RichardS
N/A
Perhaps you should be addressing Earlybird rather than me? I've always thought that the principle was sound.
Richard
Help with valve guide - non marine
- Thread starter davidej
- Start date
Perhaps you should be addressing Earlybird rather than me? I've always thought that the principle was sound.
Richard
rotrax
Well-Known Member
Perhaps you should be addressing Earlybird rather than me? I've always thought that the principle was sound.
Richard
Sorry if I mistook you for another poster.
The principle IS sound.
But as with winemaking, it is a black art as well as a science!
I had success at soft nickel plating, but about 20% failures-dull rough finish, plating not adhered properly and just not taking.
First Mate's plating rarely failed. She applied herself and brooked no interuptions!
I was not always able to enjoy this, and my attention to detail was not as good as hers.
We did try copper plating. We did this, followed by our soft nickel and subsequently sent the bits for chromium plating, giving the parts what is known as Triple Plating.
It was not very successful, the chromed parts were never as bright as when the specialists did the whole job.
Plating can be done in a home workshop. Only, as in our case, if the authentic finish is not available commercially, is it worth the candle.
Bright nickel, the commercially available one, is not how pre 1928 motorbike brightwork was finished. The difference can clearly be seen when compared, and the soft nickel is IMHO, superior in apperance.
earlybird
Well-Known Member
A quick search of the web doesn't show too much, but what I can find suggests that useful DIY electro-copper plating of steel or iron requires a bit more than suggested above, mainly the use highly toxic solutions. An initial layer of nickel plate on the steel could be a work-around.
Electro-plating with other metals and on bases other than steel/iron can be done and kits seem readily available of course.
I'll retract if anyone can say that they've actually carried out the process with copper sulphate solution.
Electro-plating with other metals and on bases other than steel/iron can be done and kits seem readily available of course.
I'll retract if anyone can say that they've actually carried out the process with copper sulphate solution.
VicS
Well-Known Member
Many many decades ago I used an electroplating technique as a method of gravimetric analysis for copper. My recollection is that you don't get decent plating from neutral or slightly acidic solutions. I made the solutions strongly ammoniacal, the copper being complexed as the tetraamminecopper(ii) ion.
RichardS
N/A
I've copper plated many ferrous materials over the years using copper sulphate solution and a copper anode and the copper plating seemed to bond strongly provided the cathode was spotlessly clean. However, this was only for cosmetic purposes and I've never tried to electroplate a thick enough layer to increase fractionally the diameter of the cathode and have never measured the cathode after plating in order to determine whether it has decreased in diameter rather than increased.
Richard
earlybird
Well-Known Member
OK, accepted:encouragement:
Not my experience though!
Not my experience though!
RichardS
N/A
I really wasn't trying to get you to retract .... it's just an interesting discussion about something I've never tried. Putting aside whether the copper layer would bond securely enough to be drifted in the one time, and assuming that the diameter does actually increase, I wonder how thick the copper layer would get if you left the cathode for a few days. 1 thou is 25 micron but I would have thought that is too much so perhaps a layer 5 microns thick giving a 10 micron overall increase in diameter would be about right. Whether that is possible with electroplating I know not.
Richard
rotrax
Well-Known Member
By its very nature the soft nickel we used in our restorations did build up a significant layer. If we plated a component with a fine 26tpi shallow cycle thread we often had to run a die down it. We soon learned to coat the thread with varnish before plating.
Never got to measure it, but there was a formulae based on current flow and time which allowed a calculation of plated thickness. I estimate, purely by feel, that the threads had increased in size enough to make them unacceptably tight when assemby was taking place.
One thing about the soft nickel, once it was plated successfully, it was very tough and durable.
Never got to measure it, but there was a formulae based on current flow and time which allowed a calculation of plated thickness. I estimate, purely by feel, that the threads had increased in size enough to make them unacceptably tight when assemby was taking place.
One thing about the soft nickel, once it was plated successfully, it was very tough and durable.
lw395
Well-Known Member
I've used 'electroformed' copper components, where copper a few millimetres thick is deposited.
The technique is also used with precious metals I believe.
The technique is also used with precious metals I believe.
rotrax
Well-Known Member
I suspect you meant to write microns, not millimetres............................
lw395
Well-Known Member
No.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroforming
It's used to make waveguide components for radar etc.
Very precise stuff that's mostly about details inside tubing.
And some bizarre shapes that need to be perfect inside.
A lot of it could probably be CNC'd today, but some of these bits go back to the 70s.
davidej
Well-Known Member
Thanks to all for the lessons in electroplating but I think I will try to find someone to machine a new guide.