DIY electroplating - Bright nickel plating at home

[@eighthof8]

Restoring a '74 Kawasaki H1 triple. Watched several youtube videos for instructions and decided to give home nickel plating a try with the head bolts. What I found out is that it truly works! Purchased two 1" X 6" nickel anodes off ebay. Also purchased a cheap adjustable power supply off ebay as well. Mixed up a solution of white vinegar and about a tablespoon of salt in a quart glass jar. Placed one nickel anode on one side of the jar and other on the opposite side. Bent the top of the anodes over so they'd hang from the lip of the jar. Hooked the postive wire to one anode and the neg to the other on low current, maybe 2 amps. I then let chemistry do it's thing overnight. Next day, the solution was a nice green color. Used a wire wheel brush on my bench grinder to clean the bolts. Where the bolts had imperfections, I used an orbital sander to remove pitting and bad machining. Then used carb cleaner to remove oils; no acid! Let the carb cleaned bolts air dry. I hooked up the "negative" side of the power supply to a bolt, and the positive lead to one of the anodes using alligator clips. I used a clothes pin on the bolt wire lead just to where the alligator clip didn't touch solution. You don't want alligator clips or any other metal touching solution and contaminating it. I put power supply on about 2 amps. Tried different times on all 12 bolts. I found the best plating was waiting at least 40 minutes or longer. That way you have a nice thick plate for protection. Only did one bolt at time to get the hang of it. Stir the solution from time to time to keep the bubbles off the part or you'll have shadows. The bolts came out of the solution a dull gray. Used my bench buffer and after a little polishing the bolts came out great! Perfect? No, but darn good. Nickel plating will not cover up bad preparation. Your part must be the way you want it before plating. It will not fill cavities in the metal. I'm going to plate a bunch of other stuff like: Bolts, nuts, hose clamps, ect. Give it a try. If I can do it, you certainly can too. Best of luck!

[@1935triumph]

Very good…

[@eighthof8]

@@1935triumph Forgot to thank you for the instructions as well as your vid.

[@szsenyuk8887]

Add 1 packet of artificial sweetener and 3 ounces of radiator coolest to half gallon of nickle plating solution that's made from scratch. You will be surprised by the difference in quality of the finish.

[@alwood9148]

@@szsenyuk8887 sugar does same? and what does rad coolant do do u think? i have made the nickle solution just as is cheers mate

[@donaldspeck9212]

Try adding a tablespoon of miralax to your solution for bright nickel

[@linolino]

hi, this is the video where you work in a more precise and clean way, could you indicate the chemical substances and doses?

[@rohit-eh8gb]

I like your video I will try brother thanks a lots for ideas

[@FrenChAnal]

Great job. 🥳 Whay was the apms setting ? Thanks for sharing 🫡 Sir.

[@freeman7788]

Using Nickel welding rods to electro plate they are not pure nickel and just looking for a rust proof coating i used 1 part hydrocloric acid/muriatic acid and 5 parts distilled water. I plates bolts after wire brushing, they seemed to plate a grey zink color like etched steel and then they started to go a grey tarnished colour thought i might gave to neutralise the the Hyrocloric acid, so i dipped the bolts in Phosphoric acid to remove any suspected rust in the fine thread, there was black oxide in the base of the thread im thinking this is fouling the plating and reacting when i pull the bolts out and they tarnish...Really gave to buff these to get proper results?

[@boballen2350]

Hi, any idea on how to estimate the amount of materials tequired for a particular surface area?

[@FCL-mp1zg]

HI. congratulations for the work. Could you tell me the name of the chemical components and quantity but above all where you purchased them. A thousand thanks!!!😊

[@oktawianp8733]

Can I use car battery acid to remove the chromium?

[@Nerof11]

How did you drill into the chunks of nickel that you are using for anodes.. I tried drilling but the nickel work hardens preventing further progress ????

[@bennielaars]

Looks very good! Will it keep its shine on the long run or will it go dull eventually?

[@1935triumph]

Thanks. My first time and was impressed myself. Only time will tell!!!!

[@Brandon_obs_ls]

How much did ur set up cost

[@royalrevue23]

What and what did you mixed ?

[@riimit]

MINUTE 4,11 AFTER WATER BATH WHAT TIPE OF ACID DO YOU USE IN WHAT CONCENTRATION? TANKS

[@kuyadendentv4244]

If I mix 2 liters of distilled water .. is it okey?

[@siemenssl45]

Great result! What is the temperature of the solution?

[@1935triumph]

Thanks! I was pleasantly surprised myself!! The electrolyte was heated via fish tank heater on its max setting which is 33 degrees Celsius.

[@danielsauriol]

​@@1935triumph any possibility of clarifying the amount of material that you are pouring in the gallon jugs at the beginning of the video ? Some people have asked for the information but I might have missed your reply ?

[@paulbryanagustin439]

What chemicals do I need

[@usmanashraf946]

what were the ingredients?

[@asdwee4444]

beautyfull results. what is the recepie ?

[@L98fiero]

It's apparently a secret, if he tells the rest of us how to do it, he won't be special anymore.

[@thomasebuka3593]

Please how I do I get an electroplating machine

[@alwood9148]

try zinc make zinc acetate, i sandblast then acid dip then 20 min in zinc rinse then 0000 steel wool follow by metal polish wow very impressed

[@frankdimuthu8102]

Please let us know, what is name of added the two types liquid in to electrolysis?

[@1935triumph]

Deionised water approx 5L. Nickel brightener 250ml

[@kuyadendentv4244]

Sir .. the electrolyte in need to be warm before i start to nickel ? Or no need... Thanks for sharing..

[@1935triumph]

Yes. Mines heated to 35 degrees C ish.

[@muhammadbasir83]

You should use mini aquarium air pump to agitate the solution during electroplating process to get better result.

[@1935triumph]

Yes. Indeed 🙌🏻

[@1935triumph]

Yes. Indeed 🙌🏻

[@rohit-eh8gb]

All camicul names and waight pls tell me

[@fvrrljr]

for all people asking for ingredients, you must read all comments they're there

[@Zen_Modeling]

Well Done! Are you using A an HCI cleaning solution? If so what % HCI. 📍And a question or opinion please. I use a 20% Sodium Hydroxide solution for cleaning my Aluminum machined parts prior to Anodizing them. Do you feel thst a NaOH solution can be a alternative to HCI? I'm green to all this, so I hope it wasn't a stupid question🤓 BTW: Excellent Content Ii m a new a Subscriber 4-U 👍 Lee aka: ☯️ZenModeling

[@jjansen6667]

Almost no information in this video. What stuf are you putting in the container? Why and what are you spraying the part with? How long and what is the intensity of the current ? Never to late to add formation to the video. So please add some info !

[@dinesh4008]

Bro, please tell me how to do the same on a slightly larger scale🙏

[@1935triumph]

I’m just a DIY’er whose had good results (I’d say) on motorcycle components. One would assume… a larger plating vessel 👍🏻

[@JehuMcSpooran]

What was the acid you used after the alkaline bath?

[@1935triumph]

Dry acid salt crystals mixed with deionised water

[@gaulix69]

@@1935triumph citric or oxalic acid by the way?

[@L98fiero]

@@gaulix69 I look like boric acid in the video.

[@petercunningham3469]

Mmm so what should we talk about next time😂

[@luigifiordalisi1933]

hi, could you be so kind as to indicate the name and dosage of the three components used? Thank you

[@1935triumph]

Nickel sulphate 1kg, nickel chloride 250g, boric acid 150g to 5L deionised water

[@luigifiordalisi1933]

​​@@1935triumph thank. Congratulations for the work 😊

[@L98fiero]

@@1935triumph And the nickel brightener?

[@eduarf4415]

que aditivo se acupa para abrillantar

[@L98fiero]

@@eduarf4415 Jason Welsh tiene un vídeo sobre eso.

[@aureliopetruccelli3868]

Hi, what do you use for nickel plating saccharin or formaldehyde as a rinse aid?

[@eduarf4415]

nose tu ya averiguastes que se utiliza para abrillantar el niquel

[@Sam-pl7xi]

As a DIY beginner, after seeing many other Ni Plating videos for DIY enthusiast, I find this is not a DIY video It is ok for someone who is a professional and knows ingredients, quantities, Voltage, Current, time etc. For Triumph enthusiast, the rider/ owner may be confused and begin debating if he must or he could do this, himself at home? ....BUT where to begin?? This video does kick in that little stir in the mind on what did he use for electrolyte?

[@jacobkudrowich]

It is still technically DIY Since he's doing it himself

[@zmblion]

Brake cleaner for the cleaner not carb clean brake clean drys dry carb has a slight oil film

[@albertkinney8021]

Yep really awesome if you are old like me and can tell what you did to do the correct steps and figure the mix ratio of the chemicals that are in the bags by the Way was that 2 parts cocaine 3 parts green ground up apple jolly ranchers and 1 cup of powdered nickel.Who the hell knows but THIS guy doing the video. Turned out great now I will go figure out what the damn chemicals were. 😎👎

[@beastboy3517]

Pls sand full detail

[@deanmartin6052]

Watching that and trying to get any info was a complete waste of time.

[@user-iw1uh1sn9c]

Hii

[@josephhession7681]

This is the shit

[@Wheel_Horse]

Great... just what we need, another "mute" video.

[@grafzahl7878]

Not very instructive without giving any details on substances, temperatures, timings...😟

[@1935triumph]

I will next time…

[@Alex-power]

cost for mechanical

[@dan422b]

Did you give the Recipe now ?

[@fvrrljr]

@@dan422b he did