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Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ

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Nickel plating removal / stripping

adv.

Q. Hello all,

I am a Belgian collector of antique guns and currently trying to remove an old damaged nickel plating (could be nickel/chrome) from a steel gun frame.
I tried electrolysis with a solution of about 30% Sulfuric acid (I use battery acid ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] ) and distilled water. Temperature about 20 °C, current is supplied by a car battery charger ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] .

Well, it doesn't work at all. The acid attacks the steel and destroys my anode, but it has no effect at all on the nickel plating.
The gun is a Colt 1849 Pocket made in the late 1850's but I doubt the plating is original factory work.
I usually remove rust from steel parts using a solution of about 30% Chlorhydric acid and water in the very same home-made electrolysis installation. The solution removes all the rust and does not affect the steel in any way.
Yet chlorhydric acid doesn't work on nickel plating either.

A US correspondent told me about a good and effective chemical produced by Brownells [ Brownells home page (affil link) ] , but it seems like that company is not allowed to export the product.
So if anyone can provide a better solution, I'll be very pleased to read about it.

Thanks in advance,

Marcel Cansse
- Knokke, Belgium
November 3, 2008

A. Re colt nickel stripping, I have used the Brownells solution before on a 1970s Colt Combat Commander and it took the nickel off great but didn't touch the copper under it. A 99 cent bottle of ammonia ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] took care of the copper.
I am now working on refinishing a 1914 Luger that had been nickeled and I was told the Brownell's solution won't work for that because it only works on electroless nickel.
I am now trying a solution of sulfuric acid and ammonia.
I will try and follow up with results.

Tommy Kunkel
combat firearms - Bremerton Washington
July 14, 2011

A. Hi, Tommy.

I am very surprised that a solution which can strip electroless nickel is unable to strip electrolytic nickel plating. If you were successful with it last time, I'd try again before assuming it won't work. The Metalx solution will, of course, work. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

A. I have successfully stripped nickel from automotive parts which were zinc die cast in a sulfuric acid bath at full strength with an addition of GLYCERINE to minimize base metal attack. The parts to be stripped are anodic and lead anodes are used. For aluminum I suggest 50% Nitric Acid solution. Proper PPE and good house keeping measures are always important. Good luck.

Eric Bogner
- Toronto Ontario Canada
July 25, 2011

Q. No nitric acid on steel. What would be the best method to remove the plating from rims then? I have some old steel and aluminum rims that are peeling. Most of the methods I'v come across are for one or the other.

Q. Can I nickel plate on top of another nickel plating? I hear not.

Can I nickel plate a shaft or bearing housing for a tighter fit?

I come across this idea, and wondering how often shops plate for better bearing tolerances and wanting to try it. I want to get light press fitting shafts and housings and it seems it's too expensive to get the metal cut to the precision I understood it would need, and the costs were high ... but plating seems very even and if it's the opposite of etching, just switch the polarity to the metal, it seems an easy solution to getting a precise metal part for the best bearing fit.

NICKEL LAYER STRIPPING

If you have the base metal stainless steel, it's okay to strip with nitric acid without damage to the base metal.

Q. Okay, so if you are acid etching a nickel sulfamate surface that's flat not shiny, and in some areas runs black how do you correct the blackened nickel area?

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