Author Topic: Electroplaters  (Read 7114 times)

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Offline Tony.Brown

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Electroplaters
« on: October 06, 2020, 06:42:51 pm »
Evening all, I'm looking to have the bolts, nuts, axles and other small parts of my 1977 Husky 360 auto zinc plated, I'm just south of Canberra and looking for recommendations and what I should expect to pay, anyone have any recent experience?
Tony.

Offline bazza

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Re: Electroplaters
« Reply #1 on: October 07, 2020, 07:41:11 am »
Most places give you price on the spot, take in as a bundle lot, it is not expensive
Once you go black  you will never go back - allblacks
Maico - B44 -1976 CR250- 66 Mustang YZF450,RM250
Embrace patina

Offline Tony.Brown

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Re: Electroplaters
« Reply #2 on: October 07, 2020, 08:09:13 am »
I did that with the only (it seems) electroplater in the region, he took a glance and said $220, needless to say he's not doing them.

Offline rocketfrog

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Re: Electroplaters
« Reply #3 on: October 07, 2020, 08:56:33 am »
So phone around and ask for prices. Usually electroplaters with a barrel line can do it cheaper because there is less labour involved with wiring up each individual part. The difference in pricing can be hundreds depending on what your doing. By the time some one wires up 72 spokes and has the rest of a bike to go- well they are going to charge for the time. Alternatively give it a try yourself. Janes sell a kit that will have you plating your own parts whenever you like at very little ongoing cost. It is time consuming but satisfying. The kit would be less than $220 delivered and is an Australian business. In the 80's I could get every nut and bolt on a full sized Aussie car plated for $60 - but those days are gone and prices have risen. You would expect to pay between $80 and & $120 for an ice cream container of bike parts in todays money. Sending the parts to Sydney might be cheaper if you want to do a one off job? There are lots of Plating shops with barrel line set ups in Syd and Melb. 
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Offline Tony.Brown

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Re: Electroplaters
« Reply #4 on: October 07, 2020, 09:28:23 am »
Thanks rocketfrog, what I am looking for is recommendations, price isn't everything. I'd rather pay $100 for an excellent jod than $50 for an ordinary job.

Offline rocketfrog

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Re: Electroplaters
« Reply #5 on: October 07, 2020, 02:31:07 pm »
You will get the best finish if you do the prep. This is the key to a quality finish.

First remove all the paint and rust using paint stripper and a wire brush, then carefully de-burr fasteners as necessary (sometimes you will find a raised metal from tool slippage etc). I use a wire wheel on my bench grinder and an assortment of small wire brushes and tube brushes attached to the drill to get inside of bores such as nuts and spacers.  A mild solution of Hydrochloric acid will remove rust and old plating, Citric acid will work as well. Be careful with high strength steels such as axles and pivot shafts, sometimes prolonged immersion will cause embrittlement so if in doubt leave these parts aside (most chassis and engine hardware and brackets, chain pullers and dust covers etc, will be fine).

Experiment with dwell time for zinc removal, it only takes a few minutes and you will see the fizzing occur soon after you place the parts in your acid. Rinse the parts thoroughly in fresh water, it does not matter if surface rust appears after the wash, the plater will process the parts before plating to prepare them. In fact some platers prefer a uniform film of oxidation. Over cautious "helpful" customers will coat the parts will any number of oily, waxy or silicone preservatives that the platers pre-treatment might not remove adequately.

At the very least, make sure you strip all the paint and clean the parts up as best you can. This will ensure the parts plate well.
« Last Edit: October 07, 2020, 02:44:05 pm by rocketfrog »
Political correctness is a doctrine,fostered by journalists and politicians, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."

Offline Tony.Brown

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Re: Electroplaters
« Reply #6 on: October 07, 2020, 05:04:28 pm »
That's great advice, I've got them acid cleaned apart from axles, quick acid bath and time on the wire wheel, I should de-burr them all though, didn't think of that!

Offline Digga

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Re: Electroplaters
« Reply #7 on: October 08, 2020, 01:34:35 pm »
If you have high strength/high tensile fasteners then let them know & they will need to bake them out to diffuse any hydrogen embrittlement from the pickling & the plating processes. They should know the time & temp necessary, I forget what it is but its hours at very high temp (in the hundreds of degrees C, maybe 300C for 6 hours or similar). If they dont know then they should be able to find out via their chemical supplier or even google. If they dont do this there is a good chance that some things will snap like frozen carrots if under load.
1977 Yamaha YZ250D, 1977 Yamaha YZ400D, 1980 Yamaha YZ125G

Offline Tony.Brown

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Re: Electroplaters
« Reply #8 on: October 08, 2020, 01:46:10 pm »
Thanks Digga, all good points which are important, and the very reason why recommendations are so important.
Real world experience can tell us more than any phone book or text book.
I think for the sake of safety, I'll leave the axles and swingarm bolt out of the equation which eliminates any concern about embrittlement issues.


Offline rocketfrog

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Re: Electroplaters
« Reply #9 on: October 12, 2020, 09:38:12 am »
Depending on the hardness the baking process to stress relieve varies.

For example I tested Yamaha axle and pivot shaft at 40 (HRC) Rockwell C which means that the bake time should be @ 190-220 degrees C for >14 Hours post plating.
Political correctness is a doctrine,fostered by journalists and politicians, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."

Offline piney

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Re: Electroplaters
« Reply #10 on: October 14, 2020, 08:01:48 pm »
Hi, try Xtreme 0439 066662 in Campbelltown (Nigel) real nice guy did a container of parts for me, awesome job. & into VMX