COPY/CAD FAQ

1.  Why is my bath cloudy ?
   
2. Why are my parts coming out dull ?
   
3. What type of filter should I use ?
   
4. My parts come out shiney but have a white film/haze on them
   
5. What should my PH be and how do I adjust it ?
   
6. Where should I set my Voltage ?
   
7. Do I need to heat my Zinc bath ?
   
8. Why didn’t I receive Anode Bandages ?
   
9. Do I have to use Distilled water ?
   
10. Why are my parts coming out with black spots or streaks ?
    
11. Why cant I use break Cleaner to clean my parts ?
    
12. What is the sediment at the bottom of my tank ?
    
13. Where are the instruction in the manual for copy/cad
    
14. Can I use my copy/cad to plate other metals without buying another kit ?
    
15. How big of a part will my kit plate ?
    
16. My plating looks great but my Chromate will not stick
    
17. My Chromate flakes off
    
18. My Chromate rubs off easily
    
19. Do I need to plate a carburetor body before Chromating ?
    
20. My solution is foaming, what happened ?
    
21. How often should I add Brightener
    
22. When do I replace my Anodes ?
    
23. Why do I need to use both Anodes
    
24. Why aren’t my parts clean after bead blasting ?
    
25. How long does my bath last ?
    
26. Can I use your brightener with my homemade vinegar plating kit?
    

1. The bath is cloudy from the start, however with use it will begin to clear up and over time will appear to be almost clear as water
   
2.  There could be many reasons for dull parts, such as low Brightener, PH out of spec, Amperage could be to high or low, Parts could have prior Zinc plating on them, The list goes on, give us a call and we can usually figure it out in a few minutes
   
3. We DO NOT recommend filtering with anything other than a coffee filter, this is just to remove sediment and particulate matter
   
4. This white film or haze is almost always due to adding to much brightener, if this occurs, plate a few larger scrap parts to help deplete the excess brightener, if you can not do this, then run the solution through filtered charcoal, DO NOT USE JUST CHARCOAL, this will turn the solution black and ruin it
   
5. Ph should be 5.5-6.0 PH should be monitored periodically to maintain a healthy bath as PH will increase organically with use. Adjusting procedure can be found on page 99 of your manual, second to last paragraph.
   
6. Voltage should be set at 1 volt per amp used, with a minimum of 1 volt
   
7. As long as you can keep your Bath solution between 70F and 110F you do not need to heat your bath, if you can not keep within that temp range you will need to heat the solution.
   
8. Zinc Anodes do not require the use of sleeves, if you use them you will get poor plating results. Yes other Plating kits need them, Zinc does not
   
9. YES YES YES from the very start until the very end.
   
10. There could be a couple reasons for this. The most common reason is poor De Greasing, this is usually spotted by Black or goldish color around holes, or corners of the parts. Black Streaks are most commonly found when you have higher than needed Amperage, or Amperage is correct but the voltage is to low, EXAMPLE: 4 amps but 1.5 volts, this can create black streaks, 4 amps should have at least 4 volts showing.
    
11. Break Cleaner leaves a film, and most industrial based De Greasers also leave some type of film and are very harsh. If you are not using our plating grade De Greaser then you will need to use Dawn Dish soap.
    
12. This is an anti caking agent used in the dry contents of the part B, it does not cause any harm, however if you would like to see it gone, simple run the solution through a coffee filter to strain it out.
    
13. Page 94 is where Copy/Cad instructions can be found
    
14. No, you would need an entirely different solution and Anodes to plate different metals.
    
15. The bath requires .14 amps per square inch, if your parts fit comfortably in the bath and you have enough power it will plate.
    
16. Make sure you plated continuously for 30 minutes uninterrupted. Use Sulfuric acid as an etch then rinse for Yellow Chromate only, all other colors use Muriatic.
    
17.  Once Chromate has been performed, rinse in cold water, Then rinse again in hot water, this will start the curing process and prevent flaking.
    
18. Refer to answer 17
    
19. Not normally, Carb bodies, can be Vapor or Soda blasted, De Greased, Rinsed, Sulfiric Acid dip for 2-3 seconds, Rinsed, then Chromated.
    
20. Foaming solution is a definitive sign of De Greaser being pulled from the part into the solution, use a better rinsing technique to eliminate this issue.
    
21.  Typically every 6-8 hundred square inches of parts plated, this can vary depending on how long you plate for.
    
22. Replace your anodes before they begin to get thin enough that they may start to crumble.
    
23. Plating is to be thought of as seeing a mirror image, using one Anode per side give a broad area for the part to see itself from all angles.
    
24. Blasting parts does NOT clean them, they still need to be De Greased properly
    
25. Your bath should last for many many years with the proper up keep and clean parts.
    
26. No. Our zinc brightener is formulated to work with our specific plating bath. Your vinegar bath will only plate a micro layer of zinc onto some metals and will provide no protection to the base metal, other than a brief period of looking shiny.