electroless nickel plating

[CaptonZap]

Howdy,

Years ago, the HSM had an article about electroless nickel plating. I can't find it in my back issues, but a friend has a larger stack of back issues that I can access.
Does anyone know what year/issue that was in?
Thanks, CZ

[GaryHart]

The Nov. 1977 issue of Live Steam had an article about doing electroless nickel plating

Sorry don't know year and month but the 53 issue of HSM page 39.

[CaptonZap]

Thanks for the reply.
My friend looked at his back HSM issues, and couldn't find an issue number, only the year and month.
I will try the library for back issues of Live Steam.
CZ

[Metalman]

Have you checked this ?: http://www.caswellplating.com/electropl ... -kits.html

[CaptonZap]

Have you checked this ?: http://www.caswellplating.com/electropl ... -kits.html

Thanks for the thought Ernie, but I can buy plastic bottles locally and not have to pay postage on them, and I have most of the chemicals, I just lack the percentages. That is why I would like to find the article.
CZ

[Metalman]

I don't know anything about the process. Are the chemicals or ingredients common or easy to obtain? Be interesting to know the process and what's involved, especially if the materials could be rounded up at less cost than one of those kits. I like nickel plate, keep us posted.

[powderhorn01]

Check with Brownells (gun smithing supplys). They have electroless nickle, and instructions on using it. They are easey to work wiyh, and quick shippers.

[mcostello]

Would electroless nickel plating work to build up shafts and bores?

[CaptonZap]

Would electroless nickel plating work to build up shafts and bores?

The problem with plating for stock addition is that the process is line of sight, and the thickness of deposited metal is not uniform. If you have grinding facilities, you could plate on a thick layer, and grind it to size. Hard chrome plating is done on cylinder bores to provide a "non wear" surface for the rings, but the surface is honed to size after being plated.

So yes, it can be done, and no, it is not as simple as yes or no.

My need is for decorative plating, so I avoid those problems.

CZ

[Rich_Carlstedt]

Just to amplify CZ's comments to another poster on building up surfaces.
"Electrical" plating is line of sight plating
"Electroless" plating is 100 % coverage of the sub-strait , without electric power use.( its a chemical based action)

While Electroless Nickel (EN) is great for many things , it does NOT have the adhesion that electrical plating will give you.
Say you want to build up a surface to fit a ball bearing into AND THE BEARING WILL NOT TURN on the plated surface..works OK
"If" you want the plated surface to endure changing mechanical loads like cylinder walls or crank journals..then NO...that is a job for electrical plating only.

Rich

To show the difference. a part may have .0005" of Electroless Nickel plated over its entire surface evenly in 15 minutes
but if placed in an electrical tank the edges would have .020" thick and the body almost nothing. Just as lightning rods attract static charges versus a flat roof. the same applies to parts....and that means lots of grinding ( no machining !) and post plating work

[mcostello]

There goes MY "dream put metal back and erase the mistake" machine!

[ken572]

Howdy,

Years ago, the HSM had an article about electroless nickel plating. I can't find it in my back issues, but a friend has a larger stack of back issues that I can access.
Does anyone know what year/issue that was in?
Thanks, CZ

CZ, It goes all the way back to 2003 on this site:

http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/sea ... mit=Search

Ken.