Zinc/Nickel Plating Kit by Classic Plating UK - First Impressions/Results! 

Thanks man!! It takes a long while to get it right but i'd say it's worth it. I have since upgraded the power supply and got some different buckets so that I can do larger/longer parts

@@BadE30 perfect job!!!

Glad it was helpful!

Appreciate for the kind words! It is a great kit if you have the patience to get it to work well

Hope it helped!

Great to hear! Understandably it’s a process that’s not well known, mainly the reason I made the video to help pass what I know over. Thanks😎

@@BadE30 Hello, thank you very much for your answer! 👍 I have tried what you mentioned with the heat gun for up to 20 min and then two days and nothing, I have also tried in the oven for 45 minutes at 55 ° C but everything I try gives me the same result. The pieces are very good but when handling them the passivate goes away very easily, the user guide I am following it to the millimeter and also before passivating I use nitric acid then transparent passivated and followed the yellow since the guide says that if the yellow passivate do that but neither. Sorry for the bible I've written. Congratulations on your videos, you look meticulous with what you do. I have subscribed to your channel, greetings from Spain.

Great to hear! I do fancy making a small update video as there are a few things I’ve learnt through experience since posting this. Nothing major, but it’s helped me

@@BadE30 Thank you, looking forward to that update!

You’ve hit the nail on the head there! It’s definitely not for everyone, and sometimes even I feel like it’s not worth it. I’m lucky to have a lot of space where i can leave it set up ready to just warm up when I need it. I keep everything covered as much as poss due to the chemicals, my lathe is right next to it and I’ve not seen any corrosion on that so far!

Haha! You’re not wrong about the work time. It is nice n easy to send them off for sure

Would definitely recommend doing it whether that be getting your own kit or getting it sent off in batch to a company! Makes the world of difference.

Thanks for the kind words, it was my first ever video! Had the kit for a year now and learnt quite a bit along the way, will look to make an update

Cool man!

Thanks for the great comment! Always a pleasure to know experienced people have watched these videos. The kit isn’t too cheap no, and not quick either. But i do prefer it to sending them off for plating or buying new

Hi, thanks for the advice! I will look into that, as it is horrible stuff! Thanks

Thanks for the kind words, I’d definitely recommend it if you have the space and patience!

Thanks! Hope it helped😎

Great comment! Interesting about the solution ionising after large parts, definitely something I will look to consider. Thanks

@@BadE30 I will deliberaty plate large parts in a cold solution 10deg C It appears I can crank up the current to 10A and the plating "pushes" into corners and voids without burning on spikes and corners. As the solution becomes more ionised and active (also warms under the higher current so Im unsure if its chemical change in the solution or temperature) you loose the ability to plate evenly on big pieces. Never had any luck getting the yellow passivate to work so thats on the cards thanks to your channel. Its so much easier when renovating motorbikes to plate as you go (get all the bolts back in the same places) and there is nothing more distressing than paying for the privilege of that rare rare part being lost at platers.

Nice one! Good luck to you.

Makes it worth it!

Glad to hear it!

Glad it helped!

Appreciate the kind comment!

Thanks for the comment. I am glad there are others like you doing the same.

Good work! I have since upgraded the power supply to accommodate larger surface areas and to give me more adjustability. Other than that, it really just takes experience to iron out the few faults, I've found with a more powerful supply I started to burn parts due to going for too much current! Link for the supply I purchased: www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B017KQG6EA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

@Jamie - Is this kit better than you can find at Caswell plating as I dont what to go through them. I want an alternate source. Thanks in advance for your reply.

Thanks man!

Thanks man!

Thanks for watching!

Interesting idea, i may put a brass wheel on the other side to prep the parts!

Great to hear, my tip would be; shiny in, shiny out. Make sure you take time to prep the items which will help you get consistent results whilst you’re altering your process

Thanks! It’s a great process

I use it as a concentrate to remove rust/debris from the surface of the parts, if diluted it simply takes longer! A quick wire wheel process after and it’s a perfect surface to plate with

@@BadE30 Wire wheel before etching. You will just end uo contaminating your parts again after wire brushing.

The speed is tricky to change as it is a slow process, however the batch size can be increased with a larger power supply. I now have a 15amp supply (from 6amps), which means I can do much larger batches/larger parts!

Thanks!

I only bought more heaters as I was working in colder climates when I first purchased. Heaters are usually £10ish so I thought it was best to buy a few extra, I’d definitely say the electrolyte it more important for the heat though. I have used the nitric acid before the passivate but found it to damage some parts if not completely rinsed causing the parts to stain black, I have started to use it more often as I have now improved the way I rinse items. But I don’t see much of a difference between when I use it or don’t use it

To get a shiny finish, you need to wirebrush/polish the hardware. Sand blasting gives a dull finish which is shown with the plating too. I still use sand blasting on the larger parts to clean first, then wire wheel before plating

Thanks!

Mine have all stayed shiny, if done right the coating should not change over timen

Good idea, thanks!

9:20 isn't that what this is?

What is the wire wheel and drill is new?

Thanks! Hope it was a help to you😎

the addition of nickel to the process helps to increase the corrosion resistance. It may be easier to replace them all, but that won't suit the finish that i am going for! (also got to be careful of metal-metal corrosion with S/S)

Great info here. Happy to try improve my rinsing processes!

Hope it helped😎

As a full kit from classic plating uk! Easiest way to get all the materials necessary. I did buy extra buckets and an improved power supply though

Thanks! This was my first video and I was only using my phone mic to pick up audio, not the best idea looking back..

Thanks for the kind words. Larger parts simply require a larger power source. I have since upgraded to a 15amp variable source, meaning I can do larger parts, just requires extra wiring etc to cope with the higher current. If too large, there are companies out there that can plate it for you!

@@BadE30 Thanks for the reply, I think I'll give it a shot myself before out sourcing lol, what's the worst that could happen 🤦‍♂️😄, all the best and good luck with the build 👍

Haha!! Always better to do it yourself, that’s what I enjoy to do anyway!

Thanks!

The dry acid dip does remove the previous plating, however I’d recommend stripping the hardware first

Hope it helped😎

Hi, thanks! Yes it was intentional. At the time i was struggling with the pre passivate dip, it was causing burning on the part within seconds. Found it fine to miss out the step at the time, didn’t get an issue with the passivate adhesion. Been told it was due to a lack of rinsing between steps

@@BadE30 How much rinsing is sufficient after the electrolyte stage to ensure the burning doesn't occur?

Hi, I purchased the kit from Classic Plating UK. They have the list of materials on their website!

Also - can step 1&2 be taken away as you allready done this with the HCL & wire brush

It’s only argon/co2 for welder. But yeh not the best setup, this has changed now. Also if you mena the steps one and two of the plating process, they are essential for correctly degreasing and etching the surface in preparation for plating

Very durable! I haven't tried a salt spray test on my own parts as of yet, but other experiments using the zinc/nickel coating show extremely positive results! My BMW came with plated bolts as standard and it can still be seeing on the 30 year old hardware!

thanks for the comment! Have you seen my other videos of the restoration of some other s38 parts? A lot more videos like that are to come! If you're looking at restoring your engine, I would highly recommend vapour blasting the components and zinc plating the hardware

@@BadE30 Thanks, In the US Caswell has some nice kits and documentation. I have been doing sandblast or bead blasting, along with wire wheels for 4-5 decades, but the plating (lack of it) has yielded less than durable results. What is the advantage/improvement of vapor over dry bead, or tumbling with appropriate media? Time or results in surface finish? This process is new for me, and doing some research on this. Yes, I am looking at many of your videos, quite an excellent series! I have a system for alodining (zinc chromate surface conversion) aluminum learned from building my airplane. I assume similar discipline of dip buckets and contamination control in rinses is in order.

If the plating is poor, a quick dip in muratic acid and i can do it again!

Some people do not like this plating on internal parts where there is potential for flaking to clog filters etc.. I’d look more towards a sealant for the small leaks!

Thanks! It can be quite temperamental with the colour, but it slowly mastering it

Most of my youtube videos use my plated parts during the restoration!

Thanks! Hope it all goes well

Thanks! It’s known as a yellow passivate, that’s what gives it the yellow/gold tint. Also helps protect the zinc coating

I’m going to say it could be insufficient rinsing between processes, i had this before and had to up my rinsing to get rid of it. Also if the power is too high it can scar the parts

High current density area, too much power

Hi! Sounds like you’re not getting a good adhesion of the passivate, I usually blow down the parts with a heat gun for ten mins then leave for 2 days. And you can handle them totally fine! I’d double check the troubleshooting manual for that issue.

@@BadE30 Hi, thanks for your response! 👍 if I have also tried a heat gun oven 45 min at 55 ° C but nothing, the user guide says that if the yellow passivate does not adhere well, try to apply blue passivate first and then yellow, I am also using a bath for 20 seconds of nitric acid which in theory is to improve the adherence of passivates. Congratulations on your videos, I have subscribed to your channel. Greetings from Spain.

@@mikebm367 thanks for the kind words! Your issue very strange! How well do you prepare the items before plating? I’ve been told this is very important for such adhesion. Also i know that too much brightener doesn’t help the passivate to stick

@@BadE30 If I acid prepare the pieces to remove the old plating and then brush them until the metal is pristine and it looks clean and uniform, then to the alkaline degreaser tank, pickling tank and then to the plating tank with a water rinse on each step, in the plating I usually leave it between 15-20 minutes and they come out with a very beautiful and shiny silver. As for the polish, I did have to add because the pieces came out with a slightly matte tone, but before adding the same thing happened to me with the passivation. I added 1ml per liter.

Hi Mike, The yellow passivate will fail for only one of two reasons. 1. The rinsing and dipping of the item, before passivating is very important. The Alekos brightener can leave a greasy organic coating on the zinc plate. If this is not removed, then you can have bare patches and the passivate can be easily removed. This is the reason why we include the nitric acid rinse in the kit. If in doubt repeat the rinsing process twice. To test for the presence of grease use the "water break" test. Trickle water on to the item. It should run off in a clean sheet. If it beads (like after you wax your car), then it still has grease on it. Don't always expect a bubbling reaction with the nitric acid. It's primary function is to remove the grease. Check for grease with the water break test see the following links for how to perform the test. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-md8JJow69w0.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7LeI6oDJI7o.html 2. Insufficient thickness of the zinc plate. The passivate eats away at the zinc plate during the passivate process. If any areas of the plate have poor coverage, it will be removed during the process. Aim for a plating thickness of about 25 microns before passivating. Areas that don't have a good line of sight to an anode will have poor coverage. If you have any more issues, please don't hesitate to contact us sales@classic-plating.co.uk

The acid dip before the passivate helps massively with the stiction

@@BadE30 i had a complete set wich i bought in the UK, just like OP. Mine was zinck nickel set

Usually the process of plating requires the acid etch which will remove any prior plating. Probably best to initially remove the previous plating to not affect the new coat!

@@BadE30 i have a plate with a controlled hole diameter 5F8. Now the hole is big so what i did was i do nickel plating which builds up causing the hole to be in spec but the spec is to do zinc plating. So i was thinking to plug the hole using silicone (nickel plated hole) and do zinc plating. Is it possible to do so?

That’s correct yes, the second bucket is a dry acid pickle

I have not myself, but seen it done a lot of expensive parts. Seems to hold up absolutely fine!

You’re totally right. I started this due to covid where I had a lot of spare time and no way of taking it elsewhere, I now change between doing it myself and sending big batches off to a company to do!

@@BadE30 for me it was fun to do a few times and then became seriously labor intensive once that fun wore off! I also will still do it but more often than not I'm having it done.

@@JeffSmith-eq3kc very true! But glad I did it myself, I’m sure you feel the same way

@@BadE30 absolutely.

www.bonnymans.co.uk/product-page/hydrochloric-acid-36-muriatic-acid From here!

@@BadE30 cheers

The nitric acid is used for additional adhesive of the passivate, however at the time of the video i was struggling with the acid as it would damage my parts. This was my own fault for using too much power when plating creating scars on the parts and also insufficient rinsing process. Once you have the process working well, the nitric acid can be used as it should!

For sure, just at the time I didn’t have one.. I have one now which I use for the larger parts, but it’s super easy to throw the small parts into the acid!

@@BadE30 oh cool, thanks for the reply! Super helpful video. Thanks!

Yes I have done this many times so that mine have the same finish! Just needs blasting or wire wheeling then do the process as normal

Thanks! That has always been my worry with giving my parts to someone else.. With the cleaning, I researched into the process and found the electrolytic cleaning did exactly what I can do with a few steps! If i had the extra space I would go for it but i am pretty full up currently

Man I'm sorry to hear that, must have been a fly by night operator,a serious company that does plating would never do that, i mean they might lose a bolt or 2 but 50%? if i was restoring a Ferrari and they lost 50 percent of my hardware there would be a lawsuit coming round the bend, lol

Thanks! A labour intensive task, but always worth it

Tricky to say, however I have since upgraded my power supply to show me the readouts. i've used it in some of my newer videos, it looks like for small parts i use 3v and 1.7amps, i have used up to 10 amps before on large pieces but it starts to go a bit mad up there!

Thanks for the reply and sharing your knowledge much appreciated!..Keep up the good work!

Appreciate it

I haven’t had to yet, but before I purchased the kit I found a local company who can dispose of them for a fee!

Very interesting with the cleaning procedure! The large compressor is great, large enough for all big jobs

@@BadE30 definitely is mate

Hi, thanks for the comment. 30 mins is my upper limit on the badly corroded bolts, but you’re right. I’d usually check on them after 10 mins and go from there. Will look to reduce this time and inspect them

All info on the classic plating uk website! I only have a paper copy to hand

Jasmine, if you contact us at sales@classic-plating.co.uk and we will happily send you the guide.

I’m pretty certain it requires a different electrolyte solution for the nickel-zinc! Cannot say for sure, the solution for the bath is on Classic Plating’s website

@@BadE30 It does require a different solution ! But afterwards it is as simple as connecting zinc and nickel on the positive side? Some other video on RU-vid with fancy lab equipment said something about 15% of nickel.

Ah yes! My kit came with 400g of zinc anodes and 100g of nickel anodes. So this kit goes with 25% Nickel

The solution came with the kit, unfortunately I can’t remember off hand.

Hi, i use 1mm pure copper wire. This can be purchased from ebay in 10m rolls

Simply with fish tank heaters! They are about 200w if I’m correct. Take about half an hour to heat up the larger buckets to the temperature required. Can be purchased at most stores

The manufacturer of the kit I purchased does not trade anymore so I cannot help unfortunately. A lot of info on the internet about solutions etc

Jjjjjj

Death

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Mint of course 😅😅😅😅😂