or even 80s this video would have had 500 million or more in the same time, too bad we didn't have KZbin back then. Remember when we had to learn on our own? It was a omen if someone stumbled along that really knew what they were doing and told you the missing link. Keep making new videos because things are about to go really bad or really good if allowed, everything makes full circle. I figure 2020 when the past four years sat in and things start to boom again.

[@MrBrymstond]

On the Cathode side I would put a small copper or brass fishing swivel wrapped on tight with the copper wire and simply hook the wired part on the hook of the swivel so it doesn't rotate right back and still allows the negative to function or go all out with a high torque low voltage motor that would allow the part to rotate slowly and allow the voltage and amperage to flow to it. Just a thought.

[@stuartcookie133]

Great demo and a ton of info!! Tried to send Harry a message but he has died of cancer from touching that nasty solution all these 10 years....yes his fingers were gold colored but looked great in the coffin

[@miket2871]

Harold, Thanks for getting back to me. I will check the content of the nitric acid but i'm sure it is more than 40%. I'm thinking about 90% so that would be why it was burning the parts. I'll let you know , thanks again, Mike

[@neilmaster785]

i have wanted to do some plating you make it look so easy, nice video

[@matthewhart8635]

You know its a good video when you're three minutes in and you like save and sub thanks !!!

[@hankreardon6998]

Excellent narration and video. Professional.

[@ArnoldsDesign]

Beautiful finish!

[@briannuccitelli1349]

You video is top notch,very informative in every aspect, I’m trying to chromate cote my Holley carbs but without the pre zinc plating,I want a less lustrous finish,hope I can figure it out

[@timothymaggenti717]

Wow, really nice job. Great video

[@emoverrette9568]

To everyone out there. If you want your carb to look and work properly give this guy a call. I was going to try and plate my own parts until I looked at all the cost involved. I can say 1 thing ! Screw that I sent my carbs to Harold and what I received back was a new carburetor . I swear it just came from the factory and the price was what I thought cheap compared to what you had to do to get the same results. If you think about all your labor not only taking it all apart but then dealing with all the chemicals if you don't screw it up ! He is cheap !! He's honest and straight forward and that is hard to come by today. I was going to have a guy in NY rebuild my carb for my 68 Camaro and he wanted 3 times more then this guy so do yourself a favor and write him,call him or send it by a pigeon if you have to . You won't go wrong .

[@donrutter6765]

I am still trying to get a hold of him, I dont know how. My # is 609-296-0740.

[@MrBrymstond]

I imagine you could pull this off fairly cheaper. Go to a garage sale, most have a 10 or 20 gallon fish tank with a under gravel filter where there's a plate on the bottom and you put gravel on top each side has tubes and you have 2 pumps you have under water, follow Harold's homemade soups mix, use some spare copper pipe, copper wire and make it flattened out on each end and the same idea for the positive get the zinc he stated buy a cheap 12v 5a constant current power supply or even a beefy DC to DC convertor and fine tune it to your needs, the current is most important. This work makes the money so you can always upgrade.

[@maxlacugnato442]

do you have contact info for harold? ..been trying to get ahold of him to chat

[@d.e.m8219]

I'm impressed! Great job, thank you. Don

[@backwardsmachining7526]

Lots of manufacturers changed over to nickle instead of cadmium. I guess they said it was cancerous. I don't know to much about chemistry but awesome video. I'm planning on doing a plating video also. Thanks for great info

[@yettielusive3370]

This is a great video, very informative.

[@deankay4434]

Just great and home run. I have been rebuilding carburetors since the late 60’s. Thousands of Q-Jets. And people hate them. It is the only true variable Venturi carburetor on the market that works great. Even the Ford VV7200 & VV7400 was replaced at the dealer with antique 2bbl’s. We did not conversion coat but after cleaning and the coating was gone, we re-hydrated the metal in mineral spirits. It lasted weeks but not as good as this. Certified automotive ASE Master Tech since 1978 - Retired

[@mudfish9323]

Great instructional video, thanks Harold.

[@1969RSCamaro]

Very nice work. Well detailed instructions and also economical. They set up is a bit pricey but pays for itself with just s few jobs.

[@garrettdlouhy5531]

Thanks for educating me on the cadmium thing. I've always called this gold finish cad plating. Now I know.

[@markdeluca2330]

Excellent video, lots of knowledge given. I learned a lot and may try and attempt to do this in the future. Thank you for making it easy to understand.

[@Rich77UK]

How envious am I. What an awesome setup and instructional vid!

[@Digitalsharecropper]

Most of the "carburetor rebuild specialists" spray paint the carbs silver after reassembly. They look like hell after a few months, the fuel dissolves the paint and gums it all up. I hate that.I always wondered how the specialist parts restoration guys got this finish on parts. This was great. I have heard nothing but great about Caswell.

[@karenlanz3546]

Great vid.....probably one of the best on info......Thanks Much,

[@precisioncueservice6355]

Awesome. One way to remember polarity, from USN training, Cathy has a negative attitude, Andy has a positive attitude.

[@phatsakk43]

Different than my navy training. Cat has a "plus".

[@johnnydavis8351]

AWSOME video...thanks for sharing🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸👍👍👍 thank God you're a Chevy guy.

[@igoriakoven3665]

Thanks Harold ! Keep Well !

[@tonypotts3769]

Thanks, Harold. That's great info!

[@davefellhoelter1343]

I love this STUFF!! I did passivation for pharm, industrial and aerospace! I am working on tool plating! Just for fun!

[@NathanNostaw]

Thanks for the video. Some really good information shared. Cheers.

[@dennisropon2201]

Very nice and educating video, thanks for your time to make the video. Nice job too !

[@boostismagic]

You are a true craftsman, sir. Bravo! And he learned from books, etc....not web. Not scared of the cancer, either. Handles that stuff like it's chicken soup, lol

[@ArnoldsDesign]

Great looking results! I love the iridescent yellows, greens, reds, and even pinks that result with yellow chromating. I haven't attempted zamac. It sounds like there might be a layer of sub-surface oxide remaining that's not allowing conversion to take place on older zamac. Not to compete with what you've done here at all, but just to share my experiences with this, I did some of this for a customer this past spring on steel carb linkages and screws. I didn't get the caswell zinc bath chemicals because of the high price. I made zinc acetate solution, and used zinc roof moss prevention strip (99.99% Zn) for the anodes. It works well, and has a durable bond, but comes out flat, like primer grey. Caswell brightener doesn't appear to work with zinc acetate either. My solution to that is, I vapor blast the part after plating, and put down at least three layer of zinc, vapor blasting between cycles. The vapor blasting very quickly puts a bright satin finish on the zinc plate, which I then either yellow or clear/blue chromate. It makes more work, but the results look good. I used caswell's conversion solutions, so I'm disappointed to hear that they don't last long. I'm glad to see your zinc bath and chromate has lasted so long, so those are something I will consider.

[@wl0oczykij]

You're doing a great job Arnlod. I'm looking forward to your new films. Cheers from Poland

[@ArnoldsDesign]

@@wl0oczykij Thanks

[@chrishale5608]

Great video. Could you show more on the pump hook up? The parts look awesome. Can’t wait to try to set up something similar. Thank you for sharing

[@peter455sd]

This is beautiful

[@davidturner6543]

Thanks brother! I really enjoyed this

[@1607rosie]

That's awesome , for years I thought cadmium plating looked like the dichromate princess. Great information. Yeah the cyanide isn't something I'd want to mess with.

[@dondorfman3951]

I am an old guy and have been restoring castings for years. Your work is beautiful. I learned a lot from your video and I thank you for that. Keep in mind the electroplating process can be done in reverse to strip off plating. Might I suggest on the die cast zamak3 parts that you do not electroplate them? You can clean them as you do then go into a mild nitric bath to open the pours, rinse, then dip in your chromate bath as you do. The result will be closer to OEM original.

[@chrisstevens3801]

Why do you not recommend electroplating the zamak3 parts?

[@maxlacugnato442]

how mild of a bath on the nitric acid....about how much per gallon would you recommend

[@motorhead6763]

I rebuilt countless carbs. Worked in carb shop 1979 in NY as a Teen. Marina s kept me busy . Forgot about doing this in shop. Thanks!

[@Shoevette]

That is too friggin cool. My wife looks at me like I'm nuts. While true I will never do this, nor do I need any of this knowledge, I can't stop...... Well done -- thank you.

[@timothythompson3029]

Very nice set up!

[@RadioFixer]

Thank you for making this video, great job 👍👍

[@firstrespondergarage]

So where do I send my carb ? God's video, no BS. Awesome work, that is quite a craft you got there. Thank you

[@backnine]

My Email is in the description.

[@antonioosoriokory]

Muy interesante proceso de galvanoplastia, aplicado a los carburadores gracias por mostrar el proceso saludos desde México!!!

[@BoomerWelder]

No Mexican posts on American videos- Maybe Trump can arrange an internet wall also to block foreign cyber infestation .

[@user-neo71665]

Thanks I've never seen this done before and this just showed up in my feed. I know it's not factory correct but I still prefer the look of nickel plated parts, and yes I mean nickel not chrome.

[@jlmust]

Very interesting, Great video. Looks great.

[@Motown454]

Beautiful job!

[@miket2871]

Thanks Harold, I'll try a little bit more of the sodium dichromate.

[@stanwooddave9758]

Very informative, thanks for sharing.

[@arnoldschmidt2753]

That was excellent ! If you were to ever build copies of your set up including every part of the apparatus, chemicals list ,and assemble it ,I would consider buying one from you because you build quality . But as we get older and things in life change ,we sometimes lose our desire and move on to other experiences to keep our minds vibrant. What would be easier would be for you to write a book about your experiences and add a list of suppliers ,and the product specifications. But this video is 10 years old and things change . Now if you spent say $3000.00 on your investment ,& plated 100 carbs ,That's 30 bucks in process operating cost but if it takes 8 hours per carb @ $20/hour ,that yields $160.00 /day . That might be a good slow steady income for anyone who likes to rejuvenate carbs that work excellent as long as your heart and commitment to quality doesn't waver. I thank you for speaking about your process and sharing your knowledge . I am impressed .

[@mjd9813]

amazing WORK!

[@travwil2461951]

Thanks for a decent video without all the music to cover up the noise.