High Quality (and Safe) Nickel Plating

8/11/2019 High Quality (and Safe) Nickel Plating

1/17

About This Instructable

License:43,687views

786favorites

I'm an Electrical Engineering studentwith interests in everything science,technology, and music. I am currently workingon a variety of new, novel machine visionalgorithms that allow for object re... read more

A_Steingrube

Follow 222

Bio:

More by A_Steingrube

High Quality (and Safe) Nickel Plating by A_Steingrube

Download7 Steps

+ Collecti Favo

Is this a winner?

Vote

Contest Entry in:Vote!

let's make

share what you

make >

Explore Create Contests Community Sign Up

Log In

Login
http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/?download=pdfhttp://www.instructables.com/about/submit.jsphttp://www.instructables.com/about/submit.jsphttp://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/http://www.instructables.com/about/submit.jsphttp://www.instructables.com/contest/http://www.instructables.com/community/http://www.instructables.com/account/gopro?sourcea=nav&nxtPgName=High+Quality+%28and+Safe%29+Nickel+Plating&nxtPg=/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/?ALLSTEPShttp://www.instructables.com/account/login?nxtPgName=High+Quality+%28and+Safe%29+Nickel+Plating&nxtPg=/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/?ALLSTEPShttp://www.instructables.com/you/http://www.instructables.com/you/http://www.instructables.com/account/login?nxtPgName=High+Quality+%28and+Safe%29+Nickel+Plating&nxtPg=/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/?ALLSTEPShttp://www.instructables.com/account/gopro?sourcea=nav&nxtPgName=High+Quality+%28and+Safe%29+Nickel+Plating&nxtPg=/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/?ALLSTEPShttp://www.instructables.com/community/http://www.instructables.com/community/http://www.instructables.com/contest/http://www.instructables.com/contest/http://www.instructables.com/about/submit.jsphttp://www.instructables.com/about/submit.jsphttp://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/http://www.instructables.com/http://www.instructables.com/group/123d/http://www.instructables.com/group/outdoorsmanning/http://www.instructables.com/group/radioshack/http://www.instructables.com/group/3DCreationSystems/http://www.instructables.com/halloween/http://www.instructables.com/about/submit.jsphttp://www.instructables.com/about/submit.jsphttp://www.instructables.com/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/?download=pdfhttp://www.instructables.com/contest/buildmylab/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/?download=pdfhttp://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/F98/1JVI/HNICKGPR/F981JVIHNICKGPR.LARGE.jpghttp://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/F98/1JVI/HNICKGPR/F981JVIHNICKGPR.LARGE.jpg


2/17

Just like my very popular copper plating instructable, the aim of this is to do high quality, low cost, andsafe electroplating. We will also be making our own electrolyte from scratch instead of buyingchemicals online.

If you've looked at my copper plating instructable, note that the process here is different. The nickelwill not dissolve very well if at all in the vinegar without special help and adding hydrogen peroxide willdestroy your electrolyte.

Nickel plating can be used for a variety of different things.- It creates a corrosion resistant coating that will protect the base metal from oxidizing and rusting. It isfrequently used in food processing to prevent contamination with iron.- It can increase the hardness and thus the durability of mechanical parts and tools.- It can allow you to solder to difficult metals.- It can create a variety of beautiful decorative finishes that range from a chrome-like gleam, tobrushed stainless steel color, to a metallic black. It just so happens that black nickel plating is usedfrequently in aerospace applications- In thicker platings, it can make the object magnetic.

Note that to get different finishes and properties, you may need to add other chemicals and metals toyour plating solution (see the Post Prep stage). These chemicals will change the way the atomsarrange themselves and/or add other metals to your plating. If you are looking for corrosion-resistance, do not add any other chemicals to your electrolyte as they may cause the end plating tostain or tarnish.

For a copper plated finish, be sure to check out my copper plating instructable :)http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-Copper-Plating/

On another note, I LOVE your questions! I have noticed that a few folks are

asking the same questions, so I've added a "Common Questions"

step/slide/section/whatchamacallit at the end of this instructable. Take a look

there to get quick answers to most of the questions you might have. If you have a

new one, comment below and I'll be happy to answer it and add it to my

step/slide/section/whatchamacallit :D

Step 1: Materials

Related

See More

nickel plating electroplating

nickel acetate electro plating metal

steampunk chemistry electrochemistry

Tags:

High Quality (and Safe)

Copper Plating

by A_Steingrube

Clean and Simple

Electroplating

by nf119

DIY Battery: Power an

LED Flashlight with

Pocket Change!by GuiltyPixel

Brass Steampunk Pouch

How-To

by Delireus

Chrome Plating of Car

Headlights and Parts

by kjegelan
http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-Copper-Plating/http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/?q=http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/category-technology/keyword-nickel%20plating/http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/category-technology/keyword-electroplating/http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/category-technology/keyword-nickel%20acetate/http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/category-technology/keyword-electro/http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/category-technology/keyword-plating/http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/category-technology/keyword-metal/http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/category-technology/keyword-steampunk/http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/category-technology/keyword-chemistry/http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/category-technology/keyword-electrochemistry/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-Copper-Plating/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-Copper-Plating/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/id/Clean-and-Simple-Electroplating/http://www.instructables.com/id/Clean-and-Simple-Electroplating/http://www.instructables.com/member/nf119/http://www.instructables.com/id/Power-an-LED-Flashlight-with-Pocket-Change/http://www.instructables.com/id/Power-an-LED-Flashlight-with-Pocket-Change/http://www.instructables.com/id/Power-an-LED-Flashlight-with-Pocket-Change/http://www.instructables.com/member/GuiltyPixel/http://www.instructables.com/id/Brass-steampunk-pouch-How-to/http://www.instructables.com/id/Brass-steampunk-pouch-How-to/http://www.instructables.com/member/Delireus/http://www.instructables.com/id/Chrome-Plating-of-Car-Headlights-and-Parts/http://www.instructables.com/id/Chrome-Plating-of-Car-Headlights-and-Parts/http://www.instructables.com/member/kjegelan/http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/?q=http://www.instructables.com/member/kjegelan/http://www.instructables.com/id/Chrome-Plating-of-Car-Headlights-and-Parts/http://www.instructables.com/id/Chrome-Plating-of-Car-Headlights-and-Parts/http://www.instructables.com/id/Chrome-Plating-of-Car-Headlights-and-Parts/http://www.instructables.com/member/Delireus/http://www.instructables.com/id/Brass-steampunk-pouch-How-to/http://www.instructables.com/id/Brass-steampunk-pouch-How-to/http://www.instructables.com/id/Brass-steampunk-pouch-How-to/http://www.instructables.com/member/GuiltyPixel/http://www.instructables.com/id/Power-an-LED-Flashlight-with-Pocket-Change/http://www.instructables.com/id/Power-an-LED-Flashlight-with-Pocket-Change/http://www.instructables.com/id/Power-an-LED-Flashlight-with-Pocket-Change/http://www.instructables.com/id/Power-an-LED-Flashlight-with-Pocket-Change/http://www.instructables.com/member/nf119/http://www.instructables.com/id/Clean-and-Simple-Electroplating/http://www.instructables.com/id/Clean-and-Simple-Electroplating/http://www.instructables.com/id/Clean-and-Simple-Electroplating/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-Copper-Plating/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-Copper-Plating/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-Copper-Plating/http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/category-technology/keyword-electrochemistry/http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/category-technology/keyword-chemistry/http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/category-technology/keyword-steampunk/http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/category-technology/keyword-metal/http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/category-technology/keyword-plating/http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/category-technology/keyword-electro/http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/category-technology/keyword-nickel%20acetate/http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/category-technology/keyword-electroplating/http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/category-technology/keyword-nickel%20plating/http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-get-High-Quality-LEDs-for-Pennieshttp://www.instructables.com/id/High-Low-Binary-LED-Arduino-Gamehttp://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-Copper-Platinghttp://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/F7A/VH31/HNICKGS7/F7AVH31HNICKGS7.LARGE.jpghttp://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/F7A/VH31/HNICKGS7/F7AVH31HNICKGS7.LARGE.jpghttp://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/?q=http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-Copper-Plating/


3/17

Nearly all of the supplies can be found at your local supermarket. Finding a pure source of nickel is alittle trickier, but should not cost more than a couple dollars. To keep from draining your battery in latersteps, I very highly suggest finding an AC/DC power supply around the house.

Materials you can find at your local supermarket:

>Distilled Vinegar - 5% acidity or higher (grocery)>Salt (grocery)>Mason jar (canning)>6V Lantern Battery (camping)

>Alligator Leads (electrical)>Nitrile gloves (pharmacy or DIY)>Paper towels (paper products)>Cameo Stainless Steel and Aluminum Cleaner (cleaning supplies)

Materials you will likely need to buy online, at a good hardware/welding supply

store, or a music shop.

Pure Nickel - You can get this a few different ways. I bought my nickel in the form of two 4oz plates oneBay for ~$5. A good hardware store should carry nickel welding rods. Most music shops will carryErnie Ball "Pure Nickel" guitar strings.

You can also try to remove the nickel windings from old guitar strings if you are strapped for cash. Ittakes a bit of time, wire cutters, and pliers, but it can be done. Note that most nickel-wound stringscontain a steel core that will pollute your electrolyte later on (Ernie Ball "Pure Nickel" strings should bepure nickel).

You can also try to use solid nickel door knobs and the like. I would warn you to be careful whentrying this because a good chunk of "nickel" decorative items are plated themselves.

Optional, but highly recommended materials (also at the supermarket or a local

electronics store):

A higher voltage, DC power supply - I am using an old 13.5V laptop charger. You can use "wall warts"(the ugly black AC/DC power supplies that come with some consumer electronics) or an old ATX(computer) power supply. Just make sure that it does in fact output DC.A fuse holderA fuse that is rated slightly less than the max current rating on your power supply.

Step 2: Preparing Your DC Power Supply (Optional)
http://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FC8/DEA9/HNICKGWM/FC8DEA9HNICKGWM.LARGE.jpg


4/17

In the next step, we will make our electrolyte. In order to do this, we will need a significant amount ofelectricity. Instead of wasting a moderately expensive batteries, it is much cheaper to use an old wallwart, laptop charger, or computer supply (assuming they aren't already being used).

My version is rather crude, but effective. You could (and probably should) make a little project box witha DC barrel jack, internal fuse, and two terminals poking out to clip the alligator leads to.

Wall Warts (the ugly black things that come with some electronics)

Cut the barrel jack off of the end of your DC power supply. Pull the two wires apart and cut one of thewires two or three inches shorter than the other - this will help prevent you from accidentally shortingwires together later. Strip about a quarter inch from each wire. Solder in your fuse holder and pop inthe fuse! You are done! (see polarity notes below).

Laptop ChargerCut the barrel jack off of the end of the DC power supply. Use a razor blade with light pressure toremove the outer jacket - you do not want to cut through to the inner core. Most chargers will have oneinsulated wire that is wrapped in many other bare copper wires. Twist the bare copper wires togetherto form a single wire. This should be your negative. Solder your fuse holder here. Strip about aquarter inch from the insulated wire and tie it back with a zip tie or electrical tape so it cannot shortwith your bare wire. Pop in a fuse. You are done! (see polarity notes below)

ATX/Computer Power Supply

These are a tad bit more complicated to turn into a useable benchtop power supply. Google or searchhere on instructables for "DIY benchtop power supply" or "ATX benchtop power supply". You shouldfind a few different tutorials that will explain everything well :)

Lab Benchtop Power Supply

If you are super fancy and have the money, a standard adjustable power supply (which is what you

would find in a lab) will work just as well. Just make sure you set aside your banana plugs forelectroplating only.

Notes on Polarity

You will need to know which wire is positive, and which side is negative. If you are a pro with amultimeter, this should be pretty easy. If you don't know how to use a multimeter or don't have one,you can do this: Mix a pinch of salt into a little bit of water in your jar. Connect one alligator lead tothe fuse and drop it into the water. Connect the other alligator lead to the non-fused wire and drop thatin the water. The alligator lead that starts to bubble like mad is your negative.
http://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FC8/DEA9/HNICKGWM/FC8DEA9HNICKGWM.LARGE.jpg


5/17

Step 3: Make Your Electrolyte
http://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FJG/AC9J/HNICKH0Y/FJGAC9JHNICKH0Y.LARGE.jpghttp://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FU4/YKLR/HNICKH0V/FU4YKLRHNICKH0V.LARGE.jpghttp://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FU4/YKLR/HNICKH0V/FU4YKLRHNICKH0V.LARGE.jpghttp://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FJG/AC9J/HNICKH0Y/FJGAC9JHNICKH0Y.LARGE.jpghttp://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/F8M/JUBC/HNICKH0U/F8MJUBCHNICKH0U.LARGE.jpghttp://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/F8M/JUBC/HNICKH0U/F8MJUBCHNICKH0U.LARGE.jpghttp://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FNN/YAQ7/HNICKH14/FNNYAQ7HNICKH14.LARGE.jpghttp://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FNN/YAQ7/HNICKH14/FNNYAQ7HNICKH14.LARGE.jpg


6/17

It is definitely possible to buy different nickel salts online, but what is the fun in that? Here, I'll showyou to make your own nickel acetate solution for a lot cheaper than buying chemicals online.

Fill your mason jar with distilled vinegar leaving about an inch from the top. Dissolve a pinch or so ofsalt into the vinegar. The amount of salt is not all that important as long as you don't go crazy with it.The purpose of the salt is to increase the electrical conductivity of the vinegar. The more current thatflows through it, the faster we can dissolve the nickel. However, too much current will lead to poorplating results. Use sparingly.

Unlike in the copper plating instructable I've done, the nickel will not dissolve into the solution just byletting it sit for a while. We need to electro-dissolve the nickel.

Place two pieces of pure nickel into the vinegar and salt solution such that part of both stick out andinto the air and that they don't touch. Clip one alligator lead to one piece of nickel and then to thepositive terminal of the battery or the DC power supply we made in the last step. Clip the otheralligator lead to the other piece of nickel and to the negative lead of your battery or DC power supply.Make sure that the alligator clips don't touch the vinegar as they will dissolve as well and ruin yourchemical.

The nickel source connected to the negative lead should start to create hydrogen bubbles and thepositive lead should make oxygen bubbles. Truth be told, a very minute amount of chlorine gas (fromthe salt which is sodium chloride) will also form on the positive lead, but unless you put in hugeamount of salt or are using a lot of voltage, the chlorine will just dissolve into the water like what youfind in a swimming pool. The minute amounts excess sodium, in case you are wondering, will react

with the water to create sodium hydroxide.

For this step, I very highly suggest using a DC power supply that plugs into the

wall (see the previous step). Dissolving the nickel will take a while and you don't

want to drain your battery more than you need to - DC power supplies are

reusable, most batteries are not.

After a little while (mine took about two hours), you'll notice the solution has turned a light green. Thisis nickel acetate. If you get blues, reds, yellows, or any other color, it means that your nickel sourcewasn't pure. You also should also get a clear (though green) solution - if it was cloudy, your have animpure nickel source. The solution and nickel sources may become warm during this process - this isnormal. If they get hot to the touch, you should disconnect your circuit, let it cool for an hour, andthen reconnect it (repeat as necessary). It is possible that you added too much salt, which increasesthe current, which increases the power dissipated as heat.

Step 4: Preparing Your Object to be Plated
http://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FT9/2AVX/HNICKH4B/FT92AVXHNICKH4B.LARGE.jpg


7/17

NOTE: Some materials, such as stainless steel, will not accept direct nickelplating. You will need to copper plate them first. See my copper plating

instructable to learn how to copper plate: http://www.instructables.com/id/High-

Quality-Copper-Plating/

The above being said, the cleaner your conductive object, the better it will plate. You don't want anygrease, oxidation (rust, tarnish, patina, ect), or general grime on your surface. Even if your surfacelooks good, you should clean it anyways.

Remove general grime and dirt with a little bit of dish soap and elbow grease.

Remove the oxidation and tougher grime with an acid-based abrasive such as Cameo. Don nitritlegloves and just mix the powder with a few drops of water on your glove and go to town!

You can further clean your object by reverse electroplating (ie "electrocleaning") it for a few seconds.

Hook your object up to a negative voltage, a wire to the positive voltage, and drop them both in avinegar salt solution for 10-30 seconds. This will remove any left over oxidation.

For larger surfaces, try scrubbing them with fine steel wool and vinegar.

Step 5: Time to Electroplate!
http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-Copper-Plating/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-Copper-Plating/http://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/F7Q/WY44/HNICKH4F/F7QWY44HNICKH4F.LARGE.jpghttp://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/F5B/Q9AI/HNICKH4C/F5BQ9AIHNICKH4C.LARGE.jpghttp://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/F5B/Q9AI/HNICKH4C/F5BQ9AIHNICKH4C.LARGE.jpghttp://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/F7Q/WY44/HNICKH4F/F7QWY44HNICKH4F.LARGE.jpghttp://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FT9/2AVX/HNICKH4B/FT92AVXHNICKH4B.LARGE.jpghttp://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-Copper-Plating/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-Copper-Plating/


8/17

For this step, you want to use your 6V battery. Even lower voltages (down to around 1V) will give youa better, shinier, smoother finish. You can use a higher voltage DC power supply for electroplating,

but you won't get good results.

Place a nickel source into your green nickel acetate solution and connect it to the positive lead of yourbattery with an alligator clip. Clip the other alligator clip to the object to be plated and connect it to thenegative lead of your battery.

Drop the object to be plated into the solution and wait for around 30 seconds. Take it out, rotate 180degrees, and drop it back into the solution for another 30 seconds. Repeat as necessary. You shouldmove the alligator clip a new location after a couple dips so that the entire surface gets plated. Unlikein copper plating, the alligator clip shouldn't leave "burn" marks.

The object being plated should bubble. There should be enough bubbles being created that you won'tneed to agitate or swirl your object in the electroplating solution. For larger objects and containers, youmay want to include a small aquarium pump (~$15) to circulate the solution.
http://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FHZ/YL88/HNICKHE3/FHZYL88HNICKHE3.LARGE.jpghttp://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FQI/D77W/HNICKHE2/FQID77WHNICKHE2.LARGE.jpg


9/17

Step 6: Post Prep
http://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/F7U/0TGL/HNICKHKZ/F7U0TGLHNICKHKZ.LARGE.jpghttp://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/F7U/0TGL/HNICKHKZ/F7U0TGLHNICKHKZ.LARGE.jpghttp://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FZG/1EHZ/HNICKHKX/FZG1EHZHNICKHKX.LARGE.jpghttp://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FZG/1EHZ/HNICKHKX/FZG1EHZHNICKHKX.LARGE.jpg


10/17

Now for post prep....Generally speaking, NONE! Nickel doesn't oxidize at room temperature andshouldn't tarnish. You can polish your end product with a light polish to get a bright gleam.

If your nickel plating is not as shiny as you'd like, polish it up with a light polish that doesn't leavewaxes or oils behind, and then electroplate it again.

Adding small amounts of other metals such as tin during the initial electroplating will change the colorof the plating (tin will give you a white colored metal like silver). Many metals can be electricallydissolved into vinegar just like nickel. The two main metals that cannot be electrically dissolved intovinegar are gold and silver (trust me, I've tried). Since I had some copper plating solution left, I mixedin a little bit of it with my nickel plating solution. The result is a matte, dark grey, very hard finish that

feels like a chalk board (it squeaks like one too if you scratch it ). See the picture.

Unless you are an experiencedchemist or have a friend who is, I would be very careful when addingrandom chemicals to your electroplating bath - you may just end up creating some toxic gas that isn'tgood for you, kids, or fido.

Step 7: Common Questions

Can I plate [insert your metal here] with nickel?

It depends. Certain metals play nice together, others do not. The ones that do not are called"dissimilar metals". In the picture, you'll find a table I borrowed from RFI. The table is designed to letyou know when a galvanic reaction might occur causing corrosion. For our purposes, it also tells uswhich metals are compatible and which are not. The lower the magnitude of the number (aka theabsolute value), the more compatible (ie similar) the metals will be. If you are trying to plate a metalthat is not compatible, you may need to plate with copper or another metal first. You can find mycopper plating instructable here: http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-Copper-Plating/

How do I plate non-conductive objects?

First, you need to make them conductive. You can do this with conductive paints, conductive glues,and even metal leaf (think gold leaf) as long as whatever you are coating your surface with is notwater soluble. I haven't experimented much with this myself which means you will have to. Send me amessage with your results and I'll post them here for others to reference.

How much voltage/current do I need?

As little as possible. The lower the voltage and current, the better results you will get. You need aminimum of 0.5V DC to plate with copper. A C or D cell battery will give you pretty decent results. Ifyou don't have access to lower voltages, you can put the electrolyte into a big container and moveyour electrodes as far away from another as you can - the increase in distance will also increase theresistance of the circuit and decrease the current.

Can I use other acids other than acetic acid (vinegar)?

Yes.....but be careful... This instructable was written for average Joes and Jolenes, not chemists.Other acids can be significantly dangerous as well as release some very nasty, very toxic chemicalsinto the air. Unless you are an experience chemist (ie you have an actual degree, not just AP Chem inhigh school or Chem 111 in college), I would not recommend playing with other chemicals.
http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-Copper-Plating/http://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FEL/EPW1/HNICKXMV/FELEPW1HNICKXMV.LARGE.gifhttp://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-Copper-Plating/


11/17

Nov 3, 2013. 7:14 AM Reply

22

Nov 3, 2013. 12:11 PM Reply

49

Nov 3, 2013. 1:24 PM Reply

5

Nov 3, 2013. 7:27 PM Reply

Is plating coins illegal?

The first thing I want to point out is that I'm only using coins because they are everywhere and cheapby definition. The copper and nickel content make them ideal for small experiments. This isn't a "howto plate coins" instructable, they are just handy and recognizable. For those of you who took highschool chem lab, you probably used quarters, dimes, and pennies for a couple different classroomexperiments.

As far as the legality of plating coins, to my understanding, it is legal as long as you 1) Aren't removingmetal from the coins with intent to sell that metal, 2) Are not trying to pass them as something they arenot (ie a copper plated dime is worth 10 cents, nothing more), and 3) Aren't defacing the coins formalicious intent. As a personal disclaimer, this is MY understanding - take it with a grain of salt. If thisis incorrect, I would welcome a friendly email or message from the US Treasury or other qualified

persons.

1-40 of 50 Next

longwinterssays:

andrea biffisays:

A_Steingrube(author) in reply to longwinters

astral_magesays:

Thanks for posting,,, for those persons looking for low cost power supply's the "wall wart" (

love that term) transformers are readily available at virtually all second hand stores, usuallyin a balled up mess, the phone chargers have a pretty clean current and it's well regulated.

I like the "For Science!" label on the vinegar :-D

One note to this - the larger the voltage (to a degree), the faster you can dissolveyour nickel. I would recommend somewhere between 10 and 15 volts. The outputvoltage should be listed on the power supply (ie wall wart).

If you want to use your DC power supply for plating, look for lower voltages (thephone chargers would work great for this).

ok ppeople 4 those who want thier metals try this company out. http://www.mcmaster.com/#. they should have every thing u may want / need . or dont want / need

Post Comment
http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CE79K3IHNICSIFLhttp://www.instructables.com/member/longwinters/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CVJNHOPHNICTUGAhttp://www.instructables.com/member/andrea+biffi/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/C0080ALHNICKWD4http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/C35OF3KHNICWNDBhttp://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/?&sort=ACTIVE&limit=40&offset=40#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/longwinters/http://www.instructables.com/member/andrea+biffi/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/astral_mage/http://www.instructables.com/member/astral_mage/http://www.instructables.com/member/astral_mage/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/andrea+biffi/http://www.instructables.com/member/longwinters/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/?&sort=ACTIVE&limit=40&offset=40#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/astral_mage/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/C35OF3KHNICWNDBhttp://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/C0080ALHNICKWD4http://www.instructables.com/member/andrea+biffi/http://www.instructables.com/member/andrea+biffi/http://www.instructables.com/member/andrea+biffi/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CVJNHOPHNICTUGAhttp://www.instructables.com/member/longwinters/http://www.instructables.com/member/longwinters/http://www.instructables.com/member/longwinters/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CE79K3IHNICSIFL


12/17

Nov 5, 2013. 10:05 PM Reply

Nov 5, 2013. 6:40 AM Reply

Nov 5, 2013. 9:12 PM Reply

1

Nov 5, 2013. 10:01 PM Reply

1

Nov 5, 2013. 11:38 AM Reply

5

Nov 5, 2013. 8:58 PM Reply

Nov 5, 2013. 8:45 PM Reply

1

Goosesays:

woodypoodadsays:

veeguyin reply to woodypoodad

veeguyin reply to veeguy

A_Steingrube(author) in reply to woodypoodad

kaylahnisays:

veeguysays:

How would the Nickel plating would work in the salt water?? Might be a good idea to platesome of my kayak fishing gear. Or is the plating not thick enough to last??Can you plate stainless steel??

Hey, have you done any silver plating? Same process?

IAbout 15 years ago I bought a silver plating kit to plate some gun parts. It was asmall kit of cleaner, 2 electrolyte types and a pen like brush which used a 9 voltbattery as the power source. After prepping the parts, you cleaned them then usedthe pen to brush a layer of each type of the electrolyte on to the grounded part. Itworked well, and it held up well. The company advertised in "The Shotgun News"

and still may be in production.

I went for a trip down memory lane. This is a link to the silver plating kit:http://www.caswellplating.com/plug-n-plate-brush-plating-kits/plug-n-plater-silver-plating-kit.html

They also offer many other type of kits and supplies.

Unfortunately, silver plating is not very easy to do without using insanely toxicmaterials and the acetate method is not very effective. I am working on a goodsilver method that isn't dangerous...if or when I find one, I will post it.

I am looking to make some safe parrot toys for my new African gray. I read that nickelplated and stainless steel parts are the only non toxic options. Zinc is lethal. Most parts Ifind don't mention what they're even made of. If I were to use this method on things like

small chains and links, do you believe the plating would be permanent enough to stand upto a 2 yr old parrot beak?

A cheap way to get pure nickle (99.9%) is to get some Canadian Nickles anywhere from1955 - 1981 Ask around at banks or buy non important mint dates for about $5 - $10.- aroll of 50. I would suppose you could do a fair bit of plating with a few dollars worth, evenbuying at a coin dealer's shop prices. I just checked my junk drawer and found 7 of them,but I tend to save oddities I run across.
http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CRZUY2ZHNM49VJ7http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CAS038YHNM4GMAJhttp://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CFNQ6PCHNM4DZ7Jhttp://www.instructables.com/member/veeguy/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CZNVP0RHNM4DZCYhttp://www.instructables.com/member/veeguy/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CYSL386HNM4J4SXhttp://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/C379PNSHNM44M0Lhttp://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CY4NI6BHNM4DZ6Dhttp://www.instructables.com/member/veeguy/http://www.instructables.com/member/Goose/http://www.instructables.com/member/Goose/http://www.instructables.com/member/woodypoodad/http://www.instructables.com/member/woodypoodad/http://www.instructables.com/member/veeguy/http://www.instructables.com/member/veeguy/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/kaylahni/http://www.instructables.com/member/veeguy/http://www.instructables.com/member/veeguy/http://www.instructables.com/member/kaylahni/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/veeguy/http://www.instructables.com/member/veeguy/http://www.instructables.com/member/woodypoodad/http://www.instructables.com/member/Goose/http://www.instructables.com/member/veeguy/http://www.instructables.com/member/veeguy/http://www.instructables.com/member/veeguy/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CY4NI6BHNM4DZ6Dhttp://www.instructables.com/member/kaylahni/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/C379PNSHNM44M0Lhttp://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CYSL386HNM4J4SXhttp://www.instructables.com/member/veeguy/http://www.instructables.com/member/veeguy/http://www.instructables.com/member/veeguy/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CZNVP0RHNM4DZCYhttp://www.instructables.com/member/veeguy/http://www.instructables.com/member/veeguy/http://www.instructables.com/member/veeguy/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CFNQ6PCHNM4DZ7Jhttp://www.instructables.com/member/woodypoodad/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CAS038YHNM4GMAJhttp://www.instructables.com/member/Goose/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CRZUY2ZHNM49VJ7


13/17

Nov 5, 2013. 8:36 PM Reply

Nov 3, 2013. 8:18 PM Reply

Nov 3, 2013. 9:44 PM Reply

5

Nov 4, 2013. 4:18 PM Reply

Nov 4, 2013. 10:39 PM Reply

Nov 5, 2013. 6:38 PM Reply

Nov 5, 2013. 8:33 PM Reply

ned103says:

supertroopa86says:

A_Steingrube(author) in reply to supertroopa86

supertroopa86in reply to A_Steingrube

CoreyCoopin reply to supertroopa86

mikerewin reply to CoreyCoop

A_Steingrube(author) in reply to mikerew

Just curious. I would like to do this to a raw hot wheels. Unpainted. Can you do thisprocess on ZAMAC? (ZAMAC is an acronym for the Zinc, Aluminum, Magnesium, andCopper alloy that die-cast cars are made from.) I would assume that the cars would need tobe cleaned of all oils first.

Thank you.

Would using a power supply plugged into a GFI outlet remove the need of the fuse?

No. The power supply is a step-down transformer. The current coming out of thepower supply does not equal the current coming in (though the power will be thesame). For example, if you had a 12 volt DC power supply connected to a 120VAC wall outlet and you were drawing 1 amp from your power supply, the powersupply would be drawing 0.1 amps from the wall.

The reason to have the fuse is to protect the power supply and prevent a possiblefire should you accidentally short your circuit. It is much easier and cheaper toswap out a burnt fuse than it is to hire a fire restoration company.

right which is exactly what a GFI outlet does, but it trips much like a circuitbreaker does. I only ask because i would rather trust a UL rated device asapposed to something i rigged up myself

A GFI is not a circuit breaker. A Ground-Fault Interrupter (GFI) looks for even atiny voltage between the 'hot' and the ground on a three pin socket, and interruptsthe AC voltage if there is one. This is to protect (for instance) water getting into anappliance (or vice-versa) and hurting you, Hence their required use in bathrooms,kitchens and the like. Most wall warts don't even have a ground pin, which meanspractically nothing they do will trip a GFI. A fuse, or breaker, does not care aboutGround, it simply stops an excess current from flowing. A fuse is usually not muchmore than a low melting point wire that can conduct less current than thewire/power supply it's hooked up to, it melts before your wire can.

Nice instructable, but I have to disagree with you about the GFI. Actually, A GFIlooks for a difference between the current supplied on the "hot" side and thecurrent returning on the neutral...any difference (ie flowing through you) will tripthe circuit. These will work with just a two prong plug.
http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CTEC432HNM44LZ7http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CZZ3EMZHNL5W3A1http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CY11E1HHNL5W3I9http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CUNWQG1HNM4EOZLhttp://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CDSV6JLHNM49DJ0http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CNMTDALHNM4B849http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CQ5FAFDHNM4CEYNhttp://www.instructables.com/member/ned103/http://www.instructables.com/member/supertroopa86/http://www.instructables.com/member/supertroopa86/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/supertroopa86/http://www.instructables.com/member/CoreyCoop/http://www.instructables.com/member/CoreyCoop/http://www.instructables.com/member/mikerew/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/mikerew/http://www.instructables.com/member/CoreyCoop/http://www.instructables.com/member/supertroopa86/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/supertroopa86/http://www.instructables.com/member/ned103/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CQ5FAFDHNM4CEYNhttp://www.instructables.com/member/mikerew/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CNMTDALHNM4B849http://www.instructables.com/member/CoreyCoop/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CDSV6JLHNM49DJ0http://www.instructables.com/member/supertroopa86/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CUNWQG1HNM4EOZLhttp://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CY11E1HHNL5W3I9http://www.instructables.com/member/supertroopa86/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CZZ3EMZHNL5W3A1http://www.instructables.com/member/ned103/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CTEC432HNM44LZ7


14/17

5

Nov 5, 2013. 8:18 PM Reply

Nov 5, 2013. 6:32 PM Reply

Nov 4, 2013. 10:29 PM Reply

Nov 5, 2013. 5:31 PM Reply

Nov 5, 2013. 11:49 AM Reply

5

Nov 5, 2013. 3:53 PM Reply

2

ArticAkitasays:

liamd792says:

CoreyCoopsays:

wikkitin reply to CoreyCoop

A_Steingrube(author) in reply to CoreyCoop

FuzzeeDeesays:

Working in industrial robotics, I've learned that you can't really have too muchsafety. I've also learned that circuit breakers (by any name) can fail due to contactwelding and other issues. It costs only two or three dollars to install a fuse holderand fuse and fuses will only fail safely.

say that is NEAT! I always wondered how it was done just didn't know there was a saferway to do it!

Will this Nickel plating work on aluminum? and approximately how much pure nickel wouldit take to do a perfect centimeter cubed of volume?

Do you have any advice for plating aluminum (used because it's cheap and easy tomachine) to look like brass (for a steam-punk project)?

Yellow anodization can look a lot like brass. Alodining, aka chromate conversioncoating, can as well.

Anodization can be done in your house, for cosmetic effects it just requireselectricity in an electrolyte, dye, and boiling water. Still, if you only need it for aone-off project it may be cheaper to have an anodizing shop do it for you.

Chromate conversion coating is very common in aerospace, but uses really nastychemicals and is something to avoid at home.

Aluminum doesn't plate well generally speaking. The invisible oxidation layer thatforms on it, however, can be dyed to get a brash color pretty easily. Google"anodized aluminum dye".

If you have a little knowledge of soldering and using a multi meter you could build yourproject box with a switch and some resistors to get your two fuse protected voltages. Justa little experimentation with your multi meter and assorted resistors will get you thevoltages you want. If you wanted to get real fancy you could use a potentiometer (variableresistor) to get various voltages between a desired maximum and minimum voltage range.You can just just solder the parts in line and protect them with heat shrink tubing orelectricians tape. To really do it right you can use what's called a breadboard which issimply a plastic board with a bunch of evenly spaced holes punched in it with the holesbeing lined with copper. Then you just plug the parts into the board and solder wiresbetween them to make your circuit.
http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CB4X28VHNM4FDCWhttp://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CVUKQUCHNM4FCJMhttp://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/C5KY8VRHNM49DIKhttp://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CIJSQISHNM49SBUhttp://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CGEB4VMHNM4J62Ghttp://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CRY2E32HNM4GTV8http://www.instructables.com/member/FuzzeeDee/http://www.instructables.com/member/ArticAkita/http://www.instructables.com/member/ArticAkita/http://www.instructables.com/member/liamd792/http://www.instructables.com/member/liamd792/http://www.instructables.com/member/CoreyCoop/http://www.instructables.com/member/CoreyCoop/http://www.instructables.com/member/wikkit/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/FuzzeeDee/http://www.instructables.com/member/FuzzeeDee/http://www.instructables.com/member/FuzzeeDee/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/wikkit/http://www.instructables.com/member/CoreyCoop/http://www.instructables.com/member/liamd792/http://www.instructables.com/member/ArticAkita/http://www.instructables.com/member/FuzzeeDee/http://www.instructables.com/member/FuzzeeDee/http://www.instructables.com/member/FuzzeeDee/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CRY2E32HNM4GTV8http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CGEB4VMHNM4J62Ghttp://www.instructables.com/member/wikkit/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CIJSQISHNM49SBUhttp://www.instructables.com/member/CoreyCoop/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/C5KY8VRHNM49DIKhttp://www.instructables.com/member/liamd792/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CVUKQUCHNM4FCJMhttp://www.instructables.com/member/ArticAkita/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CB4X28VHNM4FDCWhttp://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/


15/17

Nov 5, 2013. 4:44 PM Reply

5

Nov 5, 2013. 9:44 AM Reply

Nov 5, 2013. 11:40 AM Reply

5

Nov 5, 2013. 3:02 PM Reply

Nov 5, 2013. 1:48 PM Reply

Nov 5, 2013. 11:07 AM Reply

Nov 5, 2013. 11:47 AM Reply

5

Nov 5, 2013. 10:19 AM Reply

1

A_Steingrube(author) in reply to FuzzeeDee

kyismastersays:

A_Steingrube(author) in reply to kyismaster

kyismasterin reply to A_Steingrube

zloisopsays:

modeng2000says:

A_Steingrube(author) in reply to modeng2000

zoomroomsays:

You won't get a stable voltage using just resistors because the resistance of theelectrolyte will change as it becomes more or less concentrated or the electrodesget closer and farther apart. If someone wanted a cheap variable voltage, theycould creat a voltage divider with a resistor and a potentiometer and use that tofeed a high current op amp configured as a voltage follower.

turn 100 pennies into dimes, i bet cashiers wont even notice the difference.

This would be EXTREMELY illegal.

well yeah, but for the laughs and giggles of buying a hamburger, why not. ya don'tsteal anything you can't pay for, either in time(jail) or monetary.

Will it work with nichrome instead of pure nickel?

Can brass be plated to give a black finish?Thanks for your efforts.

You should be able to plate brass with no problem. You will need to play withvoltages, concentrations, and more to get the desired finish. You won't get theblack nickel finish like you see on expensive flashlights and such with nickelacetate, but you can get a very dark color.

Do you know a lot about nickel plating ... or chrome plating? I'm looking for informationabout a project I want to do. Is there a way I can contact you privately?

this is a great post, thank you.

pb
http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CWHBIPIHNM44L3Fhttp://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CVS99U8HNM4EW75http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CVO3NTLHNM4J58Ohttp://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CYLIKRSHNM49QKWhttp://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/C093RXCHNM49PPXhttp://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CT62LEOHNM4DTZ2http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/C8NRLV4HNM4J5ZJhttp://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CAOWFK4HNM4CA5Ohttp://www.instructables.com/member/zoomroom/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/kyismaster/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/kyismaster/http://www.instructables.com/member/zloisop/http://www.instructables.com/member/zloisop/http://www.instructables.com/member/modeng2000/http://www.instructables.com/member/modeng2000/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/zoomroom/http://www.instructables.com/member/zoomroom/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/modeng2000/http://www.instructables.com/member/zloisop/http://www.instructables.com/member/kyismaster/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/kyismaster/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/zoomroom/http://www.instructables.com/member/zoomroom/http://www.instructables.com/member/zoomroom/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CAOWFK4HNM4CA5Ohttp://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/C8NRLV4HNM4J5ZJhttp://www.instructables.com/member/modeng2000/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CT62LEOHNM4DTZ2http://www.instructables.com/member/zloisop/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/C093RXCHNM49PPXhttp://www.instructables.com/member/kyismaster/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CYLIKRSHNM49QKWhttp://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CVO3NTLHNM4J58Ohttp://www.instructables.com/member/kyismaster/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CVS99U8HNM4EW75http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CWHBIPIHNM44L3F


16/17

Nov 5, 2013. 11:36 AM Reply

5

Nov 5, 2013. 5:48 AM Reply

Nov 2, 2013. 5:35 PM Reply

Nov 3, 2013. 1:28 PM Reply

5

Nov 3, 2013. 9:43 PM Reply

1

Nov 3, 2013. 2:02 PM Reply

Nov 3, 2013. 2:56 PM Reply

5

A_Steingrube(author) in reply to zoomroom

spark mastersays:

freehandsays:

A_Steingrube(author) in reply to freehand

lairdkellyin reply to A_Steingrube

zappenfusensays:

A_Steingrube(author) in reply to zappenfusen

I have a nickel plating instructable on here. You can find the link in the intro pageor by looking at my profile.

Chrome plating is not something that can be done at home.

Like your copper plate piece, very nice!

Thanks

Great instructable! Have you ever chrome plated?

I haven't done chrome plating, but I'll take a look into it! Most of my electroplatingexperiments at the moment are centered around a research project I'm doing forschool. Chrome plating, at the moment, isn't needed for the project but it would bea great thing to do able to do. I know that the industrial techniques are highlydangerous and toxic and as a result are banned in some jurisdictions...I wouldhave to find a more hobbyist friendly way to do it.

I believe there is no 'hobbyist friendly' chrome plating, just replica chrome/ copychrome which is Nickle mixed with Cobalt (cobalt hardens the nickle and adds abluish tinge like real chrome) - just like real chrome it is typically a triple-layerprocess (copper to fill pits/imperfections that is then highly polished, followed bynickle for a hard protective surface, and finally a thin layer of "chrome" for a'brighter' blue tint)

Thanks for the Voltage advice. Anything as per current of power supply or is that autoregulated by solution resistance, time of immersion, etc.? Any minimum requirement?Thanks again, Any suggsestions as to type of base paint for plating plastic, acrylic, Leds?Zapp

The way I'm doing it is to just apply a voltage and call it "good". Figuring outexactly how much current can be tricky -> what you are actually looking for iscurrent/surface area. The more current/surface area, the more copper that will beelectroplated. Sometimes, this is wanted, other times, not so much.

You can regulate the amount of current one of two ways - you can increase thevoltage to get higher current, or move the plated object closer to the nickel source.The great thing about nickel plating in particular is that you can do both withoutmuch ill consequence. If you were plating copper, you can't move the plated object
http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/C4RBSR0HNM4J4RHhttp://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CUSQO4OHNM4DK89http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CY43ISOHNID1WQNhttp://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CGEBC5DHNICKWF6http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CSIPWH4HNID33YJhttp://www.instructables.com/member/lairdkelly/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CWZ1TS0HNID2CKEhttp://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/C32Q2O9HNICKXEAhttp://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/spark+master/http://www.instructables.com/member/spark+master/http://www.instructables.com/member/freehand/http://www.instructables.com/member/freehand/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/lairdkelly/http://www.instructables.com/member/zappenfusen/http://www.instructables.com/member/zappenfusen/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/zappenfusen/http://www.instructables.com/member/lairdkelly/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/freehand/http://www.instructables.com/member/spark+master/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/C32Q2O9HNICKXEAhttp://www.instructables.com/member/zappenfusen/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CWZ1TS0HNID2CKEhttp://www.instructables.com/member/lairdkelly/http://www.instructables.com/member/lairdkelly/http://www.instructables.com/member/lairdkelly/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CSIPWH4HNID33YJhttp://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CGEBC5DHNICKWF6http://www.instructables.com/member/freehand/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CY43ISOHNID1WQNhttp://www.instructables.com/member/spark+master/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/CUSQO4OHNM4DK89http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/member/A_Steingrube/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/C4RBSR0HNM4J4RH


17/17

Nov 2, 2013. 4:04 PM ReplyOrngrimmsays:

1-40 of 50 Next

closer to the source as you will get burn spots.

As far as plating non-conductive objects by starting with paint, there are a coupledifferent ways I can think of (though I haven't tried them as of yet, so you'll have toexperiment). The first is to get chrome spray paint and give it a light coat. You canalso find conductive paints and glues at RadioShack, Sparkfun, and Adafruit rathereasily. It will take some trial and error before you get decent results. Somethingthat came to mind as well is to give your object a light coating of rubber cementand then sprinkle a conductive powder over the surface.

Is there a upper limit in the acidity of the vinegear? I can buy cleaning-vinegear with 25%dirtcheap...

bout Us

ho We Are

vertise

ntact

bs

lp

Find Us

Facebook

Youtube

Twitter

Pinterest

Google+

Resources

For Teachers

Artists in Residence

Forums

Answers

Mobile

Download our new apps foriOS and android!

Android iOS

Go Pro Today

We're Hiring!

espaol

portugu

Deutsch

(

English

Terms of service | Privacy Policy | Legal Notices & Trademarks | Mobile Site

Join our newsletter:Join!

Copyright 2013 Autodesk Inc. All rights reserved.

Post Comment

Join!
http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/C5LNJR4HNID3KNQhttp://www.instructables.com/member/Orngrimm/http://www.instructables.com/member/Orngrimm/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/?&sort=ACTIVE&limit=40&offset=40#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/about/http://www.instructables.com/advertise/http://www.instructables.com/about/contact.jsphttp://www.instructables.com/community/Positions-available-at-Instructables/http://www.instructables.com/community?categoryGroup=Helphttp://www.facebook.com/instructableshttp://www.youtube.com/user/instructablestvhttp://www.twitter.com/instructableshttp://www.pinterest.com/instructableshttps://plus.google.com/+instructableshttp://www.instructables.com/teachers/http://www.instructables.com/group/air/http://www.instructables.com/community/http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-question/?sort=RECENThttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.adsk.instructableshttps://itunes.apple.com/app/instructables/id586765571http://www.instructables.com/account/gopro?sourcea=footerhttp://www.instructables.com/community/Positions-available-at-Instructables/http://www.instructables.com/es/http://www.instructables.com/pt/http://www.instructables.com/de/http://www.instructables.com/ja/http://www.instructables.com/zh/http://www.instructables.com/zh/http://www.instructables.com/zh/http://www.instructables.com/zh/http://www.instructables.com/zh/http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=123112&id=21959721http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=123112&id=21292079http://usa.autodesk.com/legal-notices-trademarks/http://m.instructables.com/http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/index?id=20781545&siteID=123112http://m.instructables.com/http://usa.autodesk.com/legal-notices-trademarks/http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=123112&id=21292079http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=123112&id=21959721http://www.instructables.com/zh/http://www.instructables.com/zh/http://www.instructables.com/zh/http://www.instructables.com/zh/http://www.instructables.com/zh/http://www.instructables.com/ja/http://www.instructables.com/de/http://www.instructables.com/pt/http://www.instructables.com/es/http://www.instructables.com/community/Positions-available-at-Instructables/http://www.instructables.com/account/gopro?sourcea=footerhttps://itunes.apple.com/app/instructables/id586765571https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.adsk.instructableshttp://www.instructables.com/community/Positions-available-at-Instructables/http://www.instructables.com/account/gopro?sourcea=footerhttps://itunes.apple.com/app/instructables/id586765571https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.adsk.instructableshttp://www.instructables.com/tag/type-question/?sort=RECENThttp://www.instructables.com/community/http://www.instructables.com/group/air/http://www.instructables.com/teachers/https://plus.google.com/+instructableshttp://www.pinterest.com/instructableshttp://www.twitter.com/instructableshttp://www.youtube.com/user/instructablestvhttp://www.facebook.com/instructableshttps://plus.google.com/+instructableshttp://www.pinterest.com/instructableshttp://www.twitter.com/instructableshttp://www.youtube.com/user/instructablestvhttp://www.facebook.com/instructableshttp://www.instructables.com/community?categoryGroup=Helphttp://www.instructables.com/community/Positions-available-at-Instructables/http://www.instructables.com/about/contact.jsphttp://www.instructables.com/advertise/http://www.instructables.com/about/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/?&sort=ACTIVE&limit=40&offset=40#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/Orngrimm/http://www.instructables.com/member/Orngrimm/http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-and-safe-Nickel-Plating/C5LNJR4HNID3KNQ

Documents

High Quality (and Safe) Nickel Plating