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Looking for a zinc plater for a small job

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jlaird

jlaird

Great Pumpkin
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In fact the top of a windshield wiper motor. I know, but mine looks bad and show season will be upon us before too long and wife asked what I wanted for Christmas.


HELP :greedy_dollars:
 
Hey Jack this looks like the ticket for the job you are wishing to do. Video seems pretty simple. Let us know how it works out for you.
 
Caswell Plating has a kit too.


You can do it Jack!.....and I can watch.:grin:
 
I've used the Eastwood kit. Don't bother with the d cell battery power it came with, I used an old toy train transformer so I could vary the power, more for bigger pieces. Worked great, dip it in the solution for a couple minutes and a light buff with steel wool to knock down the slightly rough finish. I've used it on brackets, bolts and all sorts of small pieces. One thing to note though, the piece has to absolutely clean with no grease, dirt or especially small pockets of rust. The process accelerates rusting so a dip in the solution with power will leave rust circles where it wasn't clean.
 
So is Electrolytic Rust removal a possibility to do before you go on to this process. Thinking about small pieces where sandblasting may not be a possibility.
 
Jim,
you can use electrolytic rust removal prior to plating, but they have the same limitations from what I understand. If you have parts with small internal cavities both processes will have a hard time reaching those places. An acid bath where applicable might get to those places. Once clean and rust free you should not have a problem plating the part. I also understand that heating the solution can make it more effective. I do this when I blue parts and it makes a big difference. I also use distilled water to keep contaniments from making it 'splotchy'. You may want to get some grease free oooo steel wool to card the part between platings.
good luck, Rut
 
'Round here we usually put the plates in the zinc, not the other way around daw'lin.

(Bill and Mick no what I'm talkin' about.)
 
I did try the do it your self method, does not hold up over long term. Does look great for 6 months or so.
 
I'd suspect that prep of the parts, depth of the zinc and direct weather exposure play a part in how long a home job will last. The brackets and bolt and such I've done over the last several years all still seem good, but they're not really exposed to the outside either.
 
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