Electroplating

To: "'Tesla List'" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Subject: Electroplating
From: Tesla List <tesla-at-stic-dot-net>
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1998 01:41:13 -0500
Approved: tesla-at-stic-dot-net

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From:  RODERICK MAXWELL [SMTP:tank-at-magnolia-dot-net]
Sent:  Monday, August 24, 1998 8:07 AM
To:  Tesla List
Subject:  Re: Electroplating

Tesla List wrote:
> 
> ----------
> From:  Ralph [SMTP:rjdown-at-fan-dot-net.au]
> Sent:  Sunday, August 23, 1998 8:28 AM
> To:  Tesla List
> Subject:  Re: Electroplating
> 
> Sorry to come in late on this thread.
> I made a copper plated toroid quite some time ago.  Its not as hard as
> some other writers suggest!
> My toroid blank was an old life-buoy obtained from a junk shop and
> filled & cleaned up with car body filler.  I then sprayed it with a
> graphite compound called Aquadag (some older TVs used to have the
> cabinet sprayed with this on the inside for shielding.  Two aluminium
> foil pie dishes were fitted bottom to bottom to sandwich the toroid.
> Body filler was again used to fill any gaps or blemishes and a second
> coat of Aquadag applied.  A wire was attached to the centre of the pie
> dishes with a brass nut and bolt.  I used copper sulphate disolved in
> water and I found that a small fish tank heater with the thermostat
> shorted helped the process by warming the solution.
> This whole thing was placed edgewise in a suitable sized fish tank.  I
> had to use a couple of wire coat hangers to force the assembly below the
> level of the solution (life buoys tend to float!).  A large piece of
> copper pipe was used as the other electrode and  a car battery used for
> power.  It was a while ago - can't remember which polarity.
> It didn't take long before the graphite coating was covered with a
> pinkish brown material (copper I hope!).  In my excitement, I stopped
> the process to see what the coating was like, and was at first
> diappointed because it rubbed off easily.  Anyway, I decided to leave it
> overnight and check again next morning.  This time the coating was a lot
> better, but I needed to rotate the assembly and have about 4 more
> sessions before it was covered evenly.   When I removed the finished
> assembly I dried it carefully and used a metal polish called Brasso to
> bring it to a reasonable sheen.  (It didn't come up like polished copper
> - I think because the coating is slightly powdery to look at!  Maybe
> different grades of cutting compound would do the trick).
> I didn't bother sealing it with varnish because it didn't look shiny
> enough - so I just left it.  It looks a bit like an old toilet cistern
> now, very tarnished, but it could be plated with another metal to make
> it "chrome-like".  I recall seeing some stuff from a local electronics
> supplier (Dick Smith) for tinning copper clad circuit board. A bag of
> white crystals which when disolved in water, will coat bare copper with
> a tin (or tin-like) metal layer. - no electroplating - .  It could then
> be brought to a high polish.
> I only used the toroid briefly - it was the wrong size!  I now have a
> selection of plastic spheres (light fittings) with aluminium foil
> triangles stuck all over the outside surface. (triangles are easier to
> form around a sphere) ranging in size from 5" to 20".  I am currently
> using a 12" sphere on my 10" x 24" coil.
> 
> Regards
> Ralph Down


  Thank you for your reply. I found yesterday some resourses for plating
supplies, and techniques. I apprecitate your efforts, and all of the
other listmembers help with this project.



                                Frankensteins Helper
                                       Max