ELECTROLESS NICKEL Plating Tutorial 

Awesome video, I appreciate the information. I just got the same kit and am eager to try it out, however my math says the bath would crash on the 2nd club without replenishment, am I calculating wrong? According to Caswell's booklet a mini kit can only plate 12 square inches for 30 mins before it needs replenished.

@Russ Moriarity I have to dive into the math, buy the rep said the mini kit would do 12. What did you end up with for your surface area calculation?

@Russ Moriarity Also, wonder if there's a difference in calculation with the One-Plate® vs their other electroless products? The website isn't clear to me.

@@midwestmagneto Website states the Mini kit will do 70 sq in, not sure where you are getting 12 sq in. Mini 70 sq in Standard 140 sq in Deluxe 2 Sq Ft (288 sq in) Jumbo 4 Sq Ft (576 sq in)

@@FawkesHD 70 sq inches is listed as the mini bath’s maximum at once. However you can only use 360 “credits” before it requires replenishment. Using their formula is how I got 12 sq inches for 30 mins (360 credits) before you’d need to replenish the bath (15 or so drops of concentrate).

Wow. Thank you for reaching out. I'm very happy to make this connection. When I do traditional electroplating, I generally use an electrocleaner, Wood's Nickel Strike, and/or a nickel activation step before plating (with rinses in between). The guidance in the included instructions on the electroless kit only had me degreasing the parts then straight into the tank for plating. They passed my 'water break test', but there was no activation of the remaining nickel or any other preparation. I'd be grateful to speak with you to learn what preparation steps our subscribers could do to encourage better adhesion and durability. I'd also be interested in any recommendations for more chrome-like plating for a harder surface than the nickel. My RU-vid channel is really geared towards budget-conscious, entry-level DIYers with little to no experience in either polishing or plating, so I want to make recommendations that fit into those criteria. I started the channel to document my experiments, so I'm also learning as I go, trying new options, and adapting the process as I learn more and more. The simplicity of the One-Plate option (which has a single component that is used for replenishment as well) over 'traditional' electroless plating or electroplating is really what drew me to this product. I'd be curious to know your professional opinion of the new One-Plate Electroless process www.one-plate-en.com/about-one-plate , Replenishment is also an area of confusion for me. The directions are horrible. They speak about adding parts B and C, but One-Plate has a SINGLE component so the instructions are for their traditional electroless kit. This webpage says it plates at .5 mil (500 microinches?) in 30 minutes. caswellplating.com/one-plate-1-electroless-nickel-kit/. The directions have me replenishing at the 15 minute mark with only a few ml of solution. I'll have to look at my notes, but if I remember correctly, the club head was around 13 sq inches of surface area. Finally, I love your idea of of having an avenue for our nearly 10,000 subscribers to be able to send clubs to a professional to plate if its economically feasible for them. Again, budget considerations are at the forefront of the processes for us. So, I'd be interested in hearing how we can collaborate with our viewers who also want to do the polishing and send it off to a plater. Would you mind sending me a message to keep the conversation going? My email is on my ABOUT page.

You got discord @tripper3737? 👀

@@BradMeehan sorry for the late response here, Brad! I hadn't seen you replied. I'll look through the links you sent and send you an email so we can discuss all of it shortly!

@@BradMeehan Hey Brad, I have a few questions for you but I can't seem to find your email on you ABOUT page

@@tripper3737 brad@bradmeehan.com

Agreed. I'm going to make a video specifically for this.

Explain that again because I put in a order two weeks ago. I purchased the 3.5 gallon kit. So what else exactly do I need to buy now for the kit to work?

@@christopherowens2635 need to buy some extra formula as replenisher. As you plate you will have to be adding a few ml at a time.

@@maxkoz Are you referring to the nickel plated solution I need more of that? Not the degreaser.

Yes, the nickel plating solution is what you use to replenish, not the degreaser.

This really opens up a lot of possibilities for the DIY crew to be able to do good work that lasts and will be protected from corrosion (and looks great).

Did you watch them all!? Lol. I have two I'm working on now. Stay tuned!

Hi, Tim. Thank you. About 12 clubs for the 'mini' kit before you have to add replenisher.

@@Jim-p5n just the chrome layer. There was still nickel under the chrome that I plated over.

You can keep the shafts on, but you'll have more room when you're polishing to get into the corners of the club if it's off.

Awesome! Thank you!

Lol. You know me too well already!

Lol. You know me too well already!

Loll, he doesn't know if it is safe to do it in the house. I wouldn't do it, If you're boiling stuff that needs a glass container and mist control so that fumes don't start Nickle plating things in your kitchen it can't be good.

Hi Brian. I'm glad you found it! Thanks for taking the time to comment.

Yes, I have the "mini" kit that came with the pots, mist balls, thermometer, decreased, and the solution.

Your prep determines the finish. It will not fill scratches and gouges.

The chrome, yes. But you can plate over the remaining nickel. They warn of it being brittle if you do. You'll remove most of it with the sanding and polishing. I do notice a slight color difference where specks of old nickel are under the fresh nickel. It's almost shinier, so if you want to ensure uniformity, you should try to get down to bare steel.

@cdjthg9516 yes. It's nickel just like if you did standard electroplating. This is much easier and doesn't require a power supply. I have other videos on how to make a standard plating tank, but if you've never done it, this is the fool proof way.

@@braden2404 yessir

Yes, nickel then gold. I learned most of this by watching videos from Gold Plating Services. You'll see I use some of their products in my videos. look up their channel on RU-vid. There is a video of them plating a knife with gold. Nickel was required first.

If there's rust, you can do this process because the club is likely carbon steel. If there's no rust, you can polish them but you don't have to replate them because they're likely stainless or similar. I have a book that also tells if the club is cast, forged, stainless, or carbon steel. it's an old golf club collectors book. I can look one up for you if you need help.

​@@BradMeehan so if it a blade oriented clubs.. mostly carbon steel right..

@ToraxReborn That's a good assumption. I'd do a search to see if you can find out if it's steel or something else.

@@BradMeehando you know what the metal composition is of Ping s59 irons from 2003?

Yes. There is a link in the description. Thank you

@@BradMeehan Thank you. Have a good day ~

I'm stunned myself. This helps so many people get into this hobby with no effort whatsoever.

You can keep reusing it. You just have to add some solution to the batch as a 'replensher' since the nickel that ends up on the club comes from the solution.

I've been using this for simplicity. But, I do notice a slight color difference when it lays over existing nickel. So, I'm probably going to do more videos with the regular electroplating method.

They say about 12 clubs. You have to add more solution as a replenishment since the nickel comes from the solution and not a nickel plate like my older videos.

The degreaser step was 5 minutes. I'd still do the activation step of there's remaining nickel. I didn't do it in the video, but it's a 2 minute job to have piece of mind that the nickel is ready for more plating

@@BradMeehan Brad - do you still electro-clean as well? Or does the Degreaser replace this step?

@@hunterpalmer1442 I didn't in the video because it passed the water break test. You can go wrong with extra cleaning if you have the equipment.

Yes, it's reusable. You have to add replenisher along the way to add more nickel to the solution. You just have to reheat it when you're ready to go.

I used it exclusively in all the videos since this one (except my lowrider golf club video)

​@BradMeehan OH ok, thanks. I thought you were going to make a video on replenishing and thickness. That's the title's I was looking for.

I did use it on my newest videos. As long as you pass the 'water break test' with the decreased, you should be OK. But if you have a wand and power supply I can talk you through it. It's a 30 second job for peace of mind.

Much, much easier. I put no effort into this, and it turned out beautiful. This really opens the door for more people to try.

They said about 12 clubs before you have to add some replenisher to the solution. There's a 'credits' calculation that you need to do to keep track of the depletion, which i'll dive into. I was so eager to test it.

For sure. Check out the video I did on shaft restoration.

Yes, here's the list that should be included quoted from Caswell's site: Kits Contain: 2 x Glass Lined Tank Thermometer Mist Control Balls One-Plate® 1 Solution SP Degreaser The Caswell Plating Manual Free Technical Support

Hi, Gaston - Everything is the same except the method that the nickel is bonded to the club. One uses low electrical current and the other uses a reaction where heat is the catalyst. But, what ends up on the club is still nickel.

No, it's a little sandblaster. Check out my equipment links in the description to see it.

No, just teaching people how to do it at home here.

Yes, it is.

Thank you!

Your channel may be my favorite thing on the internet. Jeff Bezos keeps dropping lower. Please making videos and if you ever tour in Indiana, I will bring all my friends. Won’t do the front row, because my wife fears being part to the show.

I have same one in not good condition. I think spray paint is better with woods

Yes. I'm making two videos now. One will address the calculation.

I wouldn't mess with them. Just enjoy them and keep them clean.

The plating method looks cheaper than Electroless but you'll still have to replenish the anodes as you work. It's just 'more difficult' (even though it's easy as hell) to get the perfect finish because you have to figure out the best voltage/current that suits your container and parts.

The sanding is really the easiest way to get the chatter and dings out. Filling them with copper (or other metal) is a solution like in that Mizuno video, but it's easier to sand it down, then account for the weight when you reshaft them. You can make a power supply with old phone chargers but you have less control over the output than investing in a power supply.

@@BradMeehan I contacted a club refinisher who does it as a business and asked him about the copper method for filling and he said that the copper is too soft and to use nickel instead. I have a number of items from your Amazon store in my cart waiting for Amazon Prime day a courage to do it lol. I'm planning on using the DC power supply to maybe clean but mostly fill scratches and gouges and then the Electroless pot method for the plating. I have graphite shafts in my irons and hesitant to remove them, is it not possible at all to do this with the shafts installed?

It was. Should I hang it?

@@BradMeehan not sure that’s why I asked , 😂.

@brunoburtoni8479 lol. hanging would be better, but it will still plate evenly with this method. I did move it around as it was going, but if liquid is touching it, it will plate to it.

@@BradMeehan Cool . I just researched abit the complexing agent needs to be replenished quite often . Might get a bit expensive with that. Unless you don’t plate often with electroless. Should be fine.

Yessir. Kinda like the club face. Or, you can hit it with a green scrub pad after.

The chrome will be way more durable than the nickel. I just don't have the means to do a home chrome set up.

Absolutely. You do have to add a bit of solution to replenish it since the nickel comes from the solution, not a nickel anode like my other electroplating video.

The copper strike layer is a good idea. It will show you where you missed any chrome and will help with the next layer of nickel. But, if the club is properly activated, you can skip this step. I may start doing it to help fill in tiny scratches and perfect the technique.

Exactly. Otherwise, the bare steel will corrode and rust.

$154 is the one I used. There are links in the description

That's right. You can skip this if you use the electrocleaner. As long as it passes water break, it's good to go.

@@BradMeehan Thank you sir. Folks love your plating tutorial videos. You should plate different types of electroless plating and electroplating.

It's a ceramic coated pot. But great question.

Great point. The nickel anodes themselves were 48 dollars, the power supply is ~60, plus tubs etc. Elecroplating is cheaper in the long run because the anodes have lasted a LONG time. But, for ease of use, i'm 100% in the electroless camp if I can continue to turn out work like this one.

Yes, but you have to first plate zincate first. However, aluminum will polish to a mirror finish without plating. This is how I learned to polish metal.

Sure thing. I'm at the lake this weekend but I'll send it when I get back.

@@BradMeehan much appreciated enjoy the lake!

www.golfworks.com/3m-scotchbrite-finishing-belts/p/mt0004/ This is it.

Representing the 816.

@@BradMeehan nice I assume you play golf? What’s your favorite local course?

@zackmccale5548 I live near lakewood, so I play there. You?

Even if you coated it with a conductive paint, I doubt it would withstand the temperature of the solution in the pot. You'd be better off doing the traditional nickel electroplating method here.

Yes, I abbreviated it for the video, but you'll always have to sand and polish if you want it shiny.

Just checked- it’s coming out 20th april

Exactly like electroplating, except the method to bond the nickel to the surface. But it is just nickel.

It's not as durable as chrome, but nickel will provide good corrosion and scratch protection. Like nickel-plated guns eventually scratch.

Manuel the documentation has a chart to show the max surface area you can do at once. I'm just going to do one at a time.

I have the replenisher on the way so I'll make a video of the process. The One Plate product also requires adding solution like traditional electroless, but they says it's only a few milliliters according to the docs. The rep said I could do 12 with the kit, so there is conflicting guidance.

@@BradMeehan my biggest concern is that the literature says that if you go below 80% of the formulas capacity it will be rendered useless. Too expensive to waste it because you went a club to far. Have you done the 12 clubs? Based on my math, I think you can only do maybe 3 clubs before you have to replenish.

You can polish after if you have blemishes, but I wouldn't use anything heavier than the white compound and the green/loose cotton. You'll have to avoid hitting the textured area on the face or it will polish it and ruin the texture.

@@BradMeehan Thanks for the info! But did you polish the chrome after you plated it?

@samking4179 Yes just before I filmed the last shot to remove fingerprints, etc. I used the green and the loose cotton, no grit.

@@BradMeehan Great! Thanks!