Milner's Do It Yourself Zinc Plating Thread-
Many of the guy's on this forum that know me well, know I try to perform most mods to trikes, bikes, quads, MTB's and hot rods myself, but there are a few things that I have sent out in the past which includes- Zinc plating, Chrome Plating, Anodizing and Hard Anodizing.
I don't chrome enough stuff, plus I don't think it is feasible on a DIY level. I am collecting the items needed for a DIY thread to Aluminum Anodizing and Aluminum Hard Anodizing. After researching, testing and reading my old high school Chemistry A textbook, I jumped right in.
Up next is my DIY Zinc plating how to-
Here are the items I used, bought or had laying around the shop, plus the costs.
X2 99.9 percent pure zinc ingots- EBAY $7.11 shipped (These worked so well I ordered more)
1 gallon of white vinegar- $2.12
1/2 cup of epsom salt- .88 cents (Save the extra salt)
1/2 cup of sugar- free, I stole it from my wives baking cabinet
1 plastic container of Sun triple clean laundry detergent- $10.00 (I used only the container & lid) I don't use this brand, but the container is primo and this stuff does clean gear pretty good.
1 scrap piece of 3/8" mild steel round bar- free
1 piece of 3/32" TIG welding wire- free
2 small hose clamps- free
Several pieces of solid copper wire- free
1 piece of red electrical wire- free
2 electrical alligator clips- free
1 aquarium air pump with 1 check valve, 1 tee fitting and 2 three foot lengths of silicone tubing- EBAY $8.95
1 battery charger- free
1 power strip with a ON/OFF switch- free
1 brass wire brush- free
Total on supplies- $31.83 including tax & shipping. If you don't have the things I had laying around I think you would be at about $50 bucks, everyone has a battery charger right?
Assembly of the tub- I dumped the soap out and washed out the tub, then drilled X2 3/8" holes near the top with a step drill and slide the rod bar though the hole and hose clamped both ends this is where the cathode is hung with copper wire along with the negative battery charger clamp, then I drilled X2 3/32" holes on the top toward the side and slide the TIG wire though and bent over the ends to hold them in. This is where the anode is hung from with copper wire along with the alligator clip attached to the electrical wire then the other alligator clip attaches to the positive side on the battery charger.
I used a power strip with a ON/OFF switch since my battery charger does not have one.
The cathode is the item/items being plated.
The anode is the plating stock (Zinc ingots)
To make the plating solution add the vinegar, epsom salt and sugar and mix it up, then hang the zinc ingots from the copper wire on the TIG wire side. Let it sit for 48 hours the vinegar will eat up the zinc and create the solution the salt helps conduct electricity and the sugar is the brightener to make the zinc shinny.
After 48 hours add in the 2 silicone hoses in the solution, hooked to the tee fitting, then a single hose and the check valve to the aquarium pump and turn it on to mix the solution by bubbling- this will allow for a more even plate.
***Make sure your parts are very clean, free of rust***
Hang your parts in the solution by copper wires and turn on the battery charger- 6 volts, 10 amps & 12 volts, 6 amps both works well. Higher amps will make the plating flaky. Let them sit for 10 mins. then remove the parts (They will be a grey/black flat color) and brush them with a clean brass wire brush while they are still wet then wipe them off with paper towels, I dipped them three times with a cleaning each time. To get the polished look the parts can be polish with a Scotch Brite pad or my favorite is a polishing wheel with a loose buff and blue polishing compound. If you wait to long between dips or before polishing and they dry they will have a grey/black zinc oxide coating on them, re dip them if that happens.
Before pics-
After pics- (This was my first shot of plating)
Let me know if you have any questions.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by torker
