Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Electrolysis bad for Nickel plating?
Sandor in Boyds, MD
>Is electrolysis detrimental to nickel plating?
Say you have a 45 with 75% nickel remaining, but lots of rust. What happens to the nickel during electrolysis?
Common wisdom is to remove all non steel components (adjuster knobs etc) but I have not read anything about the nickel.
Anyone have experience good or bad with electrolysis of a 71, 98, 99, 79, 45, 46, plated lever cap, or other iron item with plating?
Thanks,
Sandor
Re: Electrolysis bad for Nickel plating?
Peter Berglund in Denver
>I've done a 45 - there's a thin layer of copper under the nickle which shows thru whereever the nickle is worn thin.
Re: Electrolysis bad for Nickel plating?
Jack from Maine
>I don't believe that electrolosis has any effect on Nickel. However ,if there is rust under the plating,it may make it fall off.Same thing with japanning.Just my limited experience,I'm no expert.---Jack
Re: Electrolysis bad for Nickel plating?
Todd O. Cronkhite Native of Maine
>Sandor,
I agree with Jack, but ensure that you are using Wasking Soda and not Lye. When I switched over to Washing Soda I zapped a tool that had some brass attached, and it didn't hurt the brass any. I've only put in non-ferrous metals a few times and it didn't do any harm. I would dare to do that using Lye tho. Seems to me I did a brace that had nickel on the chuck and it didn't hurt it none.
Todd O.
Re: Electrolysis and electroplating?
Mitchell
>There is the same risk with deplating nickel as with dunking rusty objects with jappaning in that it can remove that surface treatment. The bond is compromised at the molecular level.
That copper level under the nickel plate is called a strike plate which is used as a kind of primer coat since under some processes copper adheres better to the iron and the nickel to the copper. I would add that under industrial scale conditions its primary use is to save money on the nickel. You will also see the same under some silverplate.
You really have to make a decision as to how seriously rusted the tool is. If you use abrasives to remove the present rust, you will certainly also mar the nickel finish. If on the other hand you do remove the rust through electrolysis, you will lose some of the nickel plating based on the degree that the rust has migrated into the iron body and the amount of time you need to keep the plane in solution, strength of the anode, amount of current, etc. There are so many variables, there is no way to predict, although you can save some of the nickel by only submerging the rusty portions.
Leaving the rust as it is should not be considered an option since the oxidized iron will continue to move deeper, to stain, and to act as an abrasive.
Since much of the setup used for electrolysis can also be used for electroplating, it's worth a consideration. The big expense for both operations is the transformer. The acid bath is a little more dangerous to work with and then it is only necessary to choose the electrolytic salts and nickel anodes.
Re: Electrolysis and electroplating?
Todd O. Cronkhite Native of Maine
>Sandor,
Today I zapped a Yankee #35 screwdriver nickel? plating and all. Didn't hurt the nickel at all. It is nickel plating on Yankee screwdrivers isn't it, or is it chromeium(sp)? I'd hate to have the two confused and be giving bum dope.
Todd O.