Nickel Plating trial and error..

[Eddie3dfx]

I purchased a caswell plug n plate electroplating nickel kit and I tried it out.

It gives you an attached wand device that lets you brush the item that you are plating, but what I found is that this process is useless. It doesn't coat the items nicely and instead, gives it a smudge/charred look. The better process is to pour the nickel plating solution into a dish and just dip the component in there. What I found out later on is that I should pour the solution into a glass beaker type of dish and warm it on a coffee heater. The electricity is only 4.5v, so I believe that this is the main reason that it didn't do a great job of coating the components.

I learned that it certainly needs more voltage, so I'm going to see if I have a 6-7v power adaptor and splice the cable. Then i will use a glass beaker and heat it up before dipping the blocks. Prior to dipping, I will use vinegar and salt to completely clean the components.

The nickel didn't come out great, so I must remove it. They recommend a harsh acid that I can purchase from any home-depot-lowes.

I'm trying to nickel plate an ek supreme, 2 ek mosfets, 1 ek nb, and a g92 block (that will be later on when I get more solution)


Look how the block comes out brushed.. it's black and smudged.. as opposed to the mosfet block that I had dipped in the solution.

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/2500/dscf0054l.jpg

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/9537/dscf0048w.jpg

[Metric]

Is your stainless steel wand wrapped in the bandage they supplied when you drop it into the solution? Their video shows it wrapped when you submerge it.
I have a kit coming this week, I'll see if I have any luck with it as well :)

[Eddie3dfx]

Is your stainless steel wand wrapped in the bandage they supplied when you drop it into the solution? Their video shows it wrapped when you submerge it.
I have a kit coming this week, I'll see if I have any luck with it as well :)

In the solution no.. hmm
Other video's that I've seen just show the wand in bare without the bandage.
Make sure you get the 4.5v and not the 1.5v. Better yet.. get one yourself and solder on alligator clips.

I'm going to home depot in a sec to pickup some acid :eek:

[Metric]

In the solution no.. hmm
Other video's that I've seen just show the wand in bare without the bandage.
Make sure you get the 4.5v and not the 1.5v. Better yet.. get one yourself and solder on alligator clips.
Good luck and soaking it in vinegar + salt and replating might work to get rid of the burn marks.
I just ordered their Nickel Plug n' Play (PNPNK28) - didn't specify what adapter came with it. Worse case, I'll just get my 700w PSU and run the DC from that.

[Brad8988]

Wouldnt be too bad if you could get a decent finish outa it.

[Eddie3dfx]

Good luck and soaking it in vinegar + salt and replating might work to get rid of the burn marks.
I just ordered their Nickel Plug n' Play (PNPNK28) - didn't specify what adapter came with it. Worse case, I'll just get my 700w PSU and run the DC from that.

I probably wouldn't risk a psu for this. Try a simple adapter from radioshack or any electronics store..

It's in hydrochloric acid right now. Home Depot and Lowes do not sell it, but I was able to grab a quart of it from menards.. It's strong stuff..

I think Eddy uses a brightener in his nickel plating, because the look is a bit more shiney.

Kaptn, any idea what kind of solution the nickel plating material is?
I wish I could just purchase this stuff at hobby stores than having to get it at caswell.

[Sparky]

You think hydrochloric acid is strong, you should try sulfuric acid :D Or even better, perchloric acid :eek:

[Eddie3dfx]

You think hydrochloric acid is strong, you should try sulfuric acid :D Or even better, perchloric acid :eek:

It will go in as ek supreme and come out as thermaltake :D

[BDW88]

A buddy of mine got the Electroless Nickel Kit from Caswell to plate some antique guns, gonna try and plate my HK with it I'll update what the results are.

[DarthBeavis]

I tried using Lysergic acid diethylamide but I put the tab under my tongue first before messing with the block. The block came out a really cool rainbow color . . . .and pulsated.

[Chruschef]

I tried using Lysergic acid diethylamide but I put the tab under my tongue first before messing with the block. The block came out a really cool rainbow color . . . .and pulsated.

LOL!:clap:

[Bei Fei]

I tried using Lysergic acid diethylamide but I put the tab under my tongue first before messing with the block. The block came out a really cool rainbow color . . . .and pulsated.

I love that stuff....... Oh the memories

[weston]

You think hydrochloric acid is strong, you should try sulfuric acid :D Or even better, perchloric acid :eek:

or better yet, 2:1 mixture of concentrated nitric acid and concentrated hydrochloric acid. You could dissolve gold in that solution! (sorry, chemistry major here)

[b@llz0r]

for best results when nickel plating its all about preparation, polish the block up before plating and it will come out much better

[CyberDruid]

for best results when nickel plating its all about preparation, polish the block up before plating and it will come out much better

Or hit it with beads in the blast cabinet...that'll bring up the fresh layer. Handle it with gloves: skin oils are a likely culprit for dark smudges.

[septim]

yep, prep and de-greasing is a must kayin did it nicely a few weeks back...

[liguhy]

How well does nickel plating protect aluminum from galvanic corrosion? Does it help/hurt if the aluminum is already anodized? I'm interested cause I really like XSPC's Passive Radiator, but since it is all aluminum, I can't get it. http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/images/products/XSPC-RES-PASS-250-BK_03.jpg

Is there people on XS geographically in the US/Midwest that can nickel plate the interior of a 250mm anodized aluminum tube? What about profesionally? Lastly, what kind of costs would each entail?

[Kaldor]

for best results when nickel plating its all about preparation, polish the block up before plating and it will come out much better

+1 - a mirror shine is essential for shiny finish


Or hit it with beads in the blast cabinet...that'll bring up the fresh layer. Handle it with gloves: skin oils are a likely culprit for dark smudges.

Bead blasting will clean the surface nicely but leave you with a dull finish as it doesnt polish the surface.

Skin oil will make for dark spots in the finish as CyberDruid states. Handle all pieces with paper towels, clean towels, or cloth gloves.

I havent done the actual plating, but Ive had multiple things chrome and nickel plated professionally over the years. I always did the majority of the prep work, cleaning and polishing, before I sent the pieces in, to save a few bucks.

[mindspat]

or better yet, 2:1 mixture of concentrated nitric acid and concentrated hydrochloric acid. You could dissolve gold in that solution! (sorry, chemistry major here)

That's also good for creating a mirror like surface on aluminum. WARNING - do not play with acid if you don't know what the :banana::banana::banana::banana: you are doing!!

[b@llz0r]

I always did the majority of the prep work, cleaning and polishing, before I sent the pieces in, to save a few bucks.

ditto.... my local electroplaters will plate blocks for next to nothing if they dont need to prep them

[Eddie3dfx]

That's also good for creating a mirror like surface on aluminum. WARNING - do not play with acid if you don't know what the :banana::banana::banana::banana: you are doing!!

Yup. I wore large yellow gloves, had glasses on, and made sure the window was open.
Half the nickel plating has come off in the 16 hours it's been in the hydrochloric acid.
By tomorrow the rest should of flaked off.

I do believe eddy uses a nickel brightener in his blocks, because it doesn't seem like mine will be as bright as eddy's blocks.

Those Ek blocks were brand new, so pretty much I just washed them with soap and water and dipped it in alcohol.

[SNiiPE_DoGG]

cool work Eddie, cant wait to see how this works out for you :D :up:

[Eddie3dfx]

Well it's been in the acid for a few days now, so I decided to pull the parts and wash them off. 99% of the nickel came off, with a few parts that need some additional removing. I'm sure they will flake off with a nice cleaning.

Unfortunately the color went from a nice shiny copper to a mexican pottery look. Hopefully the salt/vinegar solution will make it like new again. If not, I'll send it off to electroplaters to get it cleaned and plated. I'm not too worried.




http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/5906/dscf0056f.jpg

http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/6086/dscf0057e.jpg

[Waterlogged]

Well it's been in the acid for a few days now, so I decided to pull the parts and wash them off. 99% of the nickel came off, with a few parts that need some additional removing. I'm sure they will flake off with a nice cleaning.

Unfortunately the color went from a nice shiny copper to a mexican pottery look. Hopefully the salt/vinegar solution will make it like new again. If not, I'll send it off to electroplaters to get it cleaned and plated. I'm not too worried.

Eddie, sorry to say this but your just moving from 1 acid bath to another. To polish those blocks up is going to require you to get dirty or pay someone.

[Eddie3dfx]

Eddie, sorry to say this but your just moving from 1 acid bath to another. To polish those blocks up is going to require you to get dirty or pay someone.

Yeah, I kinda figured. Dirty it is :up:
At least all the nickel plating came off. I'm going to clean the mosfet block and polish it up and then try to perfect my plating skills.

[Eddie3dfx]

A little bit of elbow grease with a dish pad and a polishing dremel...

This time around I'll leave it in the vinegar and heat up the solution with a coffee maker.

http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/4571/dscf0058a.jpg

[Eddie3dfx]

I attempted to nickel plate my other gpu block to match the stock nickel ek block.
I was then called for some government work, which mean't I had to leave out of town. I wasn't please with how the block was plated, so I threw it in muriatic acid for a day.

Came back in town a day later and look LOL...

If people are questioning how strong hydrochloric acid is, don't... It's very strong. :eek:
I'm actually shocked.



http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/2396/dscf0061v.jpg

[Scubar]

Do you think it will leak ?

[Eddie3dfx]

Do you think it will leak ?

LOLOL.
It's in the garbage truck on the way to it's heaven :rolleyes:

On a serious note, I am looking for a nickel plating shop. I just am not experienced enough at this to the point where I can do it correctly... It was fun trying it though.

[Brodholm]

LOLOL.
It's in the garbage truck on the way to it's heaven :rolleyes:

such a waste... :shakes:

With a "couple" of beers and some duck tape I would have had that up and running in no time! :rolleyes:

[exemay]

such a waste... :shakes:

With a "couple" of beers and some duck tape I would have had that up and running in no time! :rolleyes:

LOL id pay to see that!!!

[Waterlogged]

I attempted to nickel plate my other gpu block to match the stock nickel ek block.
I was then called for some government work, which mean't I had to leave out of town. I wasn't please with how the block was plated, so I threw it in muriatic acid for a day.

Came back in town a day later and look LOL...

If people are questioning how strong hydrochloric acid is, don't... It's very strong. :eek:
I'm actually shocked.



http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/2396/dscf0061v.jpg

Wow Eddie, that sucks man.:( I've got 4 small vials of HCL here that have been waiting for an actual use for about 3 years now. Got them from a science class room at the end of a school year when the teacher cleaned some cabinets out.:D

[Sadasius]

Wow that acid really ate through that. That sucks! Well at least you now know that not just anyone can takle this kind of work.

[Eddie3dfx]

It's okay. I picked up a 4890, so I have to upgrade anyways.
Shame though since the 8800gt/9800gt scale very well in SLI.

It's sad these days that I look at what blocks are available before I pickup hardware :D

It was an interesting experiment.. hard to really tune it without proper practice and better equipment. Better off getting it plated at a local shop, which I'll do for the chipset blocks.

[b@llz0r]

atleast you gave it a shot... real nickel plating is a craft that takes many years to perfect.

[SNiiPE_DoGG]

4890's scale better than any sli ;) :up:

[b@llz0r]

here is another option http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/electroless.htm

Some guys are getting very professional looking results with it http://www.realredraider.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=7142

[ILikeCosmosS]

i think the mini would be enough just to the Heatkiller block and alot more for a computer since says total surface area is 132 sq feet
and costs only 53 dollars killer deal to me

[Metric]

Eddie3dfx: Sorry to hear about your blocks :(
I received my kit this past Tuesday, been practicing on some pennies laying around and have been somewhat successful in getting a nice, even plating.
I'll have to grab some vinegar and salt over the weekend and see if I can plate something a little larger next week.

Good luck with the rest of the blocks

b@llz0r: Can't see your link to the RRR forums - requires registration :/, think you could provide some direct links to the images, would love to see what this plating kit is capable of :)

[dealmaster]

Saying "x acid is strong" isn't always correct. It's all about the concentration. You can have extremely diluted sulfuric acid that isn't hardly harmful at all and a very strongly concentrated "weaker" acid that will burn the crap out of you.

[Sadasius]

Saying "x acid is strong" is pretty misleading. It's all about the concentration. You can have extremely diluted sulfuric acid that isn't hardly harmful at all and a very strongly concentrated "weaker" acid that will burn the crap out of you.

That's why it was followed up with a picture so it was not so misleading. Strong enough to eat metal is strong enough for me.

[Eddie3dfx]

here is another option http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/electroless.htm

Some guys are getting very professional looking results with it http://www.realredraider.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=7142


I posted the pic so people can see what you are talking about.
That looks really quite nice. They must use an extra brightener in the electroless plating kit.
The question I have is.. does it come off after a period of time? Is it just cooked on?

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/8415/nickelplating.jpg

[BDW88]

Pic doesn't do it justice it's far shinier than that :D there's no brightener included in the standard kit it has to purchased separately and added to the bath which I didn't use. It was plated for 30mins about 0.0005" thick enough for hand tools,guns, far as I know about it flaking off over time it's not suppose too only way that's gonna happen is if it was prepped improperly, and yes electroless plating boils it on w/ a 300w heater it goes like this 15mins decorative plate, 30mins-hand tools,guns, 60mins-marine,outdoor type fitting.

[Eddie3dfx]

Pic doesn't do it justice it's far shinier than that :D there's no brightener included in the standard kit it has to purchased separately and added to the bath which I didn't use. It was plated for 30mins about 0.0005" thick enough for hand tools,guns, far as I know about it flaking off over time it's not suppose too only way that's gonna happen is if it was prepped improperly, and yes electroless plating boils it on w/ a 300w heater it goes like this 15mins decorative plate, 30mins-hand tools,guns, 60mins-marine,outdoor type fitting.

It certainly looks gorgeous. Did you plate any other copper blocks as well? I'd love to see pictures.

[b@llz0r]

It looks as good as store bought tho... although being electroless im not sure of the composition of the plating or its durability

[Eddie3dfx]

Is your stainless steel wand wrapped in the bandage they supplied when you drop it into the solution? Their video shows it wrapped when you submerge it.
I have a kit coming this week, I'll see if I have any luck with it as well :)

Metric, have you had any luck with the plug n play?

I'd love to see pics..

[Metric]

Metric, have you had any luck with the plug n play?

I'd love to see pics..
I don't have any waterblock examples to show you (at college right now, don't really have the time to disassemble my rig), but I did do some practice on some pennies like the Caswell website suggested. Just took some Mother's Mag and Aluminum Polish to the penny and plated it for about 5 minutes.

Polished and before plating:
https://dl.getdropbox.com/u/2028/Xtreme%20Systems/IMG_9359.jpg

After ~5 minutes (zero post-buffing or brighteners):
https://dl.getdropbox.com/u/2028/Xtreme%20Systems/IMG_9362.jpg

[Eddie3dfx]

nice penny! :up:

What I found is with flat surfaces, it's a bit easier, but narrow grooves, like the channels of an ek supreme, it's a nightmare.

What happens is you pull your block out and everything seems to be coated nicely, except none of the plating has attached to the thin channels.. so you try to redip to get those parts and wallah.. it screws up the rest of the block.

In some ways the electroless plating is easier, because it gives the block a more even coat.

Caswell doesn't have the electroless on sale anymore :shakes:

[Metric]

nice penny! :up:

What I found is with flat surfaces, it's a bit easier, but narrow grooves, like the channels of an ek supreme, it's a nightmare.

What happens is you pull your block out and everything seems to be coated nicely, except none of the plating has attached to the thin channels.. so you try to redip to get those parts and wallah.. it screws up the rest of the block.

In some ways the electroless plating is easier, because it gives the block a more even coat.

Caswell doesn't have the electroless on sale anymore :shakes:
Thanks Eddie :up:

Maybe it's different with the thin and relatively tall fins on the Supreme, but I didn't run into any issues in redipping; I found out that you'll have some smut where air and solution meet if you don't completely submerge the piece.

As for the electroless version, it still shows up as being available to purchase for me (can still add it to the cart). Still not sure if I want to drop another $80 + S&H for a nicer kit...

[Bond Number]

Hi, Eddie do you have any pictures

If the nickel is not depositing in the channels you might be diffusion limited. Basically all of the ions might be reduced on block before they even reach the channel surface. If this is the case one slow down the kinetics or increase the ion concentration. This might be as simple as lowering the overpotential or changing your plating geometry.

You could also try to pulse plate this would require a lot more trial and error to get the correct on/off times, but if done correctly can give a nice finish. But probably the easiest method would be to add convection. If you see better results with convection then you know you are diffusion limited regime and investing more time into pulse plating might be warranted.

[Eddie3dfx]

I picked up the electroless kit. I'll be out of town this week, but by sunday, I should have some results up :)
From what I've seen, the electroless kit gives the blocks a more even coating.

[liguhy]

How well does nickel plating protect aluminum from galvanic corrosion? Does it help/hurt if the aluminum is already anodized? I'm interested cause I really like XSPC's Passive Radiator, but since it is all aluminum, I can't get it. http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/images/products/XSPC-RES-PASS-250-BK_03.jpg

Is there people on XS geographically in the US/Midwest that can nickel plate the interior of a 250mm anodized aluminum tube? What about professionally? Lastly, what kind of costs would each entail?

This might not be the correct thread for this question, but I'm interested in getting this reservoir's interior plated so I can use it without corrosion problems; I don't care if it's nickel, whatever is permanent and best value.

[Metric]

This might not be the correct thread for this question, but I'm interested in getting this reservoir's interior plated so I can use it without corrosion problems; I don't care if it's nickel, whatever is permanent and best value.
Nickel plating your aluminum reservoir won't help. Swiftech used military-grade nickel plating on the originial Apogee GTX top and it still corroded.

[Eddie3dfx]

Hard Chrome might be a better bet. That or get a new reservoir.

[liguhy]

Nickel plating your aluminum reservoir won't help. Swiftech used military-grade nickel plating on the originial Apogee GTX top and it still corroded.
that pretty much throws out nickel plating then. How permanent is hard chrome and what would be the price.

btw: sorry if I'm hijacking this thread, but you guys really seem to know your plating stuff.

[Eddie3dfx]

that pretty much throws out nickel plating then. How permanent is hard chrome and what would be the price.

btw: sorry if I'm hijacking this thread, but you guys really seem to know your plating stuff.

You are certainly not hijacking the thread. Plating is all in good fun.
I don't know how much it costs, but I do know it's a hell of a lot stronger than electroless nickel plating.

[Brad8988]

Hi sorry for the silly question but im going to get a GTZ either nickel or chrome plated. Both the top and bottom will be done the same but i want it to last looking nice without effecting the cooling. What would you advise me to go with? With the finish i saw recently on the HK block that was nickel plated im leaning towards that.

[SNiiPE_DoGG]

Hi sorry for the silly question but im going to get a GTZ either nickel or chrome plated. Both the top and bottom will be done the same but i want it to last looking nice without effecting the cooling. What would you advise me to go with? With the finish i saw recently on the HK block that was nickel plated im leaning towards that.

huh? GTZ top is acetal - you cant plate it... are you making a custom top first?

[Brad8988]

Nah mines fully copper. So is nickel the way forward?

[Waterlogged]

huh? GTZ top is acetal - you cant plate it... are you making a custom top first?
:wasntme:

http://www.muellercorp.com/chromeplatingplastic.htm


Nah mines fully copper. So is nickel the way forward?

I take it you bought one of Duniek's tops? http://deephousepage.com/smilies/gonnagetit.gif

[SNiiPE_DoGG]

:wasntme:

http://www.muellercorp.com/chromeplatingplastic.htm


OOOOH they are in mass..... methinks I will have to give them a call :yepp:

[Waterlogged]

OOOOH they are in mass..... methinks I will have to give them a call :yepp:

:D...........:hm:..........:eek:........:brick:

WHAT KIND OF MONSTER HAVE I CREATED?:shakes:











:ROTF:

[SNiiPE_DoGG]

:D...........:hm:..........:eek:........:brick:

WHAT KIND OF MONSTER HAVE I CREATED?:shakes:











:ROTF:

Ahhhhh, the BLING, it burnssss:rofl: :up:

[NaeKuh]

Ahhhhh, the BLING, it burnssss:rofl: :up:

snipe this way...

http://www.cfo.doe.gov/me70/manhattan/images/FalloutShelterSignLarge.gif

[SNiiPE_DoGG]

I'm running:sonic: :D

um - so Ill let you guys know what I find out about this company WL has linked me to when I get around to talking to them :up:

[Brad8988]

Hmmmm still no answer. Will just go nickel then.

[Eddie3dfx]

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.

I purchased the electroless nickel plating kit. I went through all the steps as stated.

1. Add 16oz of distilled water into the bucket.
2. Add 1oz of A
3. Add 3oz of B.
4. Push in the waterheater..
5. add in the moisture balls.
6. attach copper to steel surface for copper to plate.
7. Place copper block into the solution.
8. Let it boil for 20 minutes..

When I take it out, the copper is super clean, but hasn't been plated at all.
Can someone explain to me what I'm doing wrong?

I figured it out. The steel has to be submerged with the copper for 2-5minutes while plating.

The directions and customer service sucks the royal hiney. The guy, I won't mention his name, was very rude to me on the phone. What a f*cking joke this company is.

[Eddie3dfx]

Wow... pic in a sec.

[Eddie3dfx]

Enzotech copper sb heatsink with fan that goes over it.

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/5306/dscf0142rbd.jpg

[BDW88]

Nice going Eddie3dfx! You'll get a brighter plate if you polish the copper more, the higher the polish the brighter the plate will be, try and use the smallest gauge steel wire you can find to activate because whatever item you use will get plated too and deduct some credits from the bath, so the thinner the better. I got some HK gpu blocks that I'm about to plate and I already put in 6hrs of polishing them so almost good to go. I'll post pics once I pull them out of the tank.

[kinghong1970]

not bad eddie... i kinda like the matte nickel look!

[Eddie3dfx]

Nice going Eddie3dfx! You'll get a brighter plate if you polish the copper more, the higher the polish the brighter the plate will be, try and use the smallest gauge steel wire you can find to activate because whatever item you use will get plated too and deduct some credits from the bath, so the thinner the better. I got some HK gpu blocks that I'm about to plate and I already put in 6hrs of polishing them so almost good to go. I'll post pics once I pull them out of the tank.

Definitely. I didn't want the nickel plating to be as bright as my ek blocks, but if the copper was very visible or on top, then I definitely can see why one would spend a lot of time polishing them. I really like the muted look behind the acrylic.

I'll post a few more pics in a sec. The problem is these blocks got very dull after I put them into the muriatic acid. They never got the shine they originally had, though I did try my best to clean and polish them. I learned that electroplating is very difficult process and is not suitable for the plug n plate kit, while electroless plating is quite easy.

If anyone is interesting in nickel plating, electroless is the way to go.

[Eddie3dfx]

Ek block is stock nickel plating. You can see the insane shine from the prior polishing. (4870 on a 4890 card.. fits perfectly, thanks snipe :up:)
Mine are more muted, because of the muriadic acid that dulled the blocks. Still looks great though. I'm very happy with the nickel plating over the gold copper look.

I have one more mosfet to plate and that will be all. The process is easy and I definitely recommend the kit, even though the customer service and company sucks.

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/845/dscf0143c.jpg

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/3118/dscf0144p.jpg

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/3726/dscf0145c.jpg

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/6014/dscf0146.jpg

http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/7331/dscf0147.jpg

[Rise]

hmmm, i kind of like it... a bit less bling but a nice look just the same. i'm glad to see you kept with it until you got some nice results! congrats!

[Eddie3dfx]

Danger Den Aquadrive

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/6820/dscf0149.jpg

http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/4609/dscf0150f.jpg

[Shlomo]

Nice results! That almost makes me want to go out and purchase that kit and play around with it for a bit.