restoring old bolts

[Spargett]

Mobilyte shared some good info on plating with me. Thought I'd share it here as well.

"I know the chrome honda did was a cheap single layer "industrial flash chrome", unlike today's show quality triple plating."

i'm not an expert by any means, but i have 2 engineering degrees and my uncle operates a decorative repair/plating business. here's what i've observed...

triple plating refers to chrome over nickel over copper over base metal. each progressive layer is thinner than the previous layer, the chrome layer is always a quick "flash" coating. if you noticed a yellow tint on your parts before you had them refinished, that was the nickel coating showing where the chrome had worn off. the nickel provides the luster we see in chrome finishing (bright vs. matte nickel), but it oxidizes and chrome is a protective coating for the nickel.

"industrial" (hard) chrome is used in applications for anti-wearing. this chrome is applied thicker, but doesnt look as nice as "decorative" chroming. i dont think they apply it over copper and nickel, but i cant say for sure since the companies dont discuss their proprietary processes with much detail...maybe some research of the mil/astm specs they comply to would reveal more.

modern chroming processes are crap compared to what was originally done on our bikes. because of environmental/health regulation, hexavalent chrome isnt generally used in plating solutions anymore...think erin brokovich. they're probably still used it in developing countries, but they skimp on the first 2 coats (nickel is relatively expensive).

even though my parts arent perfect, i felt more confident keeping the original finish rather than sending the parts out. i prefer having some minor pitting instead of risking having the chrome flake off in a few years...

[brewsky]

Great! Let us know how you make out.

Wilf

Link to my Pine Sol results at the end of this thread:
http://www.honda305.com/forums/viewtopi ... highlight=

[rrietman]

Wilf; thanks for inspiring me to try some home plating. I've had the equipment sitting around for a few years, but was put off by the need to order solutions/anodes. I tried your mix recipe and I must say it works pretty well. I am finding that a couple 10 min soaks with polishing between seems to be the ticket. the voltage source is a "Nobilium electrolytic polisher". dental lab stuff. pretty cool.
Thanks
Randy

[Wilf]

You're welcome, Randy.

I'm glad you tried it--it really is satisfying!

What I wouldn't give for your power supply--it looks very useful indeed. But I think my "Electra Sol" plating bucket is the secret for serious platers :)

Wilf

[rrietman]

W; you are right , the Electra bucket is the stuff. I tried to find one but was put off and had to settle for the cheapo plastic pitcher.
Randy

[GG]

Hi fellas - I've already purchased zinc and epsom salts! This thread is really good. Question for Wilf - do you think I can use my motorcycle battery? I don't have any sophisticated electrical sources - the only three volt source would be to put two flashlight batteries together. But not much amperage there. Any suggestions?

Another question - some zinc plating is black. Do you know how to get the black tone?

Thanks! ................ GG

[Wilf]

GG,

I am guessing the black appearance you refer to comes from the Parkerizing process or the Passivation process. I am not familiar with either of these, but some googling will give you an idea as to what they are.

With respect to using your motorcycle battery for zinc plating:

--The voltage and current required for a good result has to do with the surface areas of the zinc anodes and the parts being plated. Too much voltage will not do any damage but will give you a dark, smutty coating that is easily scrubbed off when you clean it. You end up just wasting zinc and not getting a good bond. It's sort of like painting--two or three thin coats do a better job than one thick coat. That's why I use a low voltage for a longer period of time.

--Your motorcycle battery will definitely do the job but unless you can find a way of limiting the voltage and current, I think you will end up with smutty results. You could give it a try with the battery but I would be super careful about short circuits!

--I don't know what flashlight batteries cost in Costa, but they would be my best choice. A "D" cell should give you about 1 amp/hour, so maybe you could get 6 plating jobs out of a set of them (about 10 minutes for each plating session). I would think that there should be lots of wall transformers for charging phones, answering machines etc. that might be useful depending on their current/voltage rating.

If I had an electrolyte in my plating bucket I would do some tests for you and be better able to offer a solution. Let us know your thoughts and results.

Wilf