Easy Nickel And Copper Electroplating Method

[bluewillgeckoFTW]

Wheat Penny!

[collinwillson99]

Zinc

[ajtovar1]

Exelent video dude, can you please tell me the exact materials and how much did you use ? please :)

[kittykatz12319]

sooo it just makes it more shiny?

[stancurtin]

@kittykatz12319 It puts a coating of nickel over copper or iron. This makes a silver, shiny coating that is very durable and resists corrosion... Thanks!

[MrShooterjack]

nickel ammonium sulphate? thats a suspected carcinogen that gives off toxic fumes when heated (a bit hotter than you are though i think) so just be careful mate

[stancurtin]

@MrShooterjack Thanks. All nickel plating compounds (including plain nickel sulfate) carry the same warnings, as do copper plating compounds. Even nickel (the metal) has the same warnings (classifying it as a possible carcinogen, eye and lung irritant etc.). So, like any chemical (even those under your kitchen sink) I hope everyone will treat any plating they do with the same care. Gloves and goggles as the video says are a good idea. Thanks!

[chavezchavez556]

Will this work on titanium ?

[stancurtin]

@chavezchavez556 Titanium is difficult to plate onto because of the oxide film it forms very quickly. Most platers use strong acids to "etch" the metal first. Best to get a plater's handbook for an exact recipe.

[drunkadian]

Does this work on gun parts?

[stancurtin]

@drunkadian Try it on a few scrap parts first and see if you're happy with the thickness/durability/look.

I've plated a lot of items with this simple method and gotten very smooth, durable results. But, for something very expensive like a gun, you might also want to check into more traditional mixes like a "Watts bath," which you can find on wiki. :-)

[drunkadian]

@stancurtin Thanks for the reply! Have you ever tried brush plating? Ive seen some kits that look too easy to be true! Also the nickel finish in looking for is really shiney like chrome. Can you polish this process to get it mirror finished?

[ThePieNibbler]

@drunkadian If you try it will you post some results?

[bluescluessinger]

How do you make the rig to do this? I have a nineteen fourty three steel penny and I want to electroplate it back to copper. is it just the battery holders, aligator clips, and the anode?

and also, what chemicals can you use to plate gold?

[stancurtin]

@bluescluessinger I show a link to the method for copper plating a 1943 penny in the video at 3:29. Just click on the link that pops up that says "Click here for the magic trick." As far as gold plating, Caswell makes a kit that let's you brush on a gold plating with an electrode that you might want to Google.

[tybardy]

How do you wire the batteries? How much Nickel Amonium Sulfate did you use? Where does one buy a pure nickle anode?

[stancurtin]

@tybardy As mentioned in the video at :17, I used 1 quart warm tap water to 3 oz. nickel ammonium sulphate. Also as mentioned at 1:40, the nickel plate is connected to

"+", and the piece to be plated is connected to "-." You can get a piece of pure nickel for your anode from suppliers like McMaster Carr, or a nickel welding rod from a welding shop. Canadian nickels before 1982 were almost pure nickel and work. They have them on eBay cheap! Lot's of sources with a google search.

[SentinelAzrael]

Love these videos you make man, Thank you.

[RemoWest]

can nickel sulfate hexahydrate be used, instead of nickel ammonium sulfate ?... are they similar enough to use either? if not where do you aquire your nickel sulfate hexahydrate? It seems hard to locate. thanks !

[stancurtin]

@RemoWest I'm not certain. I know that people have said Nickel Sulfate, which is cheap and available on eBay is used for plating, but I've only used what's shown.  Any chemical supply store should have nickel ammonium sulfate. But if you try pure nuckel sulfate, please let me know how it worked! Thanks.

[SMARTROOFSYSTEMS1]

Thanks and Mahalo Stan, looks very easy. Would a 12 volt battery suffice?

Franklin Russell

[stancurtin]

@SMARTROOFSYSTEMS1

Most people use 12V, but I used two "D" cells. Considering they were NiCads, that's only 2.4 volts total.

I've had MUCH better results with low voltages. It takes longer, but the finish is smooth and shiney!

Thanks. Mahalo!

[SMARTROOFSYSTEMS1]

@stancurtin

Hi Stan where do you get the nickel ammonium sulfate and the solid nickel plate? Where do you get nickel (II) hydroxide? Thanks Stan and company,

Franklin Russell