Electrolysis - updated with photos

This was quite fun and safe to do so long as you are sensible, I’d say have a go yourself. I got pleasing results, going to have another go next week.

The parts have come up a treat. Thanks for the pics and write up. :+1:

So, do any of you guys do electroplating? I sure like me some copper acetate, and a copper plated nickel plated BeCu spring.

very cool, great info about the chicken wire, and that electrolysis does not harm paint
If I want a copper plated flashlight, can I just drop it in a bucket with some of this special Juice:

I was hoping this thread would lead me to a how to tutorial,
to produce a Copper plated Flashlight :slight_smile:

Do you mean a brass copper plated light or an aluminium copper plated flashlight?

Both are doable quite easily, but an aluminium flashlight would have to be de-anodized first, and would have to use copper sulfate instead of copper acetate.

yes and thank you
aluminium host, plated with copper

those two novatacs are aluminium

I fantasize about a copper plated RRT-01, and Sofirn C01

some people would also want Titanium plating… :slight_smile:
but, I dont mean to hijack this thread…

if there is a better place to lean about this, I welcome a link

Don’t worry about hijacking lol, it’s all very interesting to me too!

After some work…

EASY AND SAFE COPPER ACETATE PLATING
Material needed :

- Adjustable DC-DC Power Supply to create copper acetate the copper solution

  • 5V DC Power Supply if the above is not available

- 1,0V-3,3V DC Power Supply for electroplating. Closer to 1,0V for all parts, and closer to 3,3V for very large parts.

- Alligator clips (1 red and 1 black for positive and negative)

- Any source of copper. Scrap copper wire, or a copper sheet will work well.

- 5-8% acetic acid. Vinegar is a good substitute.

- 30% Hydrochloric acid(muriactic acid)

- High grit sand paper (500+)

- Liquid soap.

- Glass jar or beaker that fits your part

- Small glass or plastic tray.

  • Heater or hotplate

PROTOCOL 1 (PREPARING THE ELECTRODES)

  1. Prepare the copper electrodes by cleaning them mechanically with 500+ grit sandpaper.
  2. Wash the copper electrodes under water with soap.
  3. Fill the small tray with hydrochloric acid, and the electrodes in it for 60 seconds to clean them completely. Rinse with water to get rid of the hydrochloric acid. Keep it for later.
  4. Repeat the first 3 steps for cleaning the positive electrode for electroplating.

PROTOCOL 2 (MAKING THE COPPER ACETATE SOLUTION)

  1. Fill the jar with vinegar or 5/8% acetic acid.
  2. Connect the alligator clips to the cleaned copper electrodes. Note the polarity of each.
  3. Put the copper electrodes in the acetic acid jar.
  4. Connect your 5V power supply to the AC receptable, or set your power supply to a voltage of 4,2-5V, 4,2V for slightly higher copper acetate concentration, 5V for faster creation.
  5. Check if there are any small bubbles forming on the negative electrode. If there are small bubbles forming, but not floating up, that means the setup is working.
  6. Let the setup run for 8-12 hours, preferably during the night.
  7. Check the jar for any copper deposits. If there are any solid deposits on the bottom, filter out the solution via gravity filtering, or just empty the jar slowly into another container without the copper deposits transfering in the other container. Clean the jar. Put the solution back in the original container.
  8. Clean the parts/materials you’ve used during the copper acetate solution creation.

PROTOCOL 3 (ELECTROPLATING THE PART)

  1. Prepare the part by cleaning it mechanically with 500+ grit sandpaper.
  2. Wash the part with soapy water.
  3. Put in the part in the hydrochloric acid bath for 1 minute, then clean it in water.
  4. Connect the positive copper electrode previously cleaned to the positive alligator clip. Put it in the jar.
  5. Connect the negative alligator clip to the part you want to plate. Put it in the jar as far away from the positive electrode as practical.
  6. Plug the alligator clips to the preferably 1,2V adjustable power supply, or 3,3V power supply.
  7. Leave the setup running for 2 hours at 3,3V, and 4 hours at 1,0-1,2V for optimal results.
  8. Unplug or deactivate the power supply.
  9. Get the part out of the copper acetate solution.
  10. Clean it with water, and let it dry. You should have the copper plated part.
  11. Polish it with steel wool.
  12. Put the copper acetate jar somewhere safe, and label it as Copper Acetate Solution.

Final note : The jar can be placed on a temperature adjustable hotplate to 50C for faster and more durable plating due to the lower resistance solution and less hydrogen formation.

The 1,0V-1,2V setup will get thinner, but more much durable plating for small parts, while 3,3V will plate faster, but is not recommended to use on small parts like springs and connectors.

If you have any questions, just ask BTW.

I also have a copper chloride solution that works better, and a copper sulfate solution, but both are toxic.

Copper acetate is toxic, but not as much, and can be flushed down to the toilet with a full flush, or 2 flushes if needed to dilute it.

Wow
that is an awesome write up

I think there may be people that would want your services…
would you consider doing a Novatac?

This is a great thread. I was afraid it was about removing unwanted hair so I was a little hesitant to open it. Don’t usually want to see before and after pictures of that sort.

@jon_slider, not yet.

You’d first need to de-anodize the light, or start with a bare light, like the BLF A6.

You’d then need to nickel plate the light, since the copper solutions we have access to, even copper sulfate, can’t make a good coat directly on aluminium. But nickel can.

We could then copper plate the light with a copper sulfate/copper chloride solution for highest plating durability and thickness. Copper acetate will work, but isn’t optimal due to the higher than optimal pH of the solution.

HOWEVER, it is doable, and I’m waiting for some pure nickel, and a BLF A6 non-anodized to test it out, since I’ve bought hydrochloric acid today to make a copper chloride solution.

UPDATE

I’ve got some 30% hydrochloric acid on hand for some more advanced plating :slight_smile:

I’m also in the process of making sulfuric acid using epsom salts, and lead acid battery separators(bought on Alibaba).

@jon_slider, I also need some zincate to process the aluminium.

After that however, I just need to copper plate the part, and be done.

It’s going to be expensive starting it out if I only make 1 light.

Used to do a lot of electroplating at a previous shop, now we work with cadmium and Nitrided surfaces, some times beryllium copper coatings and even machining BeCu parts which means a tyvex suit and respirator. I see you advertise BeCu spring BlueSwordM so Im sure you are familier with the side effects from that nasty material. Been trying to get a de-anodized A6 to be Cadmium coated but no luck so far haha. Might be able to sneak it through on the Nitriding rack though one day.

Yeah. I will never sand a BeCu spring in my entire life unless I want to end up with lung cancer.

Have you tried a zincate solution? That’s the only thing blocking me from plating aluminium, since nitric acid is even more expensive, so I’m not going to touch it.

I’ve done copper acetate, and copper chloride. That last one is super easy to get a thick durable coating quickly at low power levels, but hard to get a thick coating(50um) over time since the cathode/part tends to get coated in a copper crystal rough formation.

Copper sulfate is the one I’m looking for, but since copper sulfate is super expensive here(30$ for 2lbs!), I’ve decided to get myself some sulfuric acid…

Until I found it was even harder to acquire clean sulfuric acid. Or stupid expensive shipping, especially for a small quantity.

I’m currently working on the process of making a galvanic cell with a fiberglass separator to make large quantities of concentrated 98% sulfuric acid. It’s going to be amazing, and cheap to make.

I might sell leftover fiberglass separators to see if there is any interest.

Subscribed.
This would be a nice weekend project to do.

Thanks @BlueSwordM for your detailed instruction.

Yeah, but
As soon as you start producing batches of copper plate RRT-01, with Nichia upgrades and trits.
And plated Sofirn C01s w trits
people will be throwing money at you :wink:

and beautiful women will want your body

Wait, wait.

Did you say Sofirn C01?

I would loooove a copper plated C01 myself.

Maybe I should try mine, but I would need a lot more supplies, as I have said before.

Interesting reading guys, keep us updated! Sadly we can’t get acid and things like that over her without a license - I was going to try some anodising myself!