DIY nickel plating

[Jay Carter]

Has anyone tried , and can offer tips , on some basic small piece nickel plating? I have watched a few vids from youtube and they seem simple for what I need. I need to plate a few small antique electrical connectors, small nuts , bolts, and thumbscrews; and maybe a small fan name tag.
Looks like method takes a pure nickel bar, some distilled white vinegar, and a low volt DC power source to do the trick. Welcome any feedback from your successes (or failures) with this.

[Bill Dunlap]

I've been nickel plating for a while now. It's difficult to get professional results at home as the pros use baths with proprietary ingredients to improve the finish. But you can get close, especially with nickel plated brass or copper. A very high level of shine applied first will really improve the results. I use the typical nickel acetate solution. Don't forget to add the salt. I use a car type smart charger and get the best results using the 2 amp setting. I buy anodes off ebay. You'll need to experiment with techniques like how far away the workpiece is from the anode, how long and especially either reversing direction of the workpiece or using multiple anodes.  Expect future difficulties in sourcing nickel anodes as most of the nickel these days comes from Russia.

Cheers,

Bill

PS I am currently experimenting with buying something from Russia. These guys are smart. Tracking goes like this. Russia, Dubai, Cincinnati, Leipzig, USA.  Weird, eh?

B.

[Jay Carter]

Bill, thanks for the insights. I found a 8$ nickel bar on Amazon , and they oddly gave me free one day shipping (so it must be existing stock). I will try a basic attempt to “brighten” up some faded old nickeled pieces and see if it works. What I’ve got are some worn and patina bits and a badge that were originally brass or copper and then the manufacturer proudly put a light bright coat of nickel to dress up the connections and badge. Over the years polishing and wear have left them faded .

 

[Jim Kovar]

2 hours ago, Jay Carter said:

I will try a basic attempt to “brighten” up some faded old nickeled pieces and see if it works.

Hey, Jay,...  good or bad,
post pics of your results.

[Patrick Ray]

I've been playing around with some of the diy nickel plating myself. I tried the phone charger for a power source and it had fair results. I got a transformer that allows me to dial in the voltage. I dropped the voltage down to a couple volts and got better results. Slower, but the plating is much more durable. Quick buff with some rogue on the wheel and it brings out a nice shine.