Copper plating cast

hrpenley

Active Member
I know what you mean, I don't do the nasty stuff at the house, short of cooking the pc and casting, I take the rest outside or here to the shop, I'm set up to handle hazardous materials here.
 

hrpenley

Active Member
Wonder how long their career lasts in that factory....wow....I mean just ..WOW... I deal with hazardous materials in steel mills, petroleum industry, you know, good old toxic industrial waste so I have dealt with those chemicals and all I can imagine is that those guys have no idea what they are working with.
 

popper

Well-Known Member
I intended to show a way of plating a bunch vs using a single for an electrode. Berry's uses this method. Compared to the independant bumper/auto plating shops this one is actually pretty good. Fauchi would do it different.
 

hrpenley

Active Member
Y’a that video that popper put up gave us an idea, we have a 2.5g plastic bucket we lined with spaced copper cathode strips using the copper anode on the center shaft, we're going to run it a little over half full, I am counting on the bulk of the material to maintain contact with a least 2 of the small strips all the time and close contact should carry the current throughout. Simple brush style connection to the ground ring and a slow rotation I think will give us a pretty good coat. If not we will try something else.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
a basket setup like Dillon uses for their media separators could easily be motor driven simply by replacing the turn handle [and probably by adding a little something to the other side to keep it level]
you'd need more solution of course, but their tub is notched for the basket and it has enough room for the electrodes on either end.
 

popper

Well-Known Member
They often use conductive 'stuff' to insure contact. The vid used conductive 'bars' at the ends as electrodes that flopped around to make contact. Bullets at the bottom would be in contact to the bars and each other.
 

Mitty38

Well-Known Member
Worked in polishing and plating, did mostly prep. One thing I remember, plating required absolute cleanly ness, as in no Oxidation, and no grease or compounds.
I remember nice plating jobs being ruined by 1 spot of oil, or oxidation.
We would dip Items in a hot formaldehyde bath to strip all oils off them. Or collar buff them with talced gloves on, then handle them with gloves untill they got plated. One thing I also remember is that if parts got oxedized at all they had to be repreped.

I have never been involved with lead plating but from other experience my suggestion would be to get them to cast to the right size then go straight from casting to the plating tank asap.
 
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hrpenley

Active Member
That was my thinking also, the less time they set the better. Been busy here so the project in slow mode, won't be this weekend, suppose to be nice out here so will be getting in probably my last range day this year. I tend to stay in when it gets below 40 hands get to hurting too much. Time to start casting and loading for next spring.
 

hrpenley

Active Member
Been a while on this post, My buddy been down with a medical condition so we haven't been able to do much on the mechanical side (he's the machinist) but we just about got the rig together, maybe right after the first of the year we are going to try the first batch, Ill post pics of the process and hardware as soon as we have it presentable......