Plating Kit in use by SA Mokin

[sa mokin]

This thread has been seperated from 'SA Mokings Rescue of a 1982 Moke' as it has become a very useful discussion on home plating kits. Original post can be found here http://www.moke.com.au/Forum/index.php?topic=1864.0
...Terry

It's been quiet lately so here is an update....  I am still working on the body as time and weather will allow (don't like working on it if it is raining due to rust) so in the meantime I decided to put the back subframe and associated parts together in so that I can bolt it back on straight after the paint job.

It was a bit of an Easter egg hunt looking through boxes for the parts - after all - I reckon they have been in the boxes for a good two years now. And as I expected - some had rust come back since I hadn't re-coated the part after cleaning and blasting!  

Anyhow - I have decided to replate any part that wasn't replaced - no point in putting together all looking like new except nasty looking bolts and brackets. Found some front end hardware to plate too.

Here is a couple of shots of the work in progress....

before and after



brackets and such





Looking forward to reassembling the whole assembly inc new bearings and brakes!

[Biggles]

Looks Good SAm,
              Did you do the plating your self?

                          smoken

[sa mokin]

Hi Smoken

Yes I did - I bought a kit through Jane Kits - zinc and nickel plating - I haven't tried the nickel yet. It's pretty simple. I wish I knew about it years ago!

[casper]

Yes I did - I bought a kit through Jane Kits - zinc and nickel plating - I haven't tried the nickel yet. It's pretty simple. I

Do you have a link?

Casper

[Maddog]

Hi SA,

Some pretty impressive plating there!! You'd have to be happy with results like that. Things like the inertia valve are a good test - apparently some pretty crap metal was used in casting them.

What are you using as a power supply? And have you tried passivating anything - I think Janes call it Goldbright??

Half tempted to have a go myself now..........


Cheers, MD.

[Newie]

Do you have a link?

Casper

I do, because I looked it up  . Very nice SA, I'm with MD and tempted to have a go too

http://www.janekits.com.au/mainframe.php

I've done electrolytic rust removal before with a battery charger as the power source. I think that should work if you had one powerful enough. They talk about their old power supply being 1.5A (not much), but they've recently upgraded it. People who understand the technicalities better than me might be able to confirm?

Newie

[.]

Hi SA,


What are you using as a power supply?
Half tempted to have a go myself now.......... ;
Cheers, MD.

Hi
I think it looks bl00dy gr8.
i think his power supply he is using is 240v out of the wall.but could be wrong
I would absolutely have a go, it will make the car parts look new and bring the resto to a whole new level.

I'm going to do it.
mavro

[martin]

Wow I wish Id know about home plating before I started on ST, maybe for the next regeneration.

Looking good

Martin

[sa mokin]

Hi Maddog

The power supply comes with the kit - its a fancy one and the reason the price of the kit is expensive - but it allows you to control the amps being applied - depending on the kit size you are only using 1.5 - 3amps (voltage doesn't matter but it is 3 volts)

I haven't tried the goldbrite thinking it does the same thing as zinc only with a gold colour but I may be wrong... I can order it up if you think it is superior.

Of course the real reason for the purchase is for my bike restorations - which gold plating seldom appears on a 1960s - 70s bike.

Really happy with the kit though so I can recommend John at www.janekits.com.au - the downside is having to hang each part individually for 45 minutes - your method Maddog is much faster!

[Maddog]

Hi SA,

Thanks for that. I was just wondering if I had something suitable I could use for power like a big old battery charger that does 6 volts. Do you need to change the current to suit the surface area of the parts?

From what I have read the passivation does improve the protection by sealing it somehow - but I was more interested in matching the original colours on a moke like you are with your bikes. It's a bit frustrating as a whole moke worth of bits can easily be done for $50, but to do gold and silver is two lots at $50 each! Last lot of silver I had done they actually had to tip in a heap of curtain hooks to fill the barrel up enough. And unfortunately I don't think the gold can be done later.

your method Maddog is much faster!

You'd think - but it takes me six months to collect and clean enough parts, then I forget one vital piece and have to wait till the next lot! It would be nice to be able to do them as I needed them.


Cheers, MD.

[sa mokin]

Hi SA,

Thanks for that. I was just wondering if I had something suitable I could use for power like a big old battery charger that does 6 volts. Do you need to change the current to suit the surface area of the parts?

Yes - but it is a visual thing where you adjust the amperage (if that is a word) as you see little bubbles coming from the part. You want to see bubbles like soda pop in a glass - not a boiling pot of water. The instructions say pay no attention to the voltage meter - it is the amps meter that you look at when adjusting the current.  On the www.janekits.com.au website -  http://www.janekits.com.au/gallery2.php  shows a photo of a home made current regulator allowing you to use a car battery as a power source to plate your parts.

I bought the 10 litre kits (dual zinc/ nickel) to allow me to plate fork legs and handlebars in a slim tall tank. You just use a plastic container for the plating bath (preferably one you can see through) and in the case of nickel it needs to sit in a crock pot or on a burner in a pot of heated water as it requires heat where zinc is in room temperature.

I guess while I am learning - if a part comes out less than acceptable I can always beadblast again and start over.  It is pretty idiot proof (I can do it) and if a part fails it is almost always because the item is not squeakly clean. I have also found that polishing a part before plating looks much more professional but at the end of the day you are coating the item with zinc to prolong the life of the part from rust - not winning a beauty contest. Certainly superior to painting the part.

I can't wait to see one of your projects Maddog - I wonder why all of your Mokes apart from the Little Wheeler are all 79-82 models and you don't have any in between??

sa mokin the nosy

[Newie]

Might be a stupid question, but is the solution reusable or do you have to gather everything together and then make up a fresh batch when you realise you forgot something like Maddog?

Difference between nickel and zinc plating? From experience, nickel plating is typically on copper and brass whereas zinc is usually on steel. Is this the difference?

Newie

[sa mokin]

Hi Newie

The 10 litres of electrolyte used can be mixed up in whole and stored when not in use. It is used over and over again.  The plating metal comes from anodes (lumps of metal hanging in the solution) which replentish the solution as the metal sticks to the part. When you have plated an awful lot of parts - you can buy additional anodes and/or a chemical refresh.  Each plating metal type (Zinc/Nickel/Copper) have their own electrolyte specific to that metal so you end up with several 10 litre containers storing the different bathes.  I am using new plastic Jerry cans with screw tops to store the chemical - which is not caustic by the way and not very dangerous as far as chem goes. (you can stick you hand in it but not drink it is it is poison)

Zinc vs Nickel plating is the type of anodes used - the same types of metal can be plated with either but a totally different surface is achieved - the nickel is very close to chrome looking and is much harder than zinc - zinc will eventually weather away with age where nickel is tougher have show little to no wear over the same time period. Nickel is more expensive to plate.  The types of metal that the kit can plate are steel, brass, bronze, lead or copper in either zinc or nickel.

[Maddog]

I can't wait to see one of your projects Maddog

Ha ha..... me too!!

[Newie]

Thanks SA. Food for thought.

Newie