Nickel Plating
By Darrell Clarke
G'day all, I am a restorer of tube radios and early technology, as well as MM instruments, and the need to deal with old nickel plating often arises.
For very small jobs (screws etc.) or anything that cannot be dismantled and immersed in a plating bath, there is a handy kit available in the U.S. for brush plating, using a metal paste. This is true electroplating and can be powered from dry cells or a small DC power pack (3-8v at about 1 amp).
It is also available for copper, brass, gold and silver plating, but the paste jars are only 2 ounce, so it is not economical for bigger jobs. I have also used it successfully for replating old bath fittings in situ.
The nickel kit costs USD 7.95 from Antique Electronic Supply, 6221 South Maple Avenue, Tempe, AZ 85283. The maker is Texas Platers Supply Co., 2453 W. Five-Mile Pkwy., Dallas, Texas 75233, but I don't know if they deal with the general public.
I have a good description of home electroplating from the "Historical Radio Society of Australia" magazine, "Radio Waves," Nr. 57 and 58 (ISSN 1324-552x) giving the materials needed and procedures. If anyone would like a copy and can't locate the source, I could assist them. It is too long to E-mail, unfortunately.
Cheers, Darrell Clarke,
in sunny Adelaide, Australia (30 deg C, 86 deg F -- sorry about your weather in the Northern hemisphere!)
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(Message sent Thu 30 Jan 1997, 02:06:00 GMT, from time zone GMT+1030.) |
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