ZInc Plating Hardware with Caswell Electroplating Copy Cad Zinc Plating Kit 

And the great camera work and angles.

Thanks for watching. There is a zinc passivation system available that uses trivalent chromium salts. Trivalent chromium salts are less toxic and not as strictly regulated. Trace chromium that is present in the human body in enzymes is in trivalent state. Caswell Electroplating (the vendor from whom I bought the chemicals used in this video) has a branch in the UK where they used to sell a zinc plating kit with trivalent chromium salts. I read some comments from Europeans who have used trivalent chromium zinc passivation who were satisfied with their results. I think it takes longer and the process is more temperature sensitive than sodium chromate (VI). I got a sense that blue chromate was the easiest to get good results with trivalent kits. Below is the link to Caswell's UK site where they sell zinc plating kits with trivalent chromate passivation. Today it says that the kit is sold out? www.caswelleurope.co.uk/zinc-plating-kit/ (Disclosure - I have no interest in Caswell Plating they are just the only hobby plating vendor we have in the USA and their literature is good)

We are from the same ethnic group. If I remember correctly when Lorre was a young jewish boy in Hungary his name was Laslo Lowenstein.

Zinc will dissolve rapidly in hydrochloric (muriatic) acid when you are prepping your parts before plating.

Zinc Plating is a sacrificial rust protection layer on regular carbon steel (also called mild steel). Zinc is more chemically active and it oxidizes (rusts away) first when exposed to the environment. Zinc plate will oxidize away at a rate that depends on environment. For harsh outside environments "hot dip galvanizing" is used. Steel that is being galvanized is dipped in molten zinc metal. That applies a thick layer of zinc that lasts for long time outside. This is a galvanizing video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Az87Q0JedG4.html Zinc easily dissolves in weak acid. Thin zinc plating will dissolve in tomato juice. Chromate is used to increase acid resistance of thin zinc plate. It looks good but it is done for acid resistance, not for appearance. All of the other electroplating processes are used for appearance. For example chrome plating, nickel plating and, of course, gold plating, are done to make parts look a certain way. It is possible to chrome plate as a small hobby but it is expensive and complicated. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-39RXctLZ8Rs.html Stainless steel is not usually zinc plated or chromated. Stainless steel contains a lot of chromium! For example 304 stainless steel, used in cooking pots, contains 15 to 20% chromium, that provides rust resistance and other properties. Aluminum parts can be protected from aluminum corrosion by a chromate conversion process. In this process aluminum itself reacts with chromate salts, ( there is no zinc and no electricity). This prevents aluminum corrosion and promotes paint adhesion. It is mostly used on airplane parts. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-53Je20BQ6w8.html Thanks for watching!

Yes, I reuse the copper wires, it does not seem to degrade the solution.

In this video I use a commercially available product sold by Caswell plaiting. It is a mixture of zinc chloride, potassium chloride and ammonium chloride, it also has a secret ingredient that Caswell refuses to disclose that is just listed as non-toxic on the MSDS form.

Wash in degreaser, then mediablast in cabinet with 36 grit aluminum oxide, then shine with 8" wheel on a grinder. I found that media-blasting is needed and it requires a cabinet and a large compressor. Much of the cost of doing this is in prep equipment.

I remove the sink anodes at end of the day rinse them and clean them with scotch-bright pad (mild abrasive pad). I store zinc anodes clean and dry between use.

It is all in the prep sandblasting and sometimes vibratory tumbling take time and effort but a good shiny polished prep is critical. Sometimes the bath can get contaminated with other metals. I usually prep a scrap piece of hardware and plate it first by itself to get all of the contaminants onto it.

It is 5% Hydrochloric acid, a weak solution. Muriatic Acid sold at home centers and swimming pool suppliers is 35% HCl. There are many online dilution calculators

I think hexavalent chromate reacts with zinc in seconds but divalent chromate used in Europe takes a longer time in solution.

I started with a 1.5 Gallon for bolts and nuts but, I since doubled it to 3 US gallons as I now try to plate brake calipers

Industrial heating supply inc www.industrialelectricheating.com They are great but expensive with very accurate thermostats for repeatable operation. They will hold consistent temps from slightly warm to rolling boil. If you are degreasing in a stainless pot you can put it on a cheap hot plate. Having hot water in a plastic bucket that becomes visibly softer at near boiling temperature can feel a little unsafe even though the bucket should theoretically handle it. Second hand stores always have cheap stainless pots. The plating tank can be heated with a cheap fish tank heater because it does not need very hot temperature.

Caswell’s yellow chromate that they sell in USA is a liquid concentrate. Directions are 1oz of yellow chromate mix into 1 gallon of distilled water. This concentrate Is chromic acid 17% , sodium dichromate 17%, nitric acid 14% sulfuric acid 3% in distilled water. The percentages are by weight.

I cannot find the lay supply business where I bought my heaters but they are available on US Amazon here. (link below) I do suggest doing degreasing in an old stainless cooking pot (from a second hand thrift store) on a hot plate. It is cheap, the hot plate is adjustable and does not take up room inside the pot. www.amazon.com/Immersion-Overheating-Prevention-Adjustable-Thermostat/dp/B08HS2DQZD/ref=pd_lpo_3?pd_rd_w=Hrznv&content-id=amzn1.sym.116f529c-aa4d-4763-b2b6-4d614ec7dc00&pf_rd_p=116f529c-aa4d-4763-b2b6-4d614ec7dc00&pf_rd_r=4AN0FYVKTJ5TGXXMX2DW&pd_rd_wg=lTfEl&pd_rd_r=9d7e9bb3-0db4-49dc-8ab5-086069a3536d&pd_rd_i=B08HS2DQZD&psc=1

In the US somewhat diluted hydrochloric acid is sold as muriatic acid. I use an online dilution calculator to further dilute it. In theory they are the same, however some “safer” muriatic acid products on the market now have oily additives and those products cannot be used for plating. I noticed recently that all of the muriatic acid at my local home depot had these additives.

angelsplus.com/products/pump-sen-submersible-water-pumps Something like this, a cheap submersible small fish tank pump.

Surface Prep, Surface Prep, it will add hours, sandblasting with multiple grits, sanding polishing etc. Zinc is very thin. With Nickel and Chrome they deposit a thick layer that they polish after, With zinc it is all part prep.

Are you using hexavalent (sodium chromate) or trivalent (chromium III oxide). This may depend on what is available to buy in your country. Hexavalent chromium is toxic and highly regulated. It is easier to use at lower temperature and that is what I use in this video. Hexavalent chromium is still available here in USA but, I believe, it is now illegal to sell it in the EU and many other countries. Trivalent chromium is harder to use, but industry is switching to it for environmental reasons and worker protection. I have no experience with trivalent chromium but I read that it is applied at 60 degrees C and takes longer. Also trivalent colors are different.

Compulsive DIY Thanks for your reply . I use Trivalent , but I think i’ve understood , it need a lot of drying .

20 Amp, I since damaged my power supply in a solution spill. I recommend putting it on a shelf above the plating tank to protect from spills.

It is the same 5% muriatic acid that is used as a pickle before the plate tank. I saw someone do it, apparently you get a brighter yellow chromate if you do a quick acid dip before chromate bur it has to be fast because zinc dissolves rapidly in acid.

Caswell does mention hydrochloric acid to "activate the surface". Caswell also says that castings (they call pot metal) do well with longer soaks in more concentrated HCl.

Muriartic acid is diluted with distilled water to a 5% concentration using a kitchen measuring cup and an online dilution calculator. I buy the SP degreaser from Caswell plating. The composition is a a trade secret but I suspect it is TSP that is sold for paint prep in paint stores. Caswell secret mix has 2 ingredients on the MSDS sheet in 80-20 ratio. TSP in paint store is an 80-20 mix of trisodium phosphate and sodium carbonate. A soapy bubbly product can be hard to rinse off and it will cause bare areas like oil contamination does.

Compulsive DIY thanks so much for the added info.

Yes, I buff them on a brass brush wheel till shine, before plating. It goes fast on bench grinder. Like many other projects it is pre prep prep for good results. The dull look is the simulated antique cadmium plate look, that some restorers need. They get it by dulling with blasting or fiberglass brushes.

I did not add any brightener based on some comments on the forum..so 100% correct...that’s what I ended up with. Added brighter and it matches new hardware now.

The instructions for my chromate said to do it to “Activate the surface”

The product I buy is labeled as Muriatic (hydrochoric) acid for concrete cleaning and removal of cement residue from brick. It is sold here in 31.5% water solution by weight. I dilute it with distilled water to a 5% concentration by volume using a kitchen measuring cup and an online dilution calculator. 5% is recommenced by the maker of the plating kit.

I am not an expert just a hobbyist. I read that many problems are caused by poor steel preparation, especially black spots. Dark grey is caused by too high current. Many home platers use battery chargers and do nor have great control of current. Solution contamination is a big problem. You can plate a sacrificial part to get all the contaminates onto it before your good parts. I do not know much about Zamac.

@@compulsivediy8036 - ok thanks .. Zamak/Mazak is what injection moulded Diecast Toys are made of - Hot Wheels used a transparent paint on plated castings in the 1960's which restorers try to replicate and effectively produce the opposite of a reflective surface but seem to find one under a coating of surface deposits after physically polishing it off. They looked similar to Anodised plating colours. Yours was the only actual zinc plated finish I could find as opposed to the 'surface deposit polished off' variety which a factory producing parts in large numbers obviously wouldn't have done. It's hard to say if Hot Wheels were plated for a mirror finish or a metallic grain though, maybe both, the reason they did it is clear, because Zamac is multimetal and this can still be clearly seen in a plain casting - hence the need for a even toned finish before transparent paint is applied. hotwheels.fandom.com/wiki/Spectraflame

No this is only for clean mild steel. This is a corrosion protection method. Yellow chromate looks fun but black and grey are just as good for corrosion protection and completely bland.

It is a commercial product from Caswell Plating, the exact formula is a Caswell trade secret especially the brightner that adds shine. It lasts forever, it is not really consumed, except for the "brightener" that is a trade secret but it not expensive and is used by the teaspoon. The secret brightner is likely an organic polymer. (Starch-like stuff) Caswell Zink bath part A and B is a proprietary form of well known acidic, Cyanide-Free zinc plating bath. It usually contains: Zinc chloride, ammonium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium benzoate and surfactants. pH is adjusted to 5.5 with hydrochloric acid. (Which I have to add a little as pH drifts up) There is a lot of ingredients, so Caswell proprietary formula is convenient for a hobbyist. It is like making you own Mayonnaise, you can do it; but the recipe is complex and you will have a gallon of leftover egg whites.

I was probably talking about this one. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VmO6DQQMPnQ.html These days I media blast in a cabinet and then buff with brass wire wheel on a bench grinder. Brass wheel makes it shiny which is needed for shiny zinc plate.

It has to be an adjustable current power supply. Current settings (not voltage) is set during plating. For a dozen bolts you can use a 10 Amp supply but if you start doing larger parts (like brake calipers) you will need 20 Amps so if larger parts are in your future you are better off buying a larger power supply up front. Also if you considering anodizing Aluminum you will also need more amps. I use an $130 ebay lab power supply rated to 20A. A 10A unit costs half of that. These cheap Chinese lab power supplies are OK for the plating lab where you are at risk of ruining it by spilling electrolyte into it. (yes it happened to me)

I can't I buy a proprietary product. This is basically a product used as directed review.

Im looking for 1 & 2 also, can't find them. Wish he would post links. Fantastic tutorial, thank you!

Plating bath is Potassium Chloride, Ammonium Chloride, and Zinc Chloride. There is more potassium chloride than zinc chloride in the mix. I buy a proprietary mix from Caswell company so I do not know exact proportions. PH is adjusted to 5.5 with small amount of hydrochloric acid.

These are Fahrenheit temps.

I use a teaspoon of brightner. It is all in prep. Sandblasted parts come out dull. Parts buffed with brass wheel such as the ones in video come out with more shine.

@@compulsivediy8036 And how often do you replenish the brightener? Also, I agree that sand blasted parts come out dull but do they come out looking like they've been painted with gray primer, because that's how my parts come out. I can get them to shine by polishing with fine steel wool prior to yellow chromate but I'd rather have them come out of the plating tank looking bright and shiny like yours.

There is no cadmium. This is zinc Plating with zinc anodes in zinc chloride bath. If you zinc plate dull looking steel it will look like old cadmium plate. It has to be sand blasted or dulled with a fiberglass brush. Cadmium is too toxic and no longe available.

Colors are limited by available chromium salts that react with zinc, so shades of yellow green and shades of grey black. In many countries hexavalent chromium is illegal so they have fewer options.

Yes

No, this is rust prevention for mild steel. Titanium can be anodized like aluminum or it can be titanium nitride coated in vacuum to black gold or rainbow color.

Sorry, can’t help you for various reasons. I think this youtuber ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VNhVuQukyDs.html does this for a living.

I cannot do it Terry due to demands of my day job these days but check out this guy, he is a pro ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VNhVuQukyDs.html

No just a hobby. This guy is a professional. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VNhVuQukyDs.html