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Advice for DIYing equipment for home cosmetic electroplating?

November 13, 2009

I'd like to build a simple setup for the electroplating (and, ideally, electroforming) of nickel and copper for various art projects. I've been reading others' guides, and was wondering about the following items:

1. Power supply.
I was hoping to build my own. Constructing a variable current regulator is not very difficult, and I have a variety of power transformers scrapped from other things. I wasn't sure of the voltage required, though - for small items in a quart beaker [beakers on eBay or Amazon [affil links] of plating solution, would 12V be enough to allow me to reach acceptable plating speeds?

2. Plating solution
The two main options are either purchasing a commercially manufactured solution (Midas sells one at $16/quart + shipping) or saving a lot of money and manufacturing my own. I've heard from others that a plating solution consisting of 2 pounds of copper sulphate, 2/3 gallon of distilled water, and 160ml of sulfuric acid works very well if plated very very slowly, and was wondering if anyone could suggest any brighteners. I'm also wondering if something similar could be done with nickel sulphate.

3. Plating to iron
From what I understand, exposed iron will replace the copper in copper sulphate, forming iron sulphate and ruining the plating solution (hence my desire to make my own.) Is there a way to prevent this?

Joseph Shaul
Student - Madison, Wisconsin, USA

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First of two simultaneous responses -- November 16, 2009

1. 6 volts is more than enough.
2. Most plating solutions have selected chemicals added to them to make a better product. You can always try to make your own from expired patents or old time reference books or the metal finishing guide book that you can get from the folks that print Metal Finishing or from some one that has an old one. You can always go to proprietary at a later date. Where are you going to get anodes?
3. The problem with copper is normally overcome with a cyanide strike. Some people use a pyrophosphate strike.

My suggestion is that you read a couple of good books first. It will save money and frustration in the long run. The guide book is a good place to start.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida

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Second of two simultaneous responses --

There are many downloadable free old electroplating and electroforming handbooks at internet archive website (www.archive.org) -- and of them Langbeins is best (best handbook before introduction of chromium plating/1924). You can use 12 V /2 A transformer for small objects (up to 4-8 dm2 )- it is OK for gold,silver, copper and nickel plating. Hope it helps and good luck!

Goran Budija
- Zagreb,Croatia
November 17, 2009