Nickel Plating

Roslyn

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
This is some thing I know little about this subject but understand the concept and how it works at the atomic level and have looked on utube and the rest of the net.

I just wish to nickel plate small items up to kick start size any help and practical advice would be helpful as to sourcing items and recommendations as to power supply and consumables and uk based as well.

Please note I am doing this on a very low budget.
 

Magnetoman

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Twenty years ago I used a Caswell kit to plate fake Cd, which still looks like fake Cd today, and two years ago I used two other Caswell kit to plate hard chrome on the bearing surface of my 1928 Ariel's cam and Cu on the drive-side ball bearing to make it a press fit in the crankcase. So, I can recommend the company based on good experience with them. Lucky for you, Caswell Europe has a UK telephone prefix so you still may be able to get their products after the end of the year.

With plating it is essential to use the correct current. This means it is essential to follow Caswell's instructions without getting creative and hoping it will work. It won't. I'm lucky in that I have a selection of power supplies so dialing in the correct voltage and current was easy. They sell their own power supplies but I have no experience with them.
 

Bill Cannon

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
This is interesting. Many years ago I was planning to Nickel plate my Egli frame. I found a company local to me that filled the bill but when they inspected the frame they recommended not to do it because they would not be able to get plating on the inside of the engine mounting brackets and this would allow rust to creep under the other plating.
I know that most Godet frames are nickel plated, so has anyone any experience of this?
Cheers Bill
 

vibrac

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
When my Egli frame nickel started to peel I had it black powder coated I like it better it sets off the alloy tank
 

Roslyn

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
This is interesting. Many years ago I was planning to Nickel plate my Egli frame. I found a company local to me that filled the bill but when they inspected the frame they recommended not to do it because they would not be able to get plating on the inside of the engine mounting brackets and this would allow rust to creep under the other plating.
I know that most Godet frames are nickel plated, so has anyone any experience of this?
Cheers Bill
I just hope to do dull nickel plating for small items up to kickstat size to rust proof stuff and in the meanwhile make it look pretty as I am hoping have my own set up at home not to depend on any one as this virus means I cannot get nickel plating done local as I have in the past and reduce out side contact with any one.
 

Vincent Brake

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
This is interesting. Many years ago I was planning to Nickel plate my Egli frame. I found a company local to me that filled the bill but when they inspected the frame they recommended not to do it because they would not be able to get plating on the inside of the engine mounting brackets and this would allow rust to creep under the other plating.
I know that most Godet frames are nickel plated, so has anyone any experience of this?
Cheers Bill
yes:(
 

Simon Dinsdale

VOC Machine Registrar
VOC Member
VOC Forum Moderator
I bought a zinc plating kit from these people:
The reason I chose them was a simple one, they are only 20 miles from me and I went for the full kit with PSU, tank pump etc and the results are quite pleasing. In the photo the oil pipes, fuel pipes, footrest hangers and early type gearlever are all plated with the kit. It has a slight blue tint to it but that is probably because I left it in the post plating passivation a bit too long but its not really noticable. As for how long it will last corrosion wise, only time will tell.

The big thing with all plating is cleanliness as it only takes the slightest contamination of the surface to disrupt the quality of the plating process.

I have not tried their nickel plating kit so I cannot comment on that.

Simon
 

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Chris Launders

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
This is interesting. Many years ago I was planning to Nickel plate my Egli frame. I found a company local to me that filled the bill but when they inspected the frame they recommended not to do it because they would not be able to get plating on the inside of the engine mounting brackets and this would allow rust to creep under the other plating.
I know that most Godet frames are nickel plated, so has anyone any experience of this?
Cheers Bill
A friend had this with a Rickman frame, the plating being thin in hard to get area's had gone, he polished up the offending area's and using cotton wool with a wire attached dipped in the plating solution replated these areas successfully, I also used the same method to plate a dynamo body.
 

clevtrev

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
All plating on complex shapes will vary in thickness, because the direction is between cathode and anode in a straight line. If to be better it has to be done a a rotating movement to expose the shaded areas.
 
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