home zinc electroplating

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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Anyone on here do home zinc electroplating? i have a bunch of zinc electroplated (vs hot-dipped galvanized) hardware that i want to restore vs buying new. I just dont have the room/time for setting up a plating operation

Not to mention not sure the wife would be happy smelling zinc sulfate or zinc chloride
 

dingbat

Supreme Mariner
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Nov 20, 2001
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15,414
The electro-galv process is nasty stuff...I will never forget my intro to the EGL and ETL processes.

Bet your wife isn’t going to like the pre-plating hydrochloric acid bath or the follow-up nitric acid bath either.

The hex-chrome passivation probably wouldn’t go over well either.....lol
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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the home process isnt that bad. acid rinse, drop in a tub with a battery charger, a few zinc pencils and a bath of zinc sulfate. wipe down with an acid bath and water rinse when done.

if I cant find anyone, will have to set up a tank out back.
 

dingbat

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Nov 20, 2001
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15,414
Shouldn’t be a problem to find a plater.

We have two local vendors. Consider using bright tin plate instead. Seems to be the popular choices these days
 
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