Probably, there is no home craftsman who would never need to cover his own hand-made objects with a layer of zinc, chromium, copper or nickel. These coatings allow not only to give metal objects a beautiful appearance, but also make it possible to protect them from environmental influences, as well as to endow the product with properties that were not previously inherent to it.
The activity that allows you to apply a thin layer of metal on the surface of the product, which allows you to protect the latter from corrosion and give it decorative properties is called electroplating, and in simple speech, electroplating. Electroplating at home is a fairly common phenomenon in our country, because having equipment for electroplating at home or in the garage, everyone can independently carry out chrome plating, galvanizing, copper plating, nickel plating of any metal products.
Of course, home electroplating presupposes the availability of certain equipment, as well as knowledge in the electrochemical field - this cannot be done without electrolysis.
One of the main components that every electroplating at home should have is a galvanic bath. Below will be considered one of the methods of its manufacture. Everyone who decides that he needs electroplating at home has to deal with the problem of how to make a galvanic bath or adapt any capacity for it.
So, there is one inexpensive solution to this issue. Many companies selling chemicals use special polyethylene containers. Each such container is crated and mounted on pallets. It is this capacity that needs to be obtained for use as the basis of a galvanic bath.
After the container is delivered and installed, it is necessary to carefully cut off its upper part. The cut off part is still useful - the bath lid will be made of it. Three holes are made from the ends of the bathtub into which the anode rods will be installed. Of course, the holes should be on the same level.
The cover of the plating bath must be required. Later, it is screwed to the bath with a loop, for example, a piano. Rubber seals for car doors are perfect for the seal that must be provided between the lid and the bathroom - they are sold in any car shop and must be fitted around the entire perimeter of the bathtub rim. After installing the cover, it should fit snugly against the sides of the bathtub.
Thus, a bath with an opening lid is obtained, which in turn has a filler hole, which is recommended to be used to connect a ventilation sleeve.
In the previously made holes in the sides, copper rods are inserted. In their quality, you can use copper tubes of suitable diameter - 20mm. In the event that the tube does not have sufficient rigidity, a steel bar is inserted inside. The ends of the tubes must be flattened and then drilled in them to subsequently connect a rectifier to them.
In conclusion, we give for example the stages of one of the processes that can be carried out in the bath described above - galvanizing. These stages are presented:
- Degreasing the product in an organic solvent;
- Chemical degreasing in a solution of alkali;
- Washing the product in hot water ;
- Electrochemical degreasing in an alkaline solution;
- Flushing in hot water;
- Washing in cold water;
- Activation or etching;
- Directly galvanized;
- Lightening a weak solution of nitric acid (optional);
- Passivation;
- Washing in cold water;
- Rinsing in warm water, at a temperature of about 40 ° C, but no more;
- Drying the finished product.
We hope that your electroplating at home will open up new opportunities for you!