Best Copper Plating Solution ~ DIY Professional #3

Here is a step by step guide of what I consider the easiest and best copper plating solution without purchasing expensive plating kits. If you’re new to copper plating then watching this video is a must!!!
#garagescience #diyprofessional #garageplating #diy #doityourself #chemistry #copperplating #electroplating #science #garage #scientist
This copper plating recipe is derived from the think and tinker site recipe available here:
www.thinktink.com/stack/volum...
Bill of Materials:
Conductive Paint for plating non-metal objects:
amzn.to/2MIKU3H
Copper Sulphate:
amzn.to/2L9EdmF
Sulphuric Acid:
amzn.to/2UCABOh
PolyEthylene Glycol:
amzn.to/2UBOBrC
Air Pump:
amzn.to/2UAhSmF
DC Power Supply (power supply I have):
amzn.to/2PuYBz7
DC Power Supply (all you actually need for this purpose):
amzn.to/2Py5r6W
Copper Wire:
amzn.to/2UE20iO
The photo gallery of all my electroplating projects is located here:
drive.google.com/drive/folder...
You can see how my electroplating bath works by going here:
• Homemade Copper Platin...
I first got into electroplating just as a fun science experiment. As I tried to plate things better and better that grew into what I have now which is very close to professional level copper plating results. I’ve never purchased a kit and I have made everything I use from scratch.
I have used citric acid before as a replacement for sulphuric acid (battery acid) and you can get good plating results with a milder acid like this. Sharp corners are not handled very well in a bath like this however and you will tend to get tree like growths around sharp corners with a citric acid plating solution.
Always use caution when working with sulphuric acid. It isn’t such a harsh chemical that it will immediately melt the skin from your hand if unprotected but it must be washed off with lots of water or you will get a chemical burn. And getting it in your eyes is EXTREMELY hazardous so never handle without eye protection. This plating solution can be very effective and very safe if treated properly. I highly suggest a sealed screw on lid container like the 5gal bucket I use in the video to make sure that no electrolyte can pose a hazard to the surrounding area or yourself.
There is a sea of information about copper plating, most of it relating to industrial copper plating. The science in the published information is still good even for small operations. Make sure you still do plenty of research so you know how your apparatus operates and avoid giving yourself a migraine over trying to figure out why your copper plating bath doesn’t work.
The video titled "Making copper electroforming / electroplating bath" by Jason Welsh ( • Making copper electrof... ) provides another approach that is similar to mine.
The video titled "Best DIY Copper Plating Methods" by Christopher Wagner ( • Best DIY Copper Platin... ) shows voltage effects on short duration plating.
The video titled "Copper Electroplating - The Sci Guys: Science at Home" by The Sci Guys ( • Copper Electroplating ... ) demonstrates the basic electrochemical principles behind copper plating.
The video titled "How to electroplate copper onto objects such as metal & plastic" by InForAPenny2010 ( • How to electroplate co... ) shows a similar method that I use to copper plate plastic. You can see in the thumbnail for this video a copper plated 3D Print.
As always I am glad to answer any questions. Check me out on facebook and like my page because I do post smaller projects there and on my Instagram account when I don’t make videos of them.
/ garagescience

[@aappleseed3631]

Thank you so much for posting this video really descriptive! Appreciate the info. I had some questions tho? I had purchased a kit online and it seems its gotton to much chloride contamination so the plate is quite grainy and inconsistent . I feel its about time to mix up a new bath. The kit I had purchased needed less sulfuric acid . It instructed to operate the bath about 70° to95°f With a aquarium heater. I noticed yours was about 130° and used more sulfuric acid . So my question is by using the solution you show and operating at about 75°F with my aquarium heater and agitator will i still get the same results or do I need to modify my set up?

[@GarageScience]

Try using the document provided at this link to troubleshoot issues with the plating solution: www3.uic.com/wcms/images2.nsf/c06db59d70a043cc85256809004d8cbe/183dbe584ba8157b852570140067e6a2/$FILE/09-Electrolytic_Copper_Plating_Additives_and_Contaminants.pdf If you had a grainy or "rough" surface that may have been due to a low sulfuric acid concentration. In general conductivity increases with temperature, at a lower temperature you should expect to see higher voltages for the same amount of current. 70F-120F is the ideal operating temperatures for an acid copper plating bath. You should run your bath at a voltage high enough to get a current density of about 20-50 A/ft^2. And maintain a pH in the vicinity of 2.5. I think you will be fine operating my copper plating solution at 75F. Right now my bath heaters can't keep up with the colder temperatures in my shed and its been running at about 50C without any problems. More operating parameters can be found here: transene.com/copper-plating/

[@GarageScience]

+a appleseed quick side question, were you heating the copper plating solution directly with the aquarium heaters?

[@aappleseed3631]

Garage Science yea i have it directly in the solution .

[@aappleseed3631]

Garage Science great to hear . Thank you for the quick response! Iv been looking into different plating solutions. Some with higher copper sulfate concentration and lower sulfuric acid like that came with me caswell kit www.caswellplating.com/copper-crystals-with-brightener1-5-gal.html Then others like yours with less copper sulfate and more sulfuric acid to make the remaining needed copper sulfate by being made in the bath from the extra sulfuric acid reacting with the copper anodes to make copper sulfate to fully saturate the solution.

[@GarageScience]

+a appleseed unless the heater is made of stainless steel it will corrode and dissolve into the bath because of the higher acid concectration. I would suggest a plating bath within a separate heating bath like the setup I use. If you get aluminum or iron contamination in your bath your plating will get really bad pretty fast.

[@GMCLabs]

You can save some money getting sulfuric acid drain cleaner(brands= Liquid lighting, Roto, Kleen out), It's about 94% sulfuric acid, just adjust accordingly.

[@BoydWaters]

I can't understand your voice very well due to a noisy environment, but really appreciate your notes, links, and demonstration of good item preparation before plating. Very helpful! Thanks!

[@ARCSTREAMS]

if i want to copper plate steel or anything that is difficult like aluminium or quarters (which do not seem to be working well for me),do i need to strike it with zinc or nickel first? will a brushed porous Al surface work without doing zinc or nickel? and should i have separate baths for the zinc or nickel than the final platting bath for copper even if the solution for the bath is the same?

[@vliegi]

Great video, thank you! Can I use PEG 4000 for brightening as opposed to Miralax as I can't find that product in my country.

[@ARCSTREAMS]

ppg is that the same stuff in vapes for smoking? can glycerin work too?i did not know heating the bath was necessary,i guess it makes it work better keeping it at a certain temp while plating? after the part is done i usually dip it in a solution of vinegar,lemon juice and salt and then slowly scrub off all the gunk with a stainless steel brush followed by a dip in water,is this ok too? im new to all of this and learning something new each time

[@elenard377]

Thank you, Samuel for the info! What are the chemicals you use to make the item shining after you take it out from the bath? Does that mean that miralax doesn’t really make coppering process shining? Thanks a lot! I can’t purchase in my country a professional brightener for coppering. So I’m looking for the options. Hopefully you can share what chemicals you use for shining

[@bryan2127]

Nice vid. I have nickel and copper playing vids on KZbin [ at Bryan 212] and I must say, your vid is excellent for the med-higher experience playing. I like how you spent the time showing all of the ingredients and why/what they are for. Thanks.

[@TheSateef]

great to see a video from someone who knows what they are talking about, thx

[@firesweep58]

Do you have any tips or process to make a "flash copper" or copper cyanide bath for base plating pot metal?

[@kreynolds1123]

Maybe I missed it, but when plating to plastic pieces, what do you use for your conductive ink/paint?

[@rediempti]

Have you ever tried plating a mold of something? Do you ever plate something so thick that it could support itself, like in electrotyping? Where do you get all the information, is there a dedicated community for this? Thanks a lot

[@GarageScience]

Plating a mold is on my list of things to do. Right now I'm working on plating larger 3D printed items and getting smooth and even surface finishes (the way you hang the part in the bath is just as important as the chemistry in the bath). I have removed plated copper off of parts and it's stiff enough to support itself. I will probably try castable resin at some point and make a mold/solid copper part that way. Google is my best friend for information, some scholarly papers are free but most have to be bought. finishing.com is an excellent resource. The guys there have been in the metal finishing business for decades.

[@blackriflesmatter]

Great videos brother, I have learned a lot by watching them. I have the desire to try and use your plans to build a system, primarily to plate iron plumbing fittings in order to give them an old patina'd look and feel. I was wondering if you would be willing to do a quick test on say a 1/2" non galvanized iron elbow or tee and post the results? I am most certainly not looking for as much copper build up as you are going for, but rather a thin layer that can be lightly polished to give it a dull shine, and then use some sort of pickling agent to cause the copper to oxidize and turn green(ish). I have not been able to find a video from anyone who has done that, and don't want to spend the money building this system if it wont work as I envision. If you are so inclined, and are willing to plate a fitting, I would gladly paypal you for the fitting and whatever you felt was fair for your time. Looking forward to your reply, and again, thank you for your wonderful videos. Definitely subscribed... Respectfully,

[@GarageScience]

Boogaloo Tactical Tactical thanks for the comment, I am very glad you enjoy my channel. When it comes to copper plating iron things get a little tricky. Because of the relative nobility of iron and copper. When iron is immersed in a copper sulphate solution (such as an electroplating bath) the Cu in solution and the Fe on the part immediately swap places even without electrical current. This might seem advantageous except the copper now on the surface of the part is not adhered to it and can be easily wiped off. This means an extra step has to be taken to plate iron by first plating it with a different metal, usually nickel, zinc or tin. I happen to have a nickel plating solution that I haven't used in a while so I will break it out and see what is possible. If you are trying to replicate this just know that nickel plating baths can get expensive just because the chemicals tend to cost more because of the relative cost of copper and nickel. Message me on my Facebook page and we can work out details if you would like me to mail you whatever I test plate.

[@opposedforces]

I will absolutely ping you on FB sir, and thank you so much for the prompt and courteous reply! I had no idea that iron and copper seem to be mutually exclusive in that way. I suspect that plating the iron fittings in nickel first, will then produce a fairly uniform copper plate in the 2nd process? That may work, if by chance the nickel plating can be denied on certain areas of the iron fitting by artfully painting specific areas with wax like they do when they are anodizing aluminum? There is an anodizer near me that I have used for years to anodize aluminum car and motorcycle parts, and whenever I have areas of a particular part that cannot be anodized, they paint this dense red molten wax on those areas to protect it from the corrosive effects of the anodizing process prior to the dying phase. Specifically, anything that is NOT aluminum, will be quickly eaten away, like nutserts, helicoils and other steel hardware. It is definitely effective and the wax has a high melting point, so as not to be melted away in the hot anodizing tanks. In my mind, the wax would remain through the copper plating phase and then removed to reveal the black iron substrate. Careful blending and polishing with a wire wheel or buffing wheel could then blend the copper to iron interface to give it that worn/aged look that I am ultimately shooting for. Thoughts?z P.S. Sorry, I replied with my main gmail account and not my Boogaloo Tactical account.. I am the same guy.

[@GarageScience]

If you're up for some light reading you can do some research on reduction potentials and you'll find that a redox reaction between Fe and Cu is galvanic as opposed to electrolytic. Yes you could use a substance to deny copper and nickel plating in certain areas. I have found that enamel paint works just fine for creating an insulating layer on a part. If the shape is simple enough even electrical tape will do the job sometimes. The uniformity of the plating is heavily dependent on your plating tank and process and not so much preplating it with nickel.

[@12filipes]

Amazing video!!! Question: You say it's possible to replace sulfuric acid with citric acid. In this case, does the remaining content stay the same? And most importantly, considering that I used citric acid powder, how much of it (volume/mass) would I need to use?

[@GarageScience]

This tutorial goes step by step into a similar formula using citric acid. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJLHmWhsqJZkick

[@jefferyzielke7665]

I tried an acetic acid vinegar with baking soda bath. My plating turned out black. I realize I was making a mistake using tap water. Could that be the lone source of excessive oxidation? Really enjoyed your video it was very easy to understand and entertaining

[@GarageScience]

Try reducing your plating voltage... if it's a fixed voltage source you may want to add a resistor in series with the plating bath. You can use ohms law to determine a resistance value for your bath (that is, for the conductivity and voltage you are running the bath at since it isn't constant) and then use a basic voltage divider calculation to get the right sized resistor. Make sure you get one rated for the right number of watts though.

[@grahambate3384]

Gr8 video mate. Very hard to get battery acid here in Australia. Cheers Graham

[@michaellevendusky5712]

How much route kill do you add to 2 gallons and how muriatic acid to 2 gallons

[@rjd72577]

Would like to ask ... I have been hit wit issue.. black soot forming on part copper seems to float on top of soot (steel parts)

[@GarageScience]

Try watching my video on Copper plating steel. It may explain some of the issues you're having. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bHS2aWeIn52FqK8

[@corygene6477]

What about well water? I'm doing the chrome bumpers on my car and using a huge trough to do it in

[@rmark1083]

Well water contains just as much if not more containments that city water.

[@lp.670]

great video 👍

[@nicolassaezluna7072]

First of all I found your copper plating video and installation great, now secondly I would like to know if you have any email to communicate with you, since I have an installation similar to yours although much more rudimentary and I am having problems with copper plating and I would like you to He will advise a little, since he would like to know for what reason he could be having these problems. In general terms, what happens to me is that I notice that the coppering is done extremely quickly, in just 1 minute the pieces that I submerge are completely covered by copper but superficially and when passing a cloth, practically everything is removed and only one layer adheres very fine copper. I am working with a voltage of 3.3 and amperage of 25 (I use that amperage considering a curren density of 0.15 because what I am covering is a piece of almost 150 square inches, 75 for each side). Could you advise me more or less by telling me what amperage I should really use since I think that's the real problem. I'm from Chile, sorry if my English is not very good hahaha

[@GarageScience]

Email is in my youtube channel page.

[@PerfectRumble]

Hi. Great video, thanks for sharing the recipe! I have a question though. While researching copper plating solution recipes, I found versions that contain a lot less battery acid (with other amounts being the same as in your recipe, only about 20-25 ml of battery acid). Could you please share you thoughts on that, i.e. how is it possible to get good copper plating results with solutions that have a huge difference in battery acid concentration?

[@GarageScience]

Sulphuric Acid does three things 1) it helps corrode and breakdown the copper electrode 2) increases conductivity of the solution which increases plating ability. 3) provides "throwing power" which helps to plate in channels, cracks and crevices on the part. Less battery acid just means these effects will occur at a lower amount. There are other additives you can use to increase these effects but having more battery acid is the simplest and most straight forward way to improve these three effects.

[@PerfectRumble]

@@GarageScience Thank you for this detailed response! Much appreciated :)

[@lang9686]

does the soluition expire and if so how long until it needs to be changed?

[@GarageScience]

The PEG can theoretically breakdown over time. I've plated with the same solution nearly around the clock for months without having to remake. Only adding a little PEG or HCL now and again

[@wojowrench4716]

Can brass or bronze be electroplated onto steel or copper? the same procedure for making nickel sulfate?

[@GarageScience]

Brass and Bronze are composite materials made of several different kinds of metal. There may be a way to do it but I have yet to come across a way. My first inclination is no.

[@aj.blosser]

After you mix the acid in and have the complete solution, is the final result safe if it gets on your skin? I'm ok having to be careful with acid *once* but if the actual resulting solution is still dangerous, I don't think I'd be comfortable leaving something in buckets in my garage that could be dangerous if spilled.

[@GarageScience]

The sulphuric acid is fairly dilute, but the solution itself is still pretty corrosive. Not something you would want to spill. I use the 5gal buckets with screw on lids so I can keep it secure when not used. It wont instantly give you a chemical burn but still not something you want to ingest or get into your eyes

[@merlinr.sparks]

does it make a difference if we use Copper Sulfate vs Copper Sulfate Pentahydrate? thanks

[@GarageScience]

No. The pentahydrate just means their is water trapped in the copper Sulfate crystals. But your going to dissolve the crystals in water anyways.

[@colsoncustoms8994]

Could you add stuff to the copper solution to make it a little harder? Thinking about plating cast bullets for using in a rifle and a little more hardness over pure copper wouldn't be bad for running them full speed. Zinc, tin, aluminum, nickel?

[@chemistry7119]

Search on youtube! Terminator frog copper on spray

[@GarageScience]

You can effect the hardness of deposits by controlling things like Chloride content and Sulfur content. In terms of plating alloys I'm not aware of a process to do this. Based on the electrolytic properties of Copper ions it would be very difficult to do that unless the reduction potential of the alloy was very similar to copper.

[@colsoncustoms8994]

Awesome, thanks for the reply.

[@SmeeUncleJoe]

What books were you quoting from on this video ? I'd like to get them.

[@GarageScience]

Most of it was from public research papers and various websites. Thinking about doing a video on the science behind copper plating. Do you think viewers like yourself would get a lot out of that. Obviously all sources would be provided.

[@briangrussing9327]

Thanks man!

[@wearetherandombros7782]

Hello mate nice videos ! I am looking to find a replacement for Nickel Plating but silver is too expensive. I was thinking about white bronze but i couldnt find any info. Do you have any opinion ? Zinc or tin needs a lot of post processing to shine like nickel.

[@GarageScience]

Not aware of a way to plate bronze since it's a composite metal. There is probably a zinc plating recipe out there similar to the copper plating recipes I use... for post plating polishing I just use a tumbler with dish soap and lemishine.

[@wearetherandombros7782]

@@GarageScience well i know the way to plate bronze but i cant find anything on white bronze anodes.. I mean i usually plate Zamak parts. Copper plate then Nickel plate and after a bronze plate to give a "gold" coloring to them but i can find brass/bronze anodes to buy. Assuming that white bronze is copper/tin/zinc and bronze is quite the same do you believe that the same solution will work ? Sorry for asking such a thing but i wanted someone with more knowledge than me to give some advice. To make White bronze i would have to build a metal foundry so a better research is always a nice idea :P

[@GarageScience]

@@wearetherandombros7782, I would say to never assume the same solution will work for two different kinds of metals(for example, copper and nickel plating solutions are very different from each other.). I dont know of a solution for bronze but a Google search that includes "scholarly articles on" should turn up some white paper research on the subject.

[@wearetherandombros7782]

@@GarageScience Thanks mate !! :) I will!!

[@wojowrench4716]

Great video - I learned alot from it. I am trying to find an easier and less expensive way braze tungsten carbide cutting tips onto steel (for special tooling)... current method requires silver solder ...50%-silver, 30%-copper and others zn sn ..it does a great job but very expensive. There is a much less expensive solder available 86%-copper, 6%-phosphorus and 5% silver. This cheaper solder wets and bonds well to Tungsten Carbide but does not bond well at all to steel.. the carbide tips pop off easy. I after watching your video I was thinking that I can copper plate the tips of the tool steel and then use the cheaper solder ( which has lots of copper) to braze the TC onto the tool steel? finish is not important - actually rougher surfaces give a better bond to solder/braze - do you think copper plating could be strong enough? I also watched your nickel plating vid..... nickel coat first and then copper coat second be better?

[@GarageScience]

Using my guides you'll definitely have to nickel plate prior to copper plating. I can't give a definitive answer on how strong it will be. If you don't do copper plating right your results can be pretty brittle. This solution will create a relatively ductile copper plating though I don't have any hardness test results to share.

[@wojowrench4716]

@@GarageScience After watching your video got all excited thought I would give copperplating a try anyways - our little city had all the ingredient you have listed !! (minus the Mirolax - don't think I need it) and new buckets - total costs is much less the kits on line (in Ontario,Canada) - I would have to order in Nickel but for meantime I am going to try copper first! Thanks for your help!

[@wojowrench4716]

@@GarageScience Hi - (with your help) I successfully made a nickel bath from local supplied materials - I made a nickel coat on my part and was quite impressed!... The bond strength between nickel and steel is very tough it is a strong bond- I used a chisel and hammer to try and get underneath the nickel coat and lift it off - Could NOT! and the strength and ductility of Nickel is exceptional - I know this will work for my application - in future I would like to do a pull test just to see how strong the bond is in PSI - thanks again - I am looking to buy Nickel Sulphate - I made my own like your video but online for sale is Nickel Hexa Sulphate - what is the difference from Penta?

[@billbarrett582]

@@wojowrench4716 in Canada, older nickels are actually pure nickel. Something like before 1980. I've been collecting them and they work well for making nickel-plateing solution

[@lenny108]

11:15 This looks like doing copper plating in a mass production factory.

[@communismman1471]

So what if copper oxide is forming on the metal (you can wipe it off)

[@GarageScience]

It shouldn't form during the plating, if it is that could indicate that you no longer have an acidic solution. If its forming after plating then that's normal. Some sort of coating is needed to prevent copper from oxidizing when exposed to air.

[@felixfalcon9867]

Hello GS, You mention about doing nickel plating. Do you have a decent nickel plating solution recipe that I can use with my copper plated work.

[@GarageScience]

+Felix Falcon try this document and look at the "Watts plating bath": www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.nickelinstitute.org/~/media/Files/TechnicalLiterature/NPH_141015.ashx&ved=0ahUKEwje5sbg7f7VAhXPZiYKHZ5IBbcQFgg8MAI&usg=AFQjCNGpiC5mrujJ5YFBnim6C6VRuhctmg that is what I have used. It's pretty safe and relatively affordable to make. I haven't gotten a super great process down for using it yet which is why I haven't made a video on it yet.

[@felixfalcon9867]

Hello GS, Thank you for the fast reply. I will do some testing and experiment with a few items and see what results I get. Thanks again for the providing the document.

[@pedroperenne]

the link tries to save/download a file? .ashx file? what kind of file is that? to be opened with what?

[@GarageScience]

It's a pdf file. It should open up in the browser. At least it did for me in chrome.

[@pedroperenne]

Tks... let me try it in another browser

[@brappineau4161]

What is the largest thing you've plated?

[@arashrkarimi]

Great video. Thanks. I tired dissolving copper in vinegar and hydrogen peroxide, the result was not very good. Plating became black. At first I was using a car battery charger. I thought it was too much of voltage and current so i switched to two AA batteries but again same bad result. Any idea why my plating gets black?

[@GarageScience]

+Arash Razzagh Karimi it gets black because your copper is depositing too fast and doesn't adhere to the surface of your part. It basically is creating microscopic branches and trees of copper very quickly. The reason it is black is not because it is burnt or anything like that but because the complex microscopic geometry of your copper deposits doesn't allow much light to escape and so it appears black. I would try an even lower voltage, try one AA and if it is still black try using a voltage divider to bring the voltage to about 0.5 volts. The best plating I have done has been between 0.5 and 1 volt.

[@royalrevue23]

How come mines doesn't come out like that . Sort of comes out brownish. I leave it for 3 hrs trying to get that thick layer. When I try to. Uff it out part if the copper comes out

[@GarageScience]

A burnt appearance can indicate too much plating current. Try reducing the voltage you are using to plate.

[@royalrevue23]

Garage Science ohh I see . I'm using 4 double A batteries . Right now I was thinking of using a phone portable charger but idk

[@GarageScience]

I'd recommend just 1 AA battery. The 5V from the phone charger is probably still too much.

[@royalrevue23]

Garage Science thank you . Another question . So use 1 double A battery but stil leave the object 3 hrs or so right so it could get a good.heavy coat ?

[@GarageScience]

I would plate it a little longer. I have gotten plating thicknesses over 1/8th inch thick after plating for 3 days haha.

[@strafach87]

What’s the liquid you put in your tumbler?

[@GarageScience]

It's water, "lemishine" and dish soap. My tumbling material is stainless steel pins.

[@strafach87]

Thanks for all your responses, you’ve been incredibly helpful. Two more questions for you. The citric acid you mention, any specific concentration? Mix it the same as you would the sulfuric acid? And secondly, do you know anything about phosphorized copper and where to get it? Thank you again!

[@nobackhands]

I have trying copper electroplating but getting electroforming...any recommendations

[@GarageScience]

+nobackhands , I'm afraid I need a little more info to help. Are you using the solution I created in this video or something else. What are your operating specs and what exactly is happening in your results, is it black, rough, covered in pits or noduals?

[@nobackhands]

I have been trying to electroplate some small size pieces. With the total surface area of a US penny, I am using two gallons of copper bath with anodes of copper wire distributed on all four sides. My power source is three AA batteries in series. However, I have tried using a 12 volt DC cell phone charger. In each experiment, I got electroforming rather than electroplating Thanks for any recommendations

[@GarageScience]

+nobackhands is it basically creating little trees everywhere? Also what is your electroplating solution made of. You probably are using too much voltage. Try putting the three AAs in parallel and if you can agitate the water a little that will help plus a little laxative (ie polyethylene glycol) would help too, but only about 1 tablespoon.

[@nobackhands]

My solution was made with Copper Sulfate Pentahydrate (Zeb Root Kill) I can understand the water agitation and the voltage change. Rather than water agitation what about heating the water. Thanks again

[@GarageScience]

+nobackhands you need more than just copper sulphate you need acid. If you're squeamish about using sulphuric acid then use vinegar (aka acetic acid). If you use vinegar you will need it to comprise about 30-50 percent of your total electrolyte. The acid is necessary for something called throwing power and also helps dissolve your electrodes. If you use about 3-5 tablespoons of muriatic acid (aka Hydrocholoric acid) you can bring the acidity up and add some chloride which will also help dissolve your electrodes. Bottom line your solution has to be acidic in order to work well.

[@en2oh]

You probably are aware that PEG is an abbreviation for a range of molecular weight polyethylene glycol polymers. There has been research done to look at optimum Mw (As PEG Mw was increased, the best filling performance of plating formula was obtained when the PEG Mw ranged from 6000 to 8000 g/mol. Only large PEG amounts whose Mw exceeds 2000 g/mol can effectively polarize the cathode,) for inducing a leveling effect. The laxative (and all similar products ie Restoralax etc) you mention is typically 3350 which is greater than the minimum Mw here is exceeded but is less than optimal. You might consider adding 1 or 2% sodium saccharin or even borax as brighteners. The Saccharin adds the much needed sulfur moiety for the PEG's optimum effect. For electroforming, you might consider the sulfamate preparations, at least consider it if you're looking at bright nickel electroforming.

[@GarageScience]

This is great info, thanks!

[@UpcycleElectronics]

So basically just use my spent hydrochloric acid/hydrogen peroxide etchant, distill it down a bit, and plate with it. Maybe add a bit of sulfuric acid to really get things moving. IIRC Sulfuric and hydrochloric acid mixed ~1:1 is the solution powerful enough to dissolve gold. Muriatic acid isn't so bad though. Half the stuff under most people's kitchen sink is just as powerful. I was all worried about it when I started using it. It's enough to be serious about, but it's not like it burns on contact or anything. Thanks for the upload. -Jake

[@GarageScience]

Hydrochloric acid is very dangerous so always use caution. Consumer cleaners using hydrochloric acid are relatively low in concentration and contain other chemicals that may minimize its harsh effects. Muriatic Acid bought from a hardware store is generally about 35% by weight and is strong enough to dissolve concrete. The vapors from a concentration like that can cause chemical burns in your lungs... not trying to scare you just trying to be real ;)

[@UpcycleElectronics]

@@GarageScience Hey thanks for telling the pinned comment not to use mixtures with any aluminum. I use aluminum cans to make my own SMD solder paste stencils. I usually just use some old spent etchant as it will still go right through thin aluminum. I'm about to try making my first 4 layer boards, but I need to get a plating process working first...thus why I'm here :-)

[@mateoarv]

Does someone know if this would work without sulfuric acid?

[@GarageScience]

Watch the tutorial I made about plating in a Mason jar. It uses citric acid.

[@GarageScience]

Here is the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJLHmWhsqJZkick

[@mateoarv]

Thank you, that's really helpful. I've seen the other video and you also substitute the muriatic acid. I happen to have muriatic acid, so would it be a good idea to use copper sulfate + citric acid + muriatic acid? does that make sense?

[@GarageScience]

You could. I would heavily emphasize how little muriatic acid you would need. I would start with a couple of drops and go from there, at least depending on the volume of solution you are trying to make.

[@rmark1083]

I do it using nothing more than Muriatic acid and water and of course a low current power supply. Be sure to research it so you know the proper mixture n such.

[@greenrichstudio1860]

nice :)

[@abdulmatinabdulkhalique985]

Please suggest me simple way and quick working layer methods

[@GarageScience]

You're going to need a separate bath for the tin or nickel plating. I haven't done any videos on baths like that yet so I would suggest looking around online. You'll only need a layer thick enough to cover the entire surface of the part. Then thoroughly rinse in water and place in copper plating bath.

[@abdulmatinabdulkhalique985]

@@GarageScience how much time it will take to lyer on one liter stainless steel bottles?

[@GarageScience]

Depends but probably only 15-30min I would think. That's just a guess though.

[@abdulmatinabdulkhalique985]

@@GarageScience because my business is stainless steel bottles and I want to put copper layer on my steel bottles will it be reduce time till 6 minutes because 15 to 30 minutes per bottle it's long time please suggest sir any ulternative method to put copper lyer on steel bottles please sir it's request to you.

[@abdulmatinabdulkhalique985]

@@GarageScience because my business is stainless steel bottles and I want to put copper layer on my steel bottles will it be reduce time till 6 minutes because 15 to 30 minutes per bottle it's long time please suggest sir any ulternative method to put copper lyer on steel bottles please sir it's request to you.

[@nopriors]

So essentially you used 2 gallons of water? One heated and one added after?

[@GarageScience]

More or less. Heating it to dissolve the copper sulphate speeds up the process. Otherwise you'll be sitting there stirring it for a long time.

[@nopriors]

@@GarageScience Thank you Sir

[@Yhrim70]

**@GARAGE SCIENCE** - Do you have a video on the process to copper plate steel parts??? I tried your recipe bath and the basics of your setup, but the copper coating just wiped off... and actually before that it just literally fell off and most of it is now in my plating bath... doesn't really matter I guess, as I had already destroyed my solution. As a **Warning** to others... **Do Not Use a refrigerator motor/pump for your air pump.** I did, got a good volume of air but not too much, thought it would work great... however the problem is that it also pumped a thin coat of oil out of the pump itself, and pumped it through the air line, so now my plating bath that I Just Made is contaminated with a sheen of oil floating on the surface. So I just lost about... $15 to $20 worth of brand new chemicals that I didn't even get to actually use...

[@GarageScience]

This video explains the reaction you experienced: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bHS2aWeIn52FqK8 You need an intermediate coating of a different metal. There are some copper plating baths that work directly with steel but they aren't quite as friendly to home electroplaters.

[@Yhrim70]

@@GarageScience Thank You! I had looked through your videos several times in the last week or so... How did I miss that one! Anyway, Thanks!

[@jamestcampbell610]

Purelax from CVS is the same as Miralax but is cheaper.

[@ElGatoLoco698]

The whole safety thing always makes me laugh. Car battery acid which is usually around 35% sulfuric acid already has water in it. Adding water to acid in this case does nothing but further dilute the acid. It won't explode. The whole 'acid into water' thing is a general rule used in labs where they are dealing with anhydrous sulfuric acid. Adding water to anhydrous sulfuric acid will cause a steam explosion.

[@akim2442]

The dilution of acid is an exothermic reaction, which means the dilution gives off heat. The reason you add "acid into water" instead of "water into acid" is to minimize the temperature change because the large volume of water is able to act as heat sink. With the reverse you can run the risk of making a solution so hot that it warps/melts the container you are using, especially if it's a cheap plastic case. I think the bigger hazard might be a a burn/drop hazard if you happen to be holding the container. Or in your anhydrous example, there's almost no thermal mass (water) to absorb all the heat generated, hence the explosion

[@pacman10182]

the battery acid is pretty weak, it doesn't affect skin very well, it'll do a number on a cotton shirt though

[@pacman10182]

@First name Last name fuck off, I take necessary precautions dilute, room temperature battery acid does nothing more then dry out skin

[@GarageScience]

Relax ladies, you're both pretty.

[@pacman10182]

@First name Last name I said it's harmless to *skin*, which is true if some dipshit is letting their kid play with battery acid, it's their fault, not mine, not yours, not the video uploader's

[@pacman10182]

@First name Last name I'd more worried about the copper sulfate, which is toxic. or the destruction you moral busy bodies leave in their wake "Won't somebody please think of the children" get bent Helen.

[@GarageScience]

As someone who has had battery acid on his skin more than once I can vouch for the fact that I'm still alive. That being said I don't think anyone is making a case that the proper MSDS precautions shouldn't be followed. Stay safe out there guys/gals.

[@krisraps]

Damn, Where To get That muriatic acid

[@GarageScience]

Home Depot, extreme care has to be taken when handling it because it is about 37% HCl

[@moonolyth]

@@GarageScience careful where you store it .. will leach out of container and rust things around it. I don't keep in my garage anymore.

[@GarageScience]

It stays in a plastic bag and sealed in a 5gallon bucket when not it use. That stuff is narly haha.

[@huckstirred7112]

pool supply stores

[@abdulmatinabdulkhalique985]

My business of steel bottles manufacturing I want to put layer of copper on my bottles.

[@GarageScience]

You need to do a thin layer of tin or nickel before plating with copper. There is an exchange reaction that occurs between the iron and copper and the copper on the steel won't actually adhere to it and just wipes off.

[@dirk9787]

@@GarageScience Can I use tin sprays for this? There are some metal sprays available to prevent iron rusting.

[@tedpoulos4551]

can you reuse the solution??

[@GarageScience]

Yes. So long as you minimize the introduction of contaminates and occasionally add a few grams of PEG then you can use it almost indefinitely. I had the mixture in the video for over a year. Only got rid of it because I moved across the country.

[@borontv6400]

@@GarageScience is it still being used? Also did you notice any breakdown in the bucket plastic over time? That was my concern with storage.

[@GarageScience]

I had to dump the solution in order to move. I haven't refilled it since. But it's held the electrolyte for years without issues.

[@JaredLil2000]

“Don’t use tap because chlorine is bad” - proceeds to add HCL 😅

[@GarageScience]

Even with an unheated bath you'll lose water to evaporation. Any water additions should be distilled water to avoid concentrating chlorine over time. There are many other minerals/contaminates in tap and spring water that make then unsuitable for this kind of project. I get the irony in your comment though. I'm just here provide some laughs 😉.

[@DavidWilliams-mr5nl]

Loved this video! Can I please send you a box of aluminum pieces to copper plate?!?!? I can PayPal you or cash app you !!!

[@GarageScience]

Thanks for the offer. I'm actually in the process of moving and dont have my shop setup right now.

[@thepoeticpage471]

No measurements on the battery acid used (?) That's hundreds of times more acid than other DIY videos on this recipe.

[@renecaron6409]

Very informative! It seems to me that it's not that more expensive just to buy copper plating solution from the pros. You have to have the room to make all this which most people don't have. Doing this from scratch is about $100 and buying from the pros like Caswell Plating is only about $200. But for those hankering for chemistry adventures this video is the way to go.

[@abdulmatinabdulkhalique985]

Please suggest me simple way and quick

[@sevabelskyi2691]

6:45 "a little bit ", lol, you literally put there another gallon of water and never mentioned it.

[@OneCupOfCoffee204]

Seems like it should be more on the shiny side.

[@SAMEDOKAWA]

Please! Protect your breathing!

[@DaemonJax]

Jeez, all you really need is copper sulfate and distilled water. You don't need all these other chemicals.

[@dirtyblond2332]

Stop chewing your nails !!!