VERY,VERY,VERY IMPORTANT!!! If you do not clean your part extremely well you will have a piece that looks like the surface of the moon when you’re done. The best way I can describe cleaning is to imagine you are going to have the part surgically implanted in your body. That’s about how clean you want it.

Cleaning is probably the most important step in getting a good plate to stick.

How do we get a part that clean you may ask? Well there are a few ways and steps we must go over to do this.

First there are two types of dirt that can affect your plating. One is organic (grease, buffing compounds, oil, or your last jelly doughnut).

The other is metal impurity (rust, corrosion, scale, and basically the deterioration of the metal)

The first type of dirt you want to remove is the organic. Simply because the grease or whatever can cover the metal impurities and the acids will not be able to do their cleaning job. (That’s the next step)

To remove organic dirt you can use several different types of cleaners. Common dishwashing soap (name brand is best), alcohol,(not that kind! The rubbing stuff!), lacquer thinner, MEK (nasty!), basically the type that will dissolve grease and oils.

The way I usually degrease is to heat my solutions on a cheap (from the thrift store) waffle iron/hot plate. (SAFETY NOTE: Do not take the wife’s hot plate!!!) Heating accelerates the cleaning action of soaps and acids. Cover them, as you will lose your solvents due to rapid evaporation if you heat them. If you do boil out some water just add more.(SAFETY NOTE: Do not use open flame to heat solvents. If you do heat them only go to about 200 deg. Remember you are creating fumes that can ignite explosively if they find an open flame. Make sure you do this outside in a well-guarded area)

From here you will go to the alkaline/electrocleaning of the part. Alkaline/electrocleaning baths.

For STEEL AND NICKEL

For COPPER AND BRASS

Now on to the acid cleaning part of the cycle.

Put on your goggles/face shield, gloves, and rubber apron. Melting flesh is not fun. Bubbling metal is! Place your item in the appropriate acid bath and etch the surface.

For STEEL AND NICKEL

For COPPER  AND BRASS

What you are doing by placing your part in the appropriate acid bath is etching the metal for the new plate. You have to give the metal being plated something to grab on to. By dipping in the acid you remove a microscopic layer of the metal and expose fresh metal to plate onto. This will take some time to get experienced at. Generally etch for 30-45 seconds.

The acid baths can also be used to strip off chrome,nickel, and copper plate. The length of time you will leave the part in the acid depends on how much you have to remove so check it often. Do not use the same bath that you activate with to strip with. Make up separate baths. You can contaminate your part with metal from the tank if you use the strip tank as your etch tank also.

After you are satisfied with the acid bath/etch of your part rinse in tap water very well, and then rinse with distilled water. Its best to be ready and just go right to the plating tank. Try not to let the part dry off. If you have to hold the part for 5 min. or so before plating put it in a warm bath of distilled water. Not too long or the surface will start to discolor. If it does discolor simply do a fast dip in the appropriate acid to freshen up the surface.

***Important note***........To tell if your part is clean enough, watch how the water reacts on the surface of the item. If water covers the whole item, without beading up and running off, you’re good to go. On the other hand if water beads up, and forms drops on the surface of the item, you’re not clean. Go two steps back and degrease it again.

Make sure you get it clean! Its frustrating to have a part come out of the tank looking good and then have a blister, crack or peeling of the plate happen on it. Parts like that seem to take wings and fly across the shop at a high rate of speed into the opposing wall.

Don’t worry there will be some trial and errors at this step. Its ok you’re normal.

Now, on to the plating baths.