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Copper plating

1K views 10 replies 5 participants last post by  Todd W 
#1 ·
I can't find copper plating through search but I know that it has been covered, does anyone have the link to any of the previous posts about how it is done?

Thanks
 
#2 ·
I googled copper plating and got a ton of sites. Heres one with a kit for it.

http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/copper.htm

Its basicly electroplating. You place the item you want to plate in a copper solution and connect it to a dc power source, ie battery. The other end goes to a plate that is also immersed in the solution. The current flow deposits copper on your item. Its been a along time since I tried it so I can not remember the polarity for both sides. Not to difficult to do if you get the materials needed. The biggest thing that I ran into was comming up with a nonreactive container for what we were trying to plate and not need a huge quanity of solution.
 
#3 ·
I found the same stuff but I remember someone talking about copper electroplating a welding table. My table is 7X3 with a 1" thick top so it isn't so submersible, I looked around on google but couldn't really find anything that didn't submerge the whole item. I guess that I am looking for more of a "connect the current and apply the solution (which one I don't know) to the top with a soaked rag type of deal" but don't know if that will work. I would just try it but don't want to spend a crap load of money to have a plated surface that didn't actually bond to the top.
 
#4 ·
Adhesion is going to be a function of what the base metal and the surface cleanliness most times and not all base metals will "take" copper with out an electroless nickel strike layer (or other) before the copper deposit.

Further, iffen the surface finish is funky going in dont necessarily plan on getting a super smooth surface after plating. The plating is pretty much conformal to the starting surface condition. Also dont even bother trying to plate through holes smaller than around 1 mm. Theres a few gyrations one goes through to yield that notably an electroless Nickel strike to begin with.

Yep I do this type of thing for a living... ;)

D.
 
#5 · (Edited)
I am not so concerned about the smoothness of it although I will clean it up prior to. I am looking for more of a good ground, rust resistant, slag resistant for my welding table. Here is what I am working with, it is 3' by 7' (the rollers will be removed). What solution would you use and can a 'dab' method work?



 
#6 ·
I am not so concerned about the smoothness of it although I will clean it up prior to. I am looking for more of a good ground, rust resistant, slag resistant for my welding table. Here is what I am working with, it is 3' by 7' (the rollers will be removed). What solution would you use and can a 'dab' method work?
Truth be told yer not going to get much of an electrical advantage plating, itll only help with the slag removal. Copper plating using electroplating is only .001-.005" thick max. and the dabable stuff is 1/10 that. Then theres the blue plague to contend with (CuSO4) thats not exactly conductive that forms over time (classical blue green patina on copper roofs).

Now iffen one were concerned about rust-corrosion one could make a ring out of wax and do a simple electroless nickel. That would be sorta like having a stainless top without the associated price. The hassle is thats not all that thick nor is it slag resistant.

Iffen yer bound and determined to have a copper surface go with some 1/16 or 1/8" copper sheet under the areas being welded.

D.
 
#9 ·
Make the table your container. Weld or glue strips to the sides and caulk to make it watertight. fill with the solution and suspend the other extectrode in the liquid. I would guess you would need at least 1" coverage, the deeper the better. I agree that conductivity wouldn't change much but it would probably keep down spatter. You will nolonger be able to tack to the surface once you do this however. I would find this a bigger disadvantage than the spatter.
 
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