Don’t even skimp here!

THINK.....THINK.....THINK.....  

1. Use only plastic, (preferred) or glass (breakable) containers for your solutions.

2. If you have a small setup then you could store your baths and acids in large Tupperware bins inside their normal containers. This way if you do have a leak it will stay contained. DO NOT STORE INCOMPATIBLE ACIDS AND MATERIALS TOGETHER!!!!! Read the MSDS that comes with the solution. Some chemicals react violently when combined with others. IE: Drain cleaner and bleach, or Water and Lye (sodium Hydroxide). To name a few.

3. Make up a SPILL BUCKET It should contain baking soda (neutralize the spills), and absorbent materials (soak up spills)

4. Always add acid to water. NEVER!! add water to acid. It will splatter and heat up.

5. Have some type of water close at hand in case you get some chemicals on you or in your eyes. A bucket of water, a hose that is ready to go, or a sink.

6. Make sure you have good ventilation!!!! Either have some type of suction over your bath or do it outside. Do not electroplate in a basement with no ventilation.

7. Always wear your rubber gloves, you can even put on a pair of thin latex gloves under the heavy rubber gloves in case you have a small leak. Most plating bath wont kill you but they will sure wreak havoc on your fingers!

8. Wash your hands before eating or drinking. Especially if you have to go out back and go..........!!!

9. Keep other tools away from your hydrochloric and sulfuric acid baths. The fumes from them will rust the heck out of them in time.

10. If you decide to put power supplies above the baths for the sake of saving room. (I had too) Make sure they are fastened down securely. As with anything else you may have above the shelf. It could really be a disaster if the power supply falls in your bath!

11. A face shield is better then safety glasses. Using both is a good idea but sometimes impractical. (glasses)

12. Dont have food or drink in the shop...Dont put any of your solutions in a container that looks like a cup! Yes it can happen. I know a guy at work that drank a small amount of MEK..........not good for the digestive tract!!!!

13. Keep a safety/poison book close at hand and in plain view. Put the MSDSs for all the chems you use and the phone # of the nearest hospital/poison line in big bold lettering on the front cover. You dont want to have to search for it if your hurt or time is short..........

 Some of us in the group (myself included) use a copper cyanide bath for putting a strike plate on the part prior to the acid copper. Cyanide is a great work horse for plating, but if you walk behind it and dont pay attention........expect to get KICKED!! These are not chemicals to have in the average hobbyist plating area. If you decide to use cyanides, read all you can about them. Heed what you read!! Pay attention to everything you are doing when you are using them. If you mix cyanides with sulfates you create a deadly gas that can kill you in a matter of minutes if you get enough of a dose of it. There are other alkaline copper baths that can be used as a alternative for striking the metal and you can use nickel to strike most metals prior to copper.