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Anyone been doing their own zinc plating

Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2013 4:51 pm
by mentalist
Just wondering if anyone on here has done or had any success with zinc plating.
I'm going to buy the material's and chemicals required and have a go, also aluminium anodizing.
Got a few things i'd like to restore.

Re: Anyone been doing their own zinc plating

Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2013 5:44 pm
by V4beermonster
Don't bother, lot of hassle when you can get a bucket full done properly for £15

Re: Anyone been doing their own zinc plating

Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2013 5:54 pm
by mentalist
I know what your saying, but I like doing my own stuff, also need the olive green passivation doing on some original rare bike parts that i wouldn't like to go missing.
Looks easy enough to do. I do my my own rust removal using electrolysis with sacrificial anodes, just thought i'd move onto plating.

Re: Anyone been doing their own zinc plating

Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2013 7:40 pm
by V4beermonster
It's lots of hassle and chemicals in or close to home and you will not get the finish that the professional get. Kit is at least £60 if parts are bad get them due rusted then zinced

Re: Anyone been doing their own zinc plating

Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2013 3:15 am
by mentalist
V4beermonster wrote:It's lots of hassle and chemicals in or close to home and you will not get the finish that the professional get. Kit is at least £60 if parts are bad get them due rusted then zinced
Are you talking from experience?? have you done your own before with bad results??

From what i can gather, with a little practice and patience excellent results can be achieved.

Re: Anyone been doing their own zinc plating

Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2013 9:52 am
by The Novice
there was a 'how to' on doing this in practical sportsbike some time ago - didnt look hard - there was also thread on it on here aswell a few months ago and i am fairly sure someone was doing it themself and achieving good results.

Edit - here you go, didnt look very hard did you, lol! Let us know if you have a go yourself.

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=39785&p=290187&hil ... ng#p290187

Re: Anyone been doing their own zinc plating

Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2013 10:35 am
by Neosophist
mentalist wrote:
V4beermonster wrote:It's lots of hassle and chemicals in or close to home and you will not get the finish that the professional get. Kit is at least £60 if parts are bad get them due rusted then zinced
Are you talking from experience?? have you done your own before with bad results??

From what i can gather, with a little practice and patience excellent results can be achieved.
I do it.

Fishtank heater to keep the solution warm, plents of buckets.

Lots of pissing about with different passivators to make different colours and you can get some decent results.

I've never been able to get a drab olive that looks anywhere like the original Honda finish so I had some paint made up to that colour.

Electrolysis rust removal is the first step, once youve removed the rust the surface needs to be really smooth... any pits will show up terrible after its plated, best to sand it down as much as possible..

Re: Anyone been doing their own zinc plating

Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2013 12:02 pm
by mentalist
I'll be getting a kit when I'm home next week, got three bikes and want to do bits and pieces on each of them, might go for a full rebuild end of the year on the 400. I'll post some pics as i go along, when the moderators give me permissions lol. hint hint!

Re: Anyone been doing their own zinc plating

Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2013 12:28 pm
by The Novice
there is a sticky on how to post photos..............

edit - viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7902

Anything else you want me to find for you?....... :grin:

Re: Anyone been doing their own zinc plating

Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2013 12:43 pm
by mentalist
The Novice wrote:there is a sticky on how to post photos..............

edit - viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7902

Anything else you want me to find for you?....... :grin:

Ha ha, i've already looked at that lol, seems that i don't have the required permissions yet! being a newbie and all that.
Must have to do so many posts or whatever b4 they let you do that,