Re: copper plating - Electrode Tips

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Nick Andrews by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <nicothefabulous-at-hotmail-dot-com>

Mike, List,

Some of the "drain opening" chemicals are substantially a strong sulfuric 
acid solution.  I don't know for sure about the other ingredients, I'll try 
to look tonight.  I have some that is in quart bottles in plastic bags.  The 
stuff is so strong that the paper tags on the bottles are burned brown 
inside the plastic bags!  I bought a case from Home Base at 75%off...

Nick A


>From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
>To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Subject: copper plating - Electrode Tips
>Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 22:06:01 -0600
>
>Original poster: "Terry Fritz" <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>
>
>Hi Mike,
>
>For copper plating tungsten, for easy soldering....
>
>I found "ZEP Commercial Root Kill" at Home Depot.  It is used to keep roots
>out of sewer lines.  99.0% Copper Sulfate Pentahydrate and 1% "other".  I
>assume that is "the right stuff"...  I could not find anything specific
>that was sulfuric acid...  Mostly caustic lye type compounds...
>
>I dissolved "some" in water and added a section of 1/4 inch copper tube
>(anode (+)) and a tungsten rod (cathode (-)).  Didn't work well at all.
>Just formed soft black spongy stuff (really cool though).  More current
>more mess...
>
>I then found some Phosphoric Acid used as the common "PH Down" for
>adjusting the PH of aquarium water.  With a very liberal squirt of the
>acid, the reaction changed completely to an obviously much better state.
>So the acid part seems very important.  I tried a lot of current with a
>little bubbling and the soft layer of copper wipes off.  I am trying a much
>lower current now...  I can probably get sulfuric acid from the pharmacy.
>One of the local pharmacists looks like he personally tests everything
>before he sells it... he probably has the right attitude about ordering
>"anything" I need :-))
>
>A guy at work did a beautiful perfect shiny copper plating job a few months
>back on his desk.  He was explaining it all to me but one of the main
>ingredients of the plating bath was human urine...  and then I didn't want
>to know anymore :-p  I'll go ask him more now that I know the true value of
>such information...
>
>I just checked the 1/2 inch long bit of 1/8 inch rod in the solution at
>10mA.  A "little" better but still rubs off...  I think the solution
>contents are probably a bit critical...  Needs more research on how one can
>make the bath with readily available chemicals.  I do have a nice gram
>scale...  Seems to need better chemicals....
>
>Chemystery was never my strong subject, but doing me best :-))
>
>I also got some stuff to try some silver brazing and all that.  Wow!, you
>think I am bad at chemystery!!  I solder extremely well.  But welding...  I
>can incinerate just about anything with a MIG welder and my fancy MAPP gas
>torch has a "ludicrous" heat setting...  So I am all ready to go!!! :-D
>The guys at the welding shop have now learned to try and keep the crazy
>long haired guy in the suit on the premises while I am asking for a few
>boxes of acetylene and a few bags of liquid oxygen cause "I want to heat
>something up really bad"...  While the guy in back frantically calls the
>BATF ;-)))  Fortunately the day job gets a ton of $$$$ stuff from there so
>they are super nice no mater what...  They usually give me fun dewars of
>LN2 nice and cheap just to get rid of me...  When needed, asking for an
>MSDS sheet for leather welding gloves always works :-)))
>
>I have some pals that can do this stuff for me, but having too much fun
>myself :-)))
>
>Cheers,
>
>	Terry
>
>
>
> >At 06:46 PM 8/12/2001 -0400, you wrote:
> >  Yes, copper sulfate is a commonly used algicide.   Although all the
> >plating baths I have ever used contained sulfuric acid, I don't know that 
>it
> >is really necessary.  I think it merely adds to the conductivity of the
> >solution and increases the efficiency.  That probably doesn't really 
>matter
> >if one is just plating a small piece or two.
> >  Actually,  if you want to take the time to do it, you can make a 
>saturated
> >solution of copper sulfate and use a lead anode(+ electrode for anyone
> >unfamiliar with the term).  You will deposit copper metal on the cathode,
> >release oxygen bubbles from the lead anode and generate sulfuric acid.  
>The
> >hydrogen ions (from splitting water molecules) replace the copper ions in 
>the
> >solution.  Once you have generated a bit of sulfuric acid, you can 
>replace
> >the lead anode with a hunk of copper to continue plating forever with 
>that
> >solution.  You might want to add a bit more copper sulfate crystals if 
>the
> >concentration get very low from the acid generation.
> >Mike
> >
> >
>
>


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