Copper electroplating end of aluminum pill

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
41

Thanks for the pics lefteye.

What exactly are we looking at here? You discuss a couple of things in the post, so I’m not certain what is pictured.

42

It's an aluminum pill nickel and copper plated in an electrolyte bath as described in earlier posts. Hmm, I should reorganize that post since it makes it read like the pictures are of a penny.

43

:slight_smile: Gotcha now. I figured that might be the result of the normal plating process or the wipe technique.

Unfortunately I still don’t have anything to add except support. Keep at it, we like what you are doing!

44

if nickel plating works for being soldered to,
why not just nickel plate the aluminum
and forget about the copper.?

45

Lefteye mentioned that soldering to nickel does not work in post #14.

46

The result in post 14 may have been due to a poor plate. I'll try again. Sticking with nickel plating is acceptable for the pill if it solders well. Unlike aluminum or copper, it has the advantage of not oxidizing. I still want to figure out how to get complete copper plating so that I can plate exterior parts for purely aesthetic purposes.

47

One way or another.
Soldering to the pill is a worthy goal.
Y’all keep up the good work.

Edit
Would brass plate be easier, or require fewer steps ?

48

I read something about how brass plating won't work because it's an alloy, but if one wanted brass, it might be possible to plate both metals individually, and then turn them into brass with a blow torch.

Edit: That may be wrong. This says brass can be electroplated.

49

I don’t know whether Nickel can be soldered to. It seems that there must be some good reason that in PCB manufacturing ENIG is used instead of just “electrodeless nickel” by itself.

50

FYI, I got some of this awhile ago, but wasn’t able to use it to solder to aluminum pills (yet).

51

It'll be way too expensive if it doesn't work, but acceptable due to the convenience if it works. Please post your results either way.

52

I found a thread started by dsche in CPF about copper plating: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?361384-One-easy-way-to-copper-plating-aluminum

Looks easy enough.

53

A potential alternative :slight_smile:

54

Nice find. That dsche is a pretty resourceful person!

55

So, guys, as part of a personal project, I’ve gotten interested in electroplating.

I’ve tried a nickel acetate solution using nickel strips, and then tried to plate some copper, which worked well.

However, when trying the same methodology with trying to produce copper acetate, there is some metallic copper forming over the cathode side, which infects the solution and produces corroded metallic copper plating, which has abysmal retention and electrical conductivity.

So, what are ways to prevent this phenomenon from occurring?

I’ve found:

1. Reducing current.
2. Getting more material/more surface area.
3. Upping the distance between electrodes.

Are there any other things I could do?

Also, has anybody tried plating phosphor bronze?

56

I saw on youtube a guy doing electroplating on thruholes to make via’s on PCB’s…he used ink with graphite in it to conduct electricity (then dry)…then put into the electroplating solution, the via’s would have a good solution of copper in them

Thought this might help

57

Yeah, I’ve also reduced the current in the solution.

I’ve also discovered that my solution is rapidly getting saturated at low ambient temps, producing deposits of insoluble and unusable Cu2+.

No more Cu3+ production, and electroplating worked well actually.

58

So, I’ve now found to how to copper plate about anything… except for aluminium and stainless steel.

I need flash copper, a mild alkaline solution of copper, and some zincate.