Electroplating - Easy DIY Nickel, Copper, Zinc Plating

[@TungstenCarbideTempe]

This video is: 1) Simple, easy to understand 2) goes straight to the point without intro, B.S. ads and other crap 3) is saturated with an amazing, needed information 4) no annoying background music 5) clear, clean sound 6) should be a tutorial for KZbinrs who ended up in hell for making crapy videos and now have to go trough soul cleanse( yes its like bowel cleansing, but with added turbo, blue-flame colored fire and no handles on sides of toilet seat for one to hold on to). Me? Im gonna wrap myself in blanket and continue my couched, judgmental video observations, with my expert knowledge of everything.

[@rezopolis]

You sir, are doing a service for humanity and we humans are thankful for that

[@nickjm007]

Exactly.

[@amandajones6481]

Yeah, but without the silly girly girl voice! That's the only part I didn't like! The rest was interesting but the voice put me off. Love from Amanda in Melbourne, Australia ❤️ 😉

[@Freedbird]

I like the siil voice. When I read troll comments, I will read them in that voice from now on !

[@mattburns7380]

@@Freedbird BRILLIANT!!!!👍🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@shrug53]

This is really one of the best plating primers on KZbin. Simple and direct. No nonsense, so you can actually sit and take notes. You could be a teacher!

[@Critter0817]

Pretty sure every chemistry teacher I ever had did the high pitch voice thing too

[@tThisNThat]

He is :)

[@LittleDangerMouse]

I've got about a thousand pieces of old mismatched door hardware in my house and this will make my life a million times easier, and save me a ton of money. Thanks so much for making such a clear and concise video!

[@postiemania]

I can confirm this method works. It is not hard to do, just follow simple instructions. I use a variable voltage power supply around 8 volts for Nickel worked well.

[@R3troZone]

I used to work in an electroplating facility in Syracuse, NY called Anoplate. This setup is pretty primitive but the basics are there and yeah, that's how it works. I used to work on the nickle line and the black chrome line. Ever notice how some metal parts are black but super shiny? That's black chrome. Anoplate had a contract with GM to do the plating on their car parts and I was the only person allowed to do the black chrome on them. So if you've ever seen a Corvette made between 2003-2006, that hood ornament was made by me.

[@twill9278]

Would this method work for brass?

[@R3troZone]

@@twill9278 You could electroplate a brass finish on something but as brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, you would probably have to put a layer of pure copper on first and then plate the brass on top of the copper for better adhesion.

[@twill9278]

@@R3troZone Thanks. I'll give that a try. I have pure copper decorative coins

[@s9k328]

what electrolyte/electrodes do you use for black chromium?

[@R3troZone]

@@s9k328 I don't remember the details. It was almost 20 years ago at this point.

[@The_Goood_Sort_Of_Slob]

That "but where do i get the nickel from?" Was beautiful.

[@The_Goood_Sort_Of_Slob]

And the "but what about the salt" lol

[@The_Goood_Sort_Of_Slob]

Okay, all of the voices are beautiful

[@gregwright6281]

You're right, they were fantastic 👏

[@TheVideoLounge]

Top tier voice acting, 'twas a thing of beauty indeed.

[@decameronification]

Fantastic great intro to electroplating

[@1movista]

I didn't have a Greek yogurt container, but I did have a Greek seasoning container, so I gave this a go. For nickel: I used a nickel welding rod - they are used to weld cast iron. Tap the flux off with a hammer, cut the rod in half, put it in a drill and drill it while holding a handful of sandpaper in the other hand. Then hang them on the jar and hook it up, like in this vid. 2 hours later, your liquid is green and one of the rods will be dissolved. I practiced with coins, knives, live bullets (they look AMAZING!) and a few other bits laying around. I finally gained confidence to do what I started this whole project...the barrel of my new Beretta 92fs. Beyond Beautiful!!!!! Thank you, my friend. Others should give this a try, as it is pretty uneffuppable. My total investment was $13 - that's $10 for 5 rods and $3 for vinegar. Oh...the Greek seasoning container worked!

[@1978garfield]

A nickel plated Beretta would look sweet. Go on do the slide and frame. Don't forget to post pics :)

[@1movista]

@@1978garfield I have heavy nickel grips on it now. Beautiful. I'm debating the slide - it has never been fired and I'm afraid I wreck it.

[@GeoffreyCroker]

Ahh 👍. I just saw this comment. The other guy replying bumped it into my notifications for some reason. Awesome to hear it went well for you 👍

[@lenburton868]

Back when I worked as a photolab technician we would drop copper pennies I to exhausted film fixr . after a few minutes it would start to grow little silver whiskers , they werent pure silver as the copper contaminated the silver. A simplified explaination of this is your film has light sensitive silver salts that are needed for exposure and are removed during processing being dissolved in the fixer (typically sodium thiosulfate) a typical recycling strategy was to flow the solution through a steel wool filter then send it to kodak. At one of the labs I worked at they did not recover the silver from the one hour film processors so I put a ball of oooo steel wool into the waste tank, the silver dissolved in the fixer would exchange for the iron in steel wool and after a while you would have silver wool. Doing this for 4 years I ended up with 8 pounds of silver after refining. Every girl I went out with for years got a handmade silver ring also I made a crossguard for a longsword I made. Fun times

[@2degucitas]

That was a long time ago. You are an original medieval time lord.

[@uwusmolbean]

Cool knowledge tho !!

[@endurofan9854]

Len Burton wow really?

[@davidfusco3960]

A friend who worked as a photo lab technician told us an interesting story about the day they demolished the old darkroom, and tore out the copper sink drain...

[@boxsterman77]

Immediately after you said "fixer" I recalled that nasty smell it would put on my hands (yes I often used bare hands). Yes, I'm that old

[@murfspop]

To check the thickness on any plated part ,tape the test piece on 2 sides .When the tape is removed you can determine the plating thickness.

[@johnhines374]

@@henniebouwmans7879 yes, it will work great with gold, but just remember that most gold is only .58% pure when it’s 14K or 78% pure at 18K. So, if you are wanting to do a 24K gold plate, you will want to use pure 24K .9999 Gold, or refine your own gold. Also with gold, you can either use Gold Anodes, or Stainless Steel Anodes when electroplating, which will save you a bit on pure Gold Anodes.

[@henniebouwmans7879]

@@johnhines374 thanks john

[@tThisNThat]

OMG TY

[@chromedog68]

Very informative. My dad was a chromium electroplater (his trade). Sure, he also did Nickel, zinc and bronze plating, but his job was mostly around the chromium. Poly- and hexa-valent chromium are some scary things that you really shouldn't screw around with unless you know what you are doing. They WILL give you cancer (and when it comes to lung-cancer risk scale from the fumes, "Smoking 2-packs a day" doesn't even rate on that scale.)

[@blunznsepp]

We have an electroplating family Business - one of the last in my country who are allowed to do decorative chrome plating. You are completely right - hexavalent chromium is some very scary stuff. Unfortunately the chrome VI free chrome electrolytes have completely different properties than the good old ones

[@gabnagy4562]

is it just chrome being that dangerous for health? what about nickel?

[@blunznsepp]

​@@gabnagy4562 chrome per se isnt the problem - it is mostly hexavalent chrome that will _definitely_ f**k you up if you handle such a Substance without protective gear and Ventilation (fume extraction). Positive thing is: things that got plated in a hexavalent chrome process are absolutely fine its only the substances during the process that are very concerning. Nickel on the other hand is concerning in general. While it is widely in use there are regulations in place which try to Limit a persons direct contact with nickel on a daily basis. Too much contact with nickel can lead to allergies and it is also suspected to be carcinogenic. Its rather a risk for people who have to work with nickel on a daily basis (like in a metal plating facikity). Reducing ones exposure to nickel for "normal people" wouldnt be wrong however :)

[@gabnagy4562]

@@blunznsepp thanks for the reply! safe plating to everyone!

[@blunznsepp]

@@gabnagy4562 my pleasure. Just dont lick on nickel (or any chemicals), wear your protective gear, make sure the fumes get sucked away and you will be fine

[@zedbucket7882]

As soon as I heard the instruction.."make the Nickel into two pieces of Nickel" I knew I was going to learn good.... and I did. Trying this tonight! Awesome

[@4speed3pedals]

Copper does plate to bare steel. You need a copper sulfate solution and a piece of copper for an anode. Copper sulfate is available as root killer and comes in crystal form. The plating procedure is identical. Parts that are triple chrome plated are copper, nickel, chrome. The copper is applied first to help fill in any pits in the surface.

[@AverageJoe2020]

@Isaac Allgood Absolutely no idea, give it a try?

[@no5x937]

If you watch the video again, you'll see him demonstrate a seed nickel plated layer on steel followed by copper plating. Works every time.

[@crazyaustrianinventor6092]

@Isaac Allgood I tried it with copper and the blue stuff didn't really mix with the salt water . Just like small blue flakes. It also didn't plate.

[@nightster6378]

Hi Paul the copper isn't to fill pits though this might be a by product of it. The copper is to prevent corrosion as chrome is porous, nickel less porous and the copper prevents water etc reach the steel. As you probably know many companies don't triple plate and the playing won't last anywhere near as long.

[@KalebQi]

What about aluminum?

[@Claggy53]

Best beginner guide on this I’ve see, thanks for doing this. You saved me from buying an overly expensive plating kit. I’m off to get some jars, yogurt 😉, vinegar and salt.

[@jamiewright1594]

How did you get on Donna? Did it work for you?

[@tThisNThat]

@@jamiewright1594 yea, did it work for you? Because I am going to do it.

[@earthelder2065]

Great video! a lot of antique cars people thought had chrome but was actually "nickel" that was highly polished. The magic is in the preparation and polishing. Thanks for the great video!

[@Digitalman271]

Amazing tutorial. Straight to the point. Those bell-dings are louder than a babies scream and I thought my ears were going to bleed. Extremely grateful for your help, and I keep revisiting this tutorial to see if I missed anything.

[@jaredj631]

Thank you I had no idea this was so easy. I’m actually regretting some builds in the past now knowing I could have so easily nickel or copper plated them

[@teekotrain6845]

We're all thinking about how we could have done past projects better but that's the evolution of an artist

[@randytravis3998]

just wish I had a jar big enough to put auto parts in .. my truck in copper would be cool .. this was a good video

[@button-puncher]

@@randytravis3998 Inflatable pool and an old stick welder are pretty cheap. It's the 500 gallons of vinegar that you'll need that'll be expensive. :D

[@nox5555]

@@button-puncher just mix it yourself. its just acetic acid with water. you need around 5% and you can get 3 gallons of 60% acetic acid for around 30€

[@tThisNThat]

@@randytravis3998 get one of the pens and the fluff that goes over top of it, then paint it on. It works with the fancy kits so it should work DIY

[@amanofmanyparts9120]

In the 1970's I worked for an electroplating firm (since bankrupted by fines from unsafe disposal of chemical waste). We used to 'jiggle' the items being plated to make the bubbles break free of their surfaces. In some case it was a vibration and others it was moving the whole rack of items side to side. We also plated nut and bolts in huge nylon drums that rotated to keep them moving and contacting at different points. We did the lot: Nickel, copper, zinc, silver and even gold. If it could be electroplated, we electroplated with it! One friend of the owner brought in a pair of P100 headlamps off his pre-war Rolls to be gold plated to make them shine with a yellow cast to the beams. Meanwhile I'm assuming that citric acid might be as good as vinegar (acetic acid) as you can make it to the concentration you require by dissolving more or fewer crystals in the water. I usually have half to a kilo or so on hand for home brewing purposes. It's also good for cleaning copper utensils and ornaments.

[@bigbomb5904]

Can I use a 12v car battery for power supply

[@techroma1984]

@@bigbomb5904 For zinc it will be too much amperage and form grains. You might get away with moving the anode and cathode (positive piece and negative piece) further away

[@PaoloB-i5u]

Good morning if can i say,whith my terrible english ,what i think.1 if you whant playting brass or zin or iron,is a different work.a) is necesarly put befor the cooper( 1 basic,2 acid) after this nichel is ok,wen you plating whith zinc is no a good idea ,is natural polissh in ultrasonic whit soap,after you masit put the piece in acid ,or basic for ph,this is corret.If you use the brass no necessary cooper

[@Johanniscool]

It only works if you use a natural Greek yoghurt container. DO NOT use flavoured yoghurt containers.

[@thermmaloverload]

I was super keen to give it a go.... then I realised, we only eat Vanilla yoghurt. And it's Organic, which would probably cause some sort of explosion!

[@MrJimmyjammmy]

Does it have to be authentic Greek yoghurt? Or can you use Greek style yoghurt?

[@johnbonaros589]

@@MrJimmyjammmy It has to be original and from '' FAGE ''

[@rossie273]

OMG - I used a VANILLA flavoured Yogurt container . The reason I know is , I ate some of the plastic - it was definitely VANILLARish .LOL

[@1Guy12]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@RadioFixer]

This is the best detailed video on KZbin. Thank you so much for taking your valuable time to make this. Very detailed and simple to understand the process. Great job!!

[@iandaly8786]

Geoffrey Crocker I took your advice and have successfully Nickel Plated some screws for my 1928 Ford Model A Sport Coupe car. Thanks a lot for your most excellent and straight forward video which is easy to use.

[@malcolmwatson6127]

Great video. Removes the fear of trying it out. Good clear explanation. Well done!

[@Gottenhimfella]

Workshop hint: If you have a taper threaded fitting or plug for a hydraulic port which is slightly undersize (or more likely, you tapped the hole a whisker too deep) you can recover the situation by plating a heavy layer of copper onto the fitting. It is soft enough to conform to the mating thread on tightening, and provide a leakproof connection.

[@eve_squared]

honestly it's a really good idea to plate a leaky valve in copper as it will provide a better seal than teflon tape.

[@Gottenhimfella]

@@eve_squared Indeed. I forgot to mention that it doesn't matter that the copper (if a heavy deposit is formed) will be composed of thousands of tiny peaks and valleys, like a cat's tongue. It all squishes down as the taper-thread joint is tightened due to the remarkable ductility of pure copper.

[@eve_squared]

@@Gottenhimfella honestly it's a great trick to know especially if you have a shop air system since compressing air can get expensive with leaks. It reminds me of that video of the researchers getting vacuums measured by atoms per cubic meter by sealing it with copper gaskets.

[@jzino3835]

I do this all day long at my job and I've been looking for a way to show my kids what daddy does at work....this is amazing, I will doing it to show them this weekend. Awesome "for dummies" style video, I had no idea it was this easy to do at home, I'm gonna be showing them on this long holiday weekend we have. Great video, Sir, you got my sub for sure!!

[@creative8569]

Hey J, I’m getting ready to try gold, black rhodium and silver plating for my job. We have a lot of old bracelets, rings etc... that all have small pave set stones. Any tips for a beginner, I’m kinda going in this blindly aside from a few yt tutorials. But nobody shows plating with a lot of small stones. Any experience in that field? I appreciate any help. Thank you! -Jay

[@creative8569]

The plating is all over solid Brass, if that helps any. We Just have a lot of old, worn out tarnished jewelry showing the brass underneath.

[@aspectratio6580]

I plate cylinders for the printing press. Pleased to meet you fellow chromers. I too will be using this video to show my kids 😁

[@bodeine454]

@@aspectratio6580 So what is a good plating thickness for something that will see some outdoor weather and how do you measure the thickness? With a micrometer or set of digital calipers or ?

[@brennaperez8452]

@@creative8569 Hi! I just found your comment while trying to figure out if I could use this method for silver plating over brass. Did you have any success?

[@jakebaldwin1308]

"Its green... like green Gatorade" My first thought: "Its got electrolytes"

[@godfreypoon5148]

_It's got what electrochemical surface treatment plants CRAVE_

[@godfreypoon5148]

@David Galyon Yeah, well, I've never seen no electroplated parts come out of no toilet.

[@davidharris5736]

Welcome to idiocracy er I mean the free UK

[@cj64crosser]

@@davidharris5736 Australia 😴 get it right...

[@afincher88]

Its got what plants crave

[@arunindus5187]

Certainly it is one detailed video on KZbin. appreciating for taking your valuable time to make this. Very detailed and simple to understand the process.I will use this video for my offers, Thank you Sir.

[@MGB_2024]

Ordered the stuff to give this a go! I have some 3D prints that I want to plate and I don't want to spend too much, so this was an incredibly encouraging and straightforward video!

[@SUPERMAR10312]

The prints will need to be conductive. I've seen a video where they sprayed on a conductive paint and plated that. Look up "Electroplating 3D Prints | Thermal Detonator"

[@solomonheninger1212]

what way did you go with the power supply? i've had an issue finding something like what he uses in the video

[@blairwightman]

Thanks for the clear tutorial! Thought I would share something I found out that may help others avoid my mistake. I ended up getting small square blocks of nickel to use as an anode. I suspended them in the electrolyte with copper wire, I thought (wrongly) if the part thats getting plated can be hung with copper wire so can the anode... DO NOT DO THIS. It makes sense now but as the nickel was dissolving so was the copper wire suspending it. I ended up with a nickel/copper solution which turns parts a nasty blotchy dark grey colour. I started again making sure it was only zinc submerged in the solution and I am getting great results.

[@GeoffreyCroker]

Haha, yeah. This is why I reckon people should start with vinegar instead of fancy brews. Awesome to hear you're getting good plating results 👍👍👍

[@bodeine454]

What kind of wire should you hang them from? Just regular steel wire?

[@blairwightman]

Jeff Stone from what I can tell on the anode side it should only be the metal you want to plate that should be submerged. If you also submerge wire of a different metal on the anode side you’ll get a mixture of both metals in the solution. It doesn’t matter on the other side that’s holding the item you’re plating.

[@bodeine454]

@@blairwightman I see, yeah, that one flew past me at first. Looks like the best way suspend the nickel or whatever is used to do the plating is to allow some of it to be suspended out of the solution to hook up to, kinda like this gentleman does using strips that can be bent over the top of the jar or vessel that's being used.

[@bodeine454]

@ Good to know, thank you!

[@mymechanics]

very good video Geoffrey!! i'm going to give this a try. i need to nickel some parts made out of brass i guess, but i'm not 100% sure, could be copper aswell. if it's copper i can nickel directly right? if it's brass i need to copper it first before nickel?

[@GeoffreyCroker]

I think Nickel can go over either no problem.

[@brenohighland1168]

i just covered a copper pipe with nickel

[@williamderosa8947]

Can you replace copper ? I have copper knobs on stove , the plating is wearing off .

[@Asian_Connection]

@@GeoffreyCroker What am I doing something WRONG? I zinc plated my bolts and than deposited into a Nickel plating bath. But after the nickel plating it looks like the zinc coating somehow got removed. Can someone tell me what I'm doing wrong? Thank you

[@dekutree64]

@@Asian_Connection Check the video description, "Don’t try and plate over zinc plated parts with anything other than zinc. The zinc will destroy the nickel/copper solutions. I mean, don’t let me stop you experimenting, but that’s probably what will happen."

[@jigz6234]

If you weigh the metal your going to plate before and after the plating you'll find out how much its been plated. Also if the copper isn't pure not to worry as the impurities most likely will not be transferred to the target material. Electrolysis is actually how they purify copper, as impurities will not travel through the solution (or at least nowhere near the rate that copper will).

[@philhines]

Thank you for explaining this in such a clear way! Tried to do this when I was younger, but a tutorial like this would have meant I didn’t miss any details needed to make it work properly!

[@frankmartinez1045]

Thank you, now I'm retired I'm dabbling in all the stuff I didn't do as a kid, really enjoyed your video.

[@TheDeanza7]

I lové thé little voice asking the questions. Its anticipating incredibly well the questions inexperienced users are having in mind while watching the process unfold. You literally keep thinking 'uh thanks for asking dude' like the dunce in a classroom 😂 Very well explained and well done ! Thx

[@sitgesvillaapartmentneilsc7924]

Great video and I plan to repair some old tools that were passed down to me but are just rusty, sets of calipers and inside out calipers double ended calipers and a nice depth gauge all for wood turning which i do, was looking to buy new until i looked up this, very clear explanation, I didnt want to angle grind them for fear of damaging the thin metal they are made of. I used to do old iron fireplaces in the uk with the angle grinders, hours and hours to get years of paint off, then Zeebrite them back to beautiful black. I have watched the excellent rust removal video you made and will use electro current method to do that as its not heavy rust and then come back and nickel plate them all , they deserve a second chance as they are all old RNZAF tools from my brother in law who doesnt use them any more and being a wood turner Im excited at the thought of not paying much to get them looking great. Just ordered the Nickel Anode already, 7 euros for that, the other materials I can get in Spain easily enough in the drug stores here, not a nanny state here like the UK where you can not buy any acids etc. A gallon of hydrochloric acid here is 4 euros, nothing! So Im looking forward to seeing the results , may even copper plate my depth gauge after nickel plating it. I have never really had an interest in chemistry apart from sorting out my pool and this has sparked a little interest now thanks very much for the clear explanations and simple guidance on how to bring life back into old tools etc. The rust tool liquid that makes it go black and hard we have used here a lot in spain when refurbishing atticos in peoples houses, the ceilings have lots of curves between beams and they are plastered, remove the plaster to expose beautiful brickwork but the beams are rusty, we used a similar product here to stop and blacken the rust and it makes the beams look excellent once you treat the brick with a type of sealer to stop any dust. thanks again. Neil, Barcelona Spain ( Mrs is a Kiwi)

[@Arouth249]

I’m watching this for a third time just so I can hear you say “but where do I get the nickel from?”

[@paulsawczyc5019]

@@AEON. Probably illegal - don't tell your patriotic friends.

[@paulsawczyc5019]

@@AEON. I will only bend down for quarters - small change gets swept up and thrown away, it actually feels good to throw them out.

[@CreatorCade]

Easy from a roll of nickels.

[@jimmymac601]

I watched it again so I could hear him say "a bit smutty."

[@davexvs]

An anode is a sacrificial block of either zinc or aluminum alloy available at boat yards

[@ZeedijkMike]

Sometimes simplicity is the best - and this looks so simple that I'm going to have a go at it. Thanks for sharing.

[@josiahtheblacksmith467]

I work in electro plating on a zinc plating line. We use zinc dissolved in lye as our plating bath. For a brightener we use sodium silicate in the bath and a post plating quick dip in a dilute nitric acid bath.

[@papachi4178]

I'm glad I watched this. I was initially going to do brush plating and buying everything I needed to do that, but you showed me how to make metal salts instead of buying them premade (at incredibly inflated prices, based on the process I just watched.) Going to try this with some conductive coated 3d printed parts. :)

[@ges7991]

This is still my favorite video to come to prep whenever I plate. Super clear, and easy to follow.

[@waynewoolsey6422]

how did you know my voice sounds like that when asking questions?

[@Kimdino1]

Could this be done using an alloy? Would the two metals transfer equally into the electrolyte and would they then be deposited equally on the cathode workpiece?. Perhaps making up the electrolyte using one metal followed by the other? I am thinking in regard to brass plating using copper and zinc.

[@ItchiusScrotus]

Followed the instructions perfectly and can confirm good results. Recommend sandblasting and mirror polishing steel workpieces before plating

[@rickdion8285]

I'll be the one to ask does it work on gold

[@EidonFreeman]

This process works with almost all metals, in this case they call it "golden coat" or wash

[@sizzlinbacon21able]

What a great video, thank you for the clear and concise introduction to electroplating. The commentary was humorous and informative. I'm looking forward to doing this with some antique car parts for the engine bay. It will look nicer than painting them silver!

[@GeoffreyCroker]

1. Chrome? No. Chromium will kill you. You can replicate chrome at home with a Cobalt-Nickel mix. 2. Yes copper can be plated directly onto steel - I am aware. But this vinegar mix and most of the other DIY copper plating kits work better if you flash the part with nickel first. Commercial platers use entirely different and much harsher chemicals and copper plating directly to steel is normal for them. 3. The next person who tells me that I'm responsible for telling everyone how to dispose of waste properly can punch themselves in the face. RING YOU LOCAL COUNCIL/WASTE DISPOSAL PEOPLE AND ASK THEM. There's probably a hundred businesses in your local town that have to regularly dispose of chemicals/oils/poisons/paint. Hint - they're not asking a guy on youtube if they should mix it with soap and mermaid scales and then sprinkle it on the neighbours broccoli...

[@WaltonPete]

Most so-called chrome plated things are actually bright nickel plated anyway. If you get original parts replated that's typically what they'll use too.

[@MarcelTeugels]

Alright, thanks 👌

[@supercheekykiwi]

Do a cobalt nickel video! I'm very keen to see the chrome effect. I'll send you something small to plate :)

[@reverie76]

Chromium is a supplement too

[@Gaark]

*squeaky voice * but where do I get cobalt? lol

[@RickRuggiero]

I just stumbled on to your video today and it is by far the most informative and the least annoying instructions (commentary) I have watched. I love your work mate, would you have another video on chrome plating?

[@2lbsTrigrPull]

Question, can you use stainless steel containers to but the parts in which will be galvanized?

[@DiesInEveryFilm]

You are brilliant thats all i have to say.

[@DiesInEveryFilm]

@@BillFromTheHill100 it’s called being nice, maybe try it some time instead of being an internet bully.

[@omsengineeringworks]

Oms engineering works

[@bambiboy1374]

Asdfgh

[@walkmanstudios9733]

So are you man

[@DiesInEveryFilm]

@@walkmanstudios9733 very kind of you

[@jaredlanny03]

Thank you! probably the most helpful video on the subject I've found, and the one which finally got me over the edge to order anodes... I'm willing to try just about any DIY project... but electricity scares me.

[@KayAteChef]

A 5V phone charger is adequate.

[@thebikerepairshopformby]

Really great video, thought the very clear “baby steps” instructions were spot on, thanks for posting 👍

[@bloopsneknoz2073]

The voiceover for a KZbin viewer is what got me to like this video.

[@gary.solexa]

Fabulous clear video tutorial. I followed your instructions to the letter with nickel on brass, then on copper, and it worked like a charm. Cheers!

[@goodheaps]

I love how this is waffle free straight up point to point no hidden adgender very refreshing, well done😃

[@GrandpaCanCook]

One of the most informative videos on KZbin. Plus it was well presented. thank you.

[@cdici511111]

I am dying to try this, but my local grocery stores do not carry Yoplait Natural Greek Yogurt so I cannot get a container. I will have to find somewhere online to order some before I can try my hand at plating metals.

[@rossie273]

Since this video was released , there has been a shortage of these containers . In desperation , people have turned to using other brands of yoghurt but with CATASTROPIC results e.g. the sinking of the Titanic and the election of Donald Trump .

[@d.t.4523]

The only substitute is a one gallon ice cream tub. Which also gives you more working room. :)

[@nicolashrv]

I used an old toilette seat cover, works as well........you just have to smash the top cover with a hammer over your oven, so the plastic melts and gets concave........the ring cover is usefull later as a frisbee to play with your dog or neighbour.

[@norman7179]

@@d.t.4523 PVC buckets should work well.

[@petermarsh4993]

Dear Geoffrey, thanks for the frank overview of electroplating. In your introduction, you said that you cannot plate steel directly with nickel, but via a copper intermediate step. ½ way through the video you say the exact opposite. Which way is it? Last night I tried nickel plating a steel lever cap for a plane and all the nickel fell off. I assume that in order to plate steel I need to use copper first and then finish with nickel. Cheers.

[@stargazer7644]

If you watched the video you literally watched him plate the steel with nickel first, then he plated the nickel with copper.

[@Cb138inRs]

You missed two bits of information that I need clarified please: When you plated with zinc, did you go from polished steel to zinc, or Steel

[@losonsrenoster]

If I remember my high school chemistry correctly the gas being released in the bubbles is hydrogen? If you capture it with a dome over the container you can power your car with it, it might even take you millimetres far...

[@thomaspaffett7418]

was literally thinking ooh what would happen with a lit splint in there :D I miss my chemistry classes.

[@Pozzicut]

The best tutorial I've ever watched

[@darrendavenport3334]

Thanks for pointing out the bubbles at the 2:04 mark.... i wasnt quite sure what they were....

[@lokdwn2488]

hydrogen gas

[@snufbox]

yep, they’re definitely bubbles

[@boofuls]

Great video . the guy with the squeaky voice was the ⭐ of the show ,he asked some intelligent and important questions

[@DrususDarkSoul]

Thank you so much, I recently get interested in electroplating but I though that I need it to buy an expensive machine and chemicals and do advanced technical things but you show me that is so much easy than that, now that I undestand the process I'll do it myself.

[@Ajmanistan]

The lower the amp, the more the detail.

[@josemateovargasreina5541]

Cool, but why?

[@jonesmatthew7511]

@@josemateovargasreina5541 I'm not 100% sure but it would slow the reaction down and the "speed" at which the positively charged metal ions are slamming into the the negatively charged cathode, which may help evenly coat the surface with less dendrite formation (less mountains and valleys microscopically) If you look at the physics 1) Amps are a measure of electrical current flow and 2) electric flow tends to take the path of least resistance 3) build up of available positively charged metal ions. At a higher AMP the flow would be more direct to the path of least resistance, meaning the point on the cathode/part closest to the anode/(closing the circuit) Now when you decrease the "flow" it will slowly act more dispersed and more evenly coat the piece due to the speed of the positively charged metal ion being pushed from the anode to the cathode. kind of like how you use a can of spray paint 18 inches away for best results instead of 1 inch away (higher flow and amp rate) This is also why it is important to flip your product to more evenly coat.

[@MickMinehan]

@@jonesmatthew7511you’re spot on mate, and the result is that the crystalline structure formed by the deposition of metal is more uniform and compact, increasing the brightness of the plate and preserving more of the detail of the substrate. It’s also worth noting for certain purposes that some metals (like gold) benefit from extra hardness when plated at low amps, while others (like nickel and chrome) can become more brittle as the finer grain structure can produce internal stresses.

[@jonesmatthew7511]

@@MickMinehan Thank you, do you plate?

[@MickMinehan]

@@jonesmatthew7511 I do, it’s my trade. And currently I make intaglio printing plates from laser engraved mandrels, so preserving detail is the most important part!

[@DSmith-ix1xf]

I absolutely love the tinny voice asking questions! When a lesson is fun, a lesson sticks!

[@allanmaureenmacintyre4474]

I've watched this a few times now just for the entertainment value.

[@dxb00]

excellent video. simple and easy to follow. However, every-time you connected alligator clips to the electrodes I cringed because the electrodes were touching the steel ring of the lid hinge. Extreme risk of short circuiting through this ring. I would store the electrolyte solution in a lidded jar but do the electroplating in disposable plastic containers

[@shortliner68]

I learned something about plating I didn't know before. I always thought you had to copper plate steel before nickel plating. Good to know you should nickel plate directly on the steel and then follow with the copper plating, if desired.

[@jacquesomersavard7257]

also after pkated in nikel reverce the polarit for 20 sec this give a better strong copper addered

[@jacquesomersavard7257]

we made this for chrome plated

[@chrispritchard4676]

Loved this! We all forget about this process from our science lessons, and it s great to get a refresher. Thank you Geoffrey.

[@TheFiown]

Really interesting, can I do this with gold or silver ? same technique ? Thank you

[@timovneerden]

Silver would work esayly. For gold, you’ll need to disolve some gold, and for that you need regal-water (a mixture of nitric and hydrochoric acids).

[@taunteratwill1787]

@@timovneerden I tried but nothing went 'esayly'! :-))

[@alanclarke4646]

@@timovneerden would using a gold anode in a dilute acid electrolyte work?

[@wat8437]

What about plating unobtanium?

[@Nitecrow314]

I wanted to try that but I couldn't get any! So then I thought about trying with Chineseium, but it seems to have caused a global pandemic. Maybe I shouldn't have used a lychee flavor yogurt container...

[@1977ajax]

'Do what you oughta:- add acid to water.' Very much reduces the chance of a painful or expensive splashing accident. Good video! ETA Have something brass to plate with nickel which also has blackened steel parts which I do not want plated. Is there a good resist I can apply to the parts I don't want plated with the nickel? Thanks.

[@joepol711]

Can we get a follow up working with brighteners. 4 Decorative hobbies.

[@tcb603]

Thank you for this video. Can the same be done for gold electroplating?

[@ghgfhhffg1912]

you need to disolve the gold in aqua regia first

[@jimmurphy6095]

@@ghgfhhffg1912 No. Gold is actually dissolved in cyanide. As is silver. And you don't normally use gold anodes. You use platinum and plate directly out of the bath solution, replenishing as necessary with gold cyanide salts to maintain proper concentration. All the baths he made here were acetic acid-based. (i.e. the vinegar) with some chlorides added, (salt), to improve the conductivity. Aqua Regia will dissolve whatever it is you're trying to electroplate. You need to put a coating of copper on your part, and then a coat of gold or silver. So a steel piece would go into the nickel, then into a bright copper bath and then a gold or silver bath. Usually the tanks are arranged in a row on the plating line in the order you want the coatings. (30+years in the plating shop environment speaking)

[@grottonisred6541]

This is brilliant....concise, understandable ..great work.

[@AirgunChannel]

Those "dings" in the video are super loud. Turn them down about 10 or 12 dB in the editing

[@m0gga]

Great instructional video. Very simple process. Will these processes work on aluminium too, or do I need to anodize?

[@JoepNiens]

Hi Geoffrey, thanks for this video! you mentioned its not possible to plate copper directly onto steel and first need to plate with nickel. But I also heard the opposite: nickel only sticks to steel if first plated with copper. Please your thoughts on that? Thanks

[@GeoffreyCroker]

Commercial copper plating is a different beast that uses much harsher chemicals like cyanide to get the copper to adhere to steel. Traditional chrome is copper, nickel, chrome.

[@andrebartels1690]

Two thumbs up for the warnings. One thumb down for the copper not being pure: Man, you added salt to your electrolyte. That is sodium, and _that_ is an impurity. You could exchange salt for copper sulphate which is also called blue vitriol. This should even work with demineralized water, without the vinegar. Another point is, I worked in a company which had a chrome galvanization department. You are absolutely right when you say *chrome will kill you*. This is really dangerous. You will catch cancer faster than you can spell it. Leave chrome to the professionals. Those guys there told me, that the normal process would be 1st copper as bonding agent to the steel, then nickel as filler and last a shine thin film of chrome. Just trying to be helpful.

[@mikeavison5383]

Normal commercial copper is very pure (unlike most other metals). Why? Well it is made by electroplating, and also pure copper is a good material for most applications. By contrast pure aluminium is very soft so they add silicon and/or copper. I am not sure how pure commercial nickel is, I suspect very (like copper). Normal commercial zinc is not very pure because of the way it is smelted (and the ores always contain other metals).

[@andrebartels1690]

@@mikeavison5383 Please, read my explanation _why_ is see an impurity in the process. I clearly point out that it does not come from the copper itself, but from the salt.

[@cluelessbeekeeping1322]

@André Bartels I would love to copper plate this little gun I have, but don't want to plate the inside of the barrel, would you mind making a video of a better procedure to plate steel for better results? Also, what can you add to steel to prevent plating (the inside of the barrel). Thanks in advance!

[@andrebartels1690]

@@cluelessbeekeeping1322 I never intended to make a video. For your gun barrel, I would try two of those soft ear protection plug things to simply seal the muzzles. But for the plating you should go and try on something expendable. Btw you should keep in mind that these platings are very thin, and you can polish right through.

[@cluelessbeekeeping1322]

@@andrebartels1690 This isn't an expensive gun by any measure, but I certainly would like something thick enough to where I could polish it and not worry about going through the finish to the steel. I personally do not care for 'regular steel.' It rusts too easily and the blueing certainly doesn't offer any protection. Oh well. Thanks.

[@laserfloyd]

I thumbs upped as soon as I heard "But where do get nickel from??" 😂 Thanks for the walkthrough. Science project for my kid... incoming!!

[@hezkittypaws8265]

This video saved me from buying a $400 electroplating rectifier. 🙏🏻

[@l5-cs.]

You could build an electroplating rectifier lol

[@kaspernielsen1796]

Very simple and informative. This is what video guides is all about. I only have one question: I have an old charger for an akku vacuum cleaner on 25 volts and 0,2 A. Is the voltage too high for this task?

[@johnrheiner3234]

I knew nothing at all about electroplating before this video. Now I have a really good understanding. It not voodoo, just basic science.

[@tsuki_val]

How'd electrolysis work with AC current?

[@tornadokat]

Give it a try and then when you've tried, do it with DC to actually plate the target metal and then tell us why you think AC didn't work.

[@tubedude54]

My guess would be the back and forth movement of an AC circuit would prevent the metal ions from being deposited...

[@thingsofsuch]

Isn't the phone charger an AC to DC transformer, as it is used to charge Li batteries ... which charge via D.C.?

[@s.sradon9782]

@@thingsofsuch yep

[@bsul03420]

" I always dunk my parts in hydrochloric acid prior to plating". Sounds really painful!

[@paulwary]

Thus the falsetto voice.

[@adoreslaurel]

Probably more so if you have been "ring barked".

[@marcelbron6128]

but obviously it's the way to go ! lollll

[@paulwyleciol3459]

04:15 very funny, when you show the sign again ;-) I love that kinda humor!

[@klieglite]

No wonder this is viewed in the millions-bloody fantastic!! thanks so much.......

[@AlexanderBurgers]

Zinc actually dissolves in vinegar quite well so just dissolve some in it to create the electrolyte, the electric part isn't even required for the first step. I'm told adding some sugar to the mix will help with the surface finish on the zinc plating, I've yet to try it though.

[@invisio]

But what about the land rover!

[@alexescuermudza4680]

Best video ever! The acid yogurt container is a must have!

[@ronjones4069]

I have copper plated onto metals inwant to solder onto and itvworks extremely well. For example, i have copper plated the ends of some resistive wire (nichrome) and was able to solder the nichrome wire onto a circuit board. Works perfectly. I used exactly the same technique to plate the nichrome.

[@Snail2G]

I gave this a go with the copper, I wanted to coat a few bolt heads/nuts for my engine. The solution came out real nice, it was a light blue, like you described, a "watery Gatorade". I didn't use anodes from the store, I used brand new copper pipes from a plumber friend of mine, hammered flat, blowtorched to remove anything on the surface, then wire wheeled shiny and clean. The issue I'm having, is the nuts/bolts are taking on a verryyyyy small amount of copper, but a thick layer of what almost looks like rust. It's a brownish sludge type stuff. It rubs off easily with a paper towel, and leaves a very very thin layer of copper electroplate behind on the bolts. Any suggestions? My guess is because I didn't use anodes, the copper pipes must have some forms of impurities. Thanks :)

[@mikeyprice7663]

The result you’re getting is due to a redox reaction. Copper in an acidic solution will “plate” steel without any current needed and stops as soon as there are one two atomic layers of copper on the steel surface.

[@Regdiggs]

Two questions. 1. Can you electroplate copper onto lead? 2. How much does the process of plating affect the diameter of the piece being plated?

[@chrysfil9810]

Simple, effective and in good humour. Thank you for the video 👍👍

[@robertpartsmade5832]

PARTSMADE here from the 🇬🇧 , another excellent tutorial mr C but got to take you to task on copper plating, in my restoration work copper first if surface poor then polish and on with the nickel plate , I’m luck as my stuff is never newer than the late 1920’s when chrome plate arrived , your plating current a bit high as bubbles on the surface of the parts will prevent proper adhesion and will show on highly polished parts I guess a few nickel bit going to appear on mr Land Rover 🤔😂 Cheers

[@GeoffreyCroker]

Ah, yeah for sure. Do you use an acid copper bath to go straight over steel? I figured saying use nickel first was easier than going into all the details about different copper options. I actually only flashed the part very lightly with nickel, but again I left that detail out of the video to keeps thing simple for the people who are starting from scratch. I figured people will learn all the details if they just start.

[@robertpartsmade5832]

Hi , yep acid solution for copper , sorry not picking fault , as you say striking a balance of tech detail and not putting people off is a fine line . Regards Robert PARTSMADE

[@nicholasspangler1128]

What if you...... What if you drank the liquid electrolyte? Would it harm you?

[@GeoffreyCroker]

My working asumption is yes.... but... it could be the next big health craze...?

[@android01978]

Geoffrey Croker but Gatorade is electrolytes. Jk

[@NoJusticeNoPeace]

Of course it wouldn't harm you. It's got what plants crave!

[@thingsofsuch]

NoJusticeNoPeace that has yet to occur, plants will not crave this for a few years to come. Although, we did elect Trump ... ... ...

[@rossie273]

No - you'd be OK just your Scrotum would be Nickle plated , which would be a good think if you swim a lot in salt water .

[@nicktheneko]

Could you please make a video on how to turn Brass metal into Gunmetal through electroplating?

[@junglist920]

Great video. At 45 years old I am learning more now than ever before..I do have a question , may I substitute muratic acid for sulphuric acid as I already have that laying around.. thank you again for this video

[@kslinthesand]

Thanks, great video. I'll use a higher pitch when I ask questions in the future. :)

[@graymatters6155]

That may be the coolest hack I've ever seen someone do on KZbin

[@paulchedzey7276]

James Samuelsen it's not a hack it's actually how you do it.

[@hopelessnerd6677]

"Make the Nickel into two pieces of Nickel..." That's sorcery!

[@DarkPhoenix984]

When you are preparing your steel plate for electroplating, instead of using a grinder to get rid of the rust, you can place the steel into a citric acid solution and the rust vanishes after 30mins (light rust) to a day (heavy rust).

[@johnmac3931]

THANK YOU! BRILLIANT.. NO MORE PAYING $75 FOR REPLATING AT JEWLER. DO YOU HAVE TO REMOVE GEM STONES BEFORE PLATING A RING?