General Plating Questions
What If I Get Stuck Or Can't Get Something To Work?
Help is just a phone call away. We've been helping people get set-up, get results, and win shows since day one. We can usually diagnose the problem the first time you call. To help us help you, keep detailed notes as you plate....temperatures, amps, ...
I Think I Want To Buy A Kit, But I'm not sure whether I'll Be Able To Figure Out How To Use It?
We suggest a small investment of $30 in our Caswell Plating Manual. Reading through this book will show you how easy it is. If you buy a kit after buying the manual, we'll refund the $22. We also offer free web based and phone based technical support ...
How do I plate onto plastic?
To plate plastic items you will need the following parts that we sell. 1. Copper Conductive Paint - http://www.caswellplating.com/copper-conductive-paint-4oz.html 2. Tinning Solution - ...
How do I plate porous non-conductive items such as leather (baby shoes), flowers, butterflies etc?
To plate porous non-conductive items such as leather (baby shoes), flowers, butterflies etc. you will need the following parts that we sell. 1. Caswell Sealer Concentrate (to make the parts non-porous) 2. Copper Conductive Paint (to make the parts ...
I've Already Got Tanks & Heaters & Stuff, Can You Give Me A Deal?
Sure! Just realize that all the parts in the kit have been tested for use with plating. Using your own parts could lead to problems, and will certainly make it harder for us to help you troubleshoot. Please call us to discuss your situation.
What Kit Would Be Best For Me?
You can use our Pick-A-Kit Helper to help you determine which kit would work best for your application. Click the big silver button near the top of the home page.
What Size Items Can I Plate?
Well, you can technically plate anything, but we recommend sticking to parts that are manageable. Don't bother with car bumpers or rims. They require huge tanks, huge amounts of power, and way too much time. Leave items that large to the plating ...
What If My Parts Don't Fit In The Tank?
Our manual describes several ways to get around this. One trick is to use a plastic window box, or a downspout cut in half, to plate long, thin objects. Any sturdy plastic container will usually suffice.
How Long Will My Plate Last?
That depends on how long you plate your part for. The longer you plate it, the longer the plate will last. All our plating kits use the same chemicals and processes as the plating shops that plated your parts originally. You can expect the same or ...
What's The Hardest Part Of Plating?
By far, the surface preparation. The real trick to a great looking finished product is getting the part to look great before you plate it. It's actually quite easy. Using our buffing wheels and compounds, and following the instructions in the manual, ...
Can I use your kits to plate Pot Metal or Zinc Die Cast?
Yes. You must pre-plate the parts with Flash Copper prior to plating with any other kit.
Can I Use Your Kits To Plate Lead?
Yes. You must dip in Pickle #4, then pre-plate the parts with Flash Copper prior to plating with any other kit.
Can I Use Your Kits To Plate Aluminum?
Yes! Using our Zincate Concentrate, the parts are pre-treated and can then be plated in our plating kits. For best results, plate Zincated items in Flash Copper first.
Can I Store The Kit Without The Solution Going Bad?
Yes. You can put the kit aside for as long as you like. Just remove the anodes and securely attach the locking lid. We recommend transferring the chrome solution into a glass container. The acid very slowly dissolves the plastic tank. After a long ...
What is a Rectifier?
Power supplies come in all sizes and types. This will help you determine which are suitable for electroplating and anodizing and which are not. Power Supplies or Rectifiers The term rectifier was used to describe power supplies in the 19th.Century. ...
Do I Need To Spend A Fortune On A Rectifier?
No! You can use a 12V or 6V battery and car or motorbike light bulbs in the circuit to control the current. Our manual demonstrates how to do this, along with a few other low cost power control ideas. Rectifiers are useful tools if you can afford ...
How do you remove nickel plate?
The safest way to remove Nickel Plate is to use our B series strippers. You can also reverse plate using a stainless steel cathode in a battery acid solution, but it's smelly, dangerous and can damage the base metal.
How do you remove old chrome plate?
By using a weak solution of muriatic acid and a lead sheet, you can reverse plate the chrome off. Because chrome plate is a very thin layer, the chrome is stripped very quickly. You can also buff the chrome off with an abrasive compound, such ...
Can you mask off certain areas of a part to prevent plating or anodizing of that area?
Yes you can. You can use any lacquer as a masking agent. You can also use our Mask-It solution, which will not dissolve in the acid solution.
I don't understand how electroplating works? Is there a tutorial?
Caswell Inc. caters to people who have never electroplated anything before. Our manual is written for the beginner. We have also created a tutorial Flash presentation that attempts to explain the basics.
How Do I Know What Metal My Part is Made From
It's important to know what metal your part is made from before you try to plate, strip, anodize or polish your part. To determine the base metal, you'll need to run some basic tests. See this page: ...
What Size Kit Do I Need?
Q: What size kit do I need? A: The plating tank needs to be large enough to fit your parts, with a few inches space around the part to spare. You also need enough plating solution to immerse the part totally. Here's an example of how to work this ...
Disposal Of Chemicals
Q: If I purchase a small kit to plate some small parts as a hobby, how do I dispose of the expended fluids from plating? Are they considered hazardous materials? A: There should be NO expended fluids from your plating operation if you operate the kit ...