Zinc plating

[James England]

I don't know if anyone's ever discussed this before...... I've been replacing parts on my bike to improve the appearance.... you know, all those nuts and bolts etc. I've replaced with stainless to a great degree but there are still parts that were originally BZP . I'm going to have a go at zinc-plating some parts at home, using a small plating kit which runs off a car battery or battery charger. From what I've seen and read, it's a lot less difficult than it sounds.

I bought a kit here for £50. No doubt that's a lot more than they cost in the US (like everything else here..eg 'gas' costs $8 a gallon here...).

Has anyone ever tried this before? I'll post results if anyone is interested. I'm going to start with my choke lever and bracket and a few small bits first....... I'll take before and afters.... even if the afters are a disaster!

[natemoen]

I would like to see the results (no matter how they turn out )

[James England]

I would like to see the results (no matter how they turn out )

Good. I'll take before pix of the parts and then afters...no Photoshop tweaking or being misleading if it's a failure.

I'm thinking of choke lever and bracket, choke linkage rod and the four little clamps that go on it + the washers etc. Also, I'm going to try an engine mounting bolt that I couldn;t replace with stainless. If I get a good result, I may even try the carb lids... apparently the kit does copper, aluminium and steel. 10 micron thickness in 20 mins, The kit does 28,000 square centimetres before the zinc anodes need to be renewed... that's a lotta bolts

[crazy steve]

These kits are available here too, and for about the same price (ok, maybe a little cheaper here ). They work well if done correctly, just don't expect a 'chrome' finish. Main issue is surface prep; you must get the plated item free of all rust and buff out as many defects as possible. The plating (as it comes out of the bath) is dull, and needs to be buffed or run through a vibratory tumbler.

I don't have one, but have seen this done. These work great for restoring carb parts; for bolts, it's cheaper/easier to just buy new ones if you can....

[fredintoon]

- - - - - I'm going to have a go at zinc-plating some parts at home, using a small plating kit which runs off a car battery or battery charger. - - - -

Hi James,
the chemicals involved are not good for your health so take industrial grade precautions around them.
And don't set up your plating shop in the house, either.
That could lead to a lessening of your domestic tranquility.

[James England]

Hi James,
the chemicals involved are not good for your health so take industrial grade precautions around them.
And don't set up your plating shop in the house, either.
That could lead to a lessening of your domestic tranquility.

Thanks for that. The kit comes with a mask and overalls but I'll take care when using it. I've bought a de-rusting chemical called Expro32.... it removes rust and surface contamination and prepares items for plating. Most of the things I'd like to do are rough surfaced anyway...eg the mounting plate that holds the fusebox and flasher unit and other little brackets on the bike. I'll most probably warm up the electrolyte to the correct temperature and do it outside. Re domestic upheaval...mmm.... the only other resident that could object is the cat!

[James England]

Main issue is surface prep; you must get the plated item free of all rust and buff out as many defects as possible. The plating (as it comes out of the bath) is dull, and needs to be buffed or run through a vibratory tumbler.

I don't have one, but have seen this done. These work great for restoring carb parts; for bolts, it's cheaper/easier to just buy new ones if you can....

Yes, like chrome plating, zinc will just follow surface imperfections I guess. I watched a clip where they used Solvol Autosol chrome cleaner to shine the parts up. The kit I've bought contains a brightener to be used after plating, so I'm not sure if that removes the need to buff. The only bolt I need to do (and even then only the head of it) is the big engine mounting bolt... bottom rear of the engine. Just about all of the other bolts and nuts etc on my bike are stainless steel now.

[crazy steve]

James, one thing to watch for is the fact that plating (any plating) done in solution doesn't go into holes, recesses, corners, etc particularly well. It will go to the first surface it 'sees', so pay attention during the plating process as you may want to move the electrode around to insure that you get an even coating. There's ways of 'fixturing' to help with this, but it will probably be more trouble than it's worth for this.

I know the kits sold here have a brush 'system' that lets you 'paint' the plating on (recommended for larger items that won't fit in your container) that can eliminate this problem, so if your kit has this option it may be worth taking a look at it. A bit slow, but seems to work well.

[Electronhammer]

Zinc plating

I am curious too. Hope it turns out well. Good luck James. I can't wait to see the pics.

[petejw]

+1
im keen to see how it turns,
good luck with it.

[DELL82]

Electroless Nickle Plating

I would like to see the pictures as well.
In plating I have been electroless nickle plating which goes into and around all parts. Requires aggressive cleaning and accurate temperature (195 Degrees F) temperature control.
I have plated Master cylinder cover nuts, studs, backup plate and mounting bolts that come out looking like chrome.
I would like to plate the two acorn nuts on either side of the #1 and #4 spark plugs but not sure if I can take them off, plate and install again without damaging the head gasket. I could mark where the nuts are now and tighten back to the same position if that would work.
What do you all think?
Will technique work?
I can torque to spec and see if they come back to the same point?
Any input will be greatly appreciated.

[fredintoon]

- - - - Re domestic upheaval...mmm.... the only other resident that could object is the cat!

Hi James,
I was swapping tales with someone at a bike rally. He capped my story about my mum going up in a sheet of flame because I stove-enameled some bike parts in her new oven with how he electroplated some parts in his mum's bathtub and the enamel spalled off the tub during the plating process.
Did she get mad at you?
No, she got mad at my dad, it was his idea.

[James England]

Zinc Plating RESULTS!

+1
im keen to see how it turns,
good luck with it.

Hi Folks. I received the zinc plating kit today and had it all up and running in less than an hour. I've been busily plating most of the afternoon!

First of all... it's really easy to set up and dead easy to use. My kit came with a PDF instruction manual on CD. The results are amazing. I am very, very pleased with how this inexpensive and easy setup works. Many of the items come out looking like chrome plating. It is NOT necessary to polish or buff the metal after plating with the kit I bought. A brightener is added to the electrolyte and it's only necessary to rinse things under the tap (sorry...faucet).

First of all I did the fuse board mounting assembly. I dunked it in warm solution called Expro32. It gets rid of rust. Then I rinsed it with standard thinners to get any grease off. Then plonked it in the tank. Emboldened by the success of this first piece, I then went on to do spring clips, nuts, bolts, split pins, carb choke assembly, brackets... you name it.

Here are some pix..........

before



after



before



after














All done with this:





My verdict on this is that it's brilliant. I'm really kicking myself for having bought replacement parts because the zinc plating on the original had worn away or discoloured on the originals. I spent about $5 each on banjo bolts for the brake calipers, for example I could have done them all with this.

[crazy steve]

That's pretty impressive, and seems to work easier than the kits I've seen. Do you have a link to the seller? No, I'm not going buy one from 'across the pond', but it would give a nice idea of what to look for...

[James England]

Yellow finish

By the way, the kit comes with two 'passivators'. It's a way of colouring the zinc plating to look various shades of yellow-gold or blue. It makes the zinc last longer.

I just did the worn looking ends of my brake hoses. I seem to remember they were yellow-gold when the bike was made.....




Here's a link to the seller on eBay

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250719995055&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT