Electroplating System Tin Zinc

Customer Reviews

(Posted on 12/20/09) Do 'Old School Chrome' and save $$$
Review by TomMackieRacing.Com

Quality
Price
Value

If you want to dress up your ride and protect your parts, but don’t have a lot of money to spend having all your ‘bits-n-pieces’ chrome plated, this might just be the solution you’ve been looking for.. For about $70 bucks, you can spend all the time you have putting a shine on every bracket, nut, bolt and washer.
Read the full review
http://www.tommackieracing.com/review/zinc-electroplating/

(Posted on 1/12/10) Too easy!
Review by Christopher

Quality
Price
Value

This system is so simple that I can't believe others don't use it. Everytime I disassemble something I HAVE to plate the hardware. Thanks.

(Posted on 1/25/10) Great, but alot of work to polish
Review by AURktman

Quality
Price
Value

This system is great for the price, my only issue is the amount of polishing required to put a high shine on the part after plating. I start with a polished piece, the plating leaves a dull finish, then ALOT of elbow grease to get it shiny again.

(Posted on 3/13/10) Maybe our best new tool!
Review by BullFrog Speed Shop

Price
Value
Quality

I own a speed shop and we do a good deal of Quadrajet rebuilds. I used the kit today to plate some small parts and the secondary plates and the results where better then I even hoped they could have been. No drama at all, I followed the instructions and the parts came out perfect on the first try. You can still read the part numbers as if the parts where stripped metal. To make your life easier, use eastwood fast etch, I used many etchers but I will never use another.

(Posted on 6/18/10) It works well ... but ...
Review by dagunster

Value
Quality
Price

I used a 3amp plating rectifier instead of the batteries.

Plated the lug nuts on my motorhome.

Before I plated them, I got them down to 1,000 grit and polished them with black, then brown.

The plating system works. However ... the metal is somewhat soft.

It comes out of the plating solution almost white (typical of zinc).

I polished them after CAREFULLY on the buffer with white and a soft bonnet.

They came out nice.

Plated some carburetor parts for the motorhome also and they came out very nice.

This is NOT a chrome - so don't think you are going to get that. It's zinc with some tin.

Hosed unplated and plated lugnuts with water ... the unplated ones immediately flash rusted. The zinc-tin plated ones are still rust free.

So ... yes. It works.

Gobbles up anode bars :-)

(Posted on 7/6/10) Great for small parts & hardware
Review by Fairlaner66-67

Value
Quality
Price

I bought this kit to save some time/$$$ on those dozens (if not hundreds) of small zinc-plated fasteners and small parts on my five restorations. I'd have to rate the system as excellent, with the only detraction being that only one anode is supplied in the kit, and with a boxload of small parts, it disappears quickly. the finish once buffed is superb, and I found that on fasteners and smaller components that a fine brass wire brush brings out a nice shine. I assume a short run in a tumbler w/ glass bead media might have the same affect, but I have not tried that. My pre-plate prep included bathing the parts in a muriatic acid solution, rinse and dry media blast. This gave for superior final results. Sure beats an expensive trip to the platers..!

(Posted on 8/31/10) fun product to use,
Review by 51 f-5

Value
Quality
Price

Bought kit awhile ago,used it last weekend on my hinge peices for my tailgate. the finsh work on the metal was not great but the plating was nice.

(Posted on 9/15/10) DIY Plating wth Great Results & Low Cost
Review by Carl

Value
Quality
Price

I have to admit I was skeptical that this process would give me good results. But this product works! Now I plate every part that can rust before I re-assemble them. It is an extra step but it keeps those parts looking like they are new. And you really can use the brush method to do larger pieces that you can't dunk into the plating solution! I'm sold! " Get a good rust remover and then electroplate it", that's the ticket!

(Posted on 1/15/11) Easy to use, works well
Review by Steve

Price
Value
Quality

Easy to use, works well, not as good as a profosianal job, but you have more control of it. You should use a cheap timer to keep track of how long your parts are in the bath. Replace the batteries with a simple power supply makes a big differance if your doing lots of parts. Keep the plating solution inside a second container, as it leaches out and is very corrosive. I suspect a large glass jar would be better. If I had one to try I would. Other plastic continers can be used for long or odd shaped items. one batch of the solution will outlast 4 electrodes.

(Posted on 2/13/11) Great easy-to-use kit!
Review by ChargerAndy

Price
Value
Quality

I agree that this is a great kit! I used it when rebuilding a few carburetors. It worked great on all the steel linkages and plates. I start with beadblasting the part. Then I hung the part on a wire that would be used to suspend the part in the plating tank. Next I degreased with acetone or brake cleaner. Then I stripped the old cad plate. This was done by soaking the part in a 50/50 mix of water/battery acid. The part will bubble for a minute or two while the old pating is being stripped. Then a water rinse next. If there had been any rust on the part, I soaked in a 50/50 mix of water/muriatic acid. (never pour water into acid! always acid into water) Then another water rinse. Finally the part was plated. There will be a foaming action in the tank above the part as it plates. This is normal. Afterward, I lightly rubbed with 000 steel wool to give anice satin lustre to the beadblasted parts. It's really a nice finish!
My only negative comment would be the price of the annodes. If you will plate a lot, order a few of them to save on shipping. One bar will go a long way though.
I tagged on a photo of a typical before and after of a carb part. It's hard to capture in a pictrue, but it sure is a nice finish.