Re: copper plating - Electrode Tips

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Original poster: "Mike Novak by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <acmnovak-at-msn-dot-com>

LOL, I know where you're coming from Terry!
I love going to the welding supply place (they sell argon, liquid N2,
reconditioned tools, and misc welding stuff). However, they are a bit weary
to selling stuff to someone who is doing "experiments" :-)
If you really want copper suphate that bad, just get a "chemystery" set!
Make sure you're using "Copper II Sulphate" not just plain ol' copper
sulphate.... They can be different Ions and may not work as well.
Perhaps it's the Tungsten that is the problem.... In chemistry, we copper
plated US coins. I did a Half-dollar and the coating still remains. I might
spend it soon just to see the look on the cashier's face :-o
One might even try melting copper in a small crucible and dipping the
tungsten in that.... Tungsten melts around 4000 deg C and copper melts
around 1000 I believe... give or take a couple hundred degrees :-)
Either way, the Tungsten should be solid for the duration of the coating.
Why are we doing this again? :-)

-Mike


----- Original Message -----
From: Tesla list <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2001 11:06 PM
Subject: copper plating - Electrode Tips


> Original poster: "Terry Fritz" <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>
>
> Hi Mike,
>
> For copper plating tungsten, for easy soldering....
>
> I found "ZEP Commercial Root Kill" at Home Depot.  It is used to keep
roots
> out of sewer lines.  99.0% Copper Sulfate Pentahydrate and 1% "other".  I
> assume that is "the right stuff"...  I could not find anything specific
> that was sulfuric acid...  Mostly caustic lye type compounds...
>
> I dissolved "some" in water and added a section of 1/4 inch copper tube
> (anode (+)) and a tungsten rod (cathode (-)).  Didn't work well at all.
> Just formed soft black spongy stuff (really cool though).  More current
> more mess...
>
> I then found some Phosphoric Acid used as the common "PH Down" for
> adjusting the PH of aquarium water.  With a very liberal squirt of the
> acid, the reaction changed completely to an obviously much better state.
> So the acid part seems very important.  I tried a lot of current with a
> little bubbling and the soft layer of copper wipes off.  I am trying a
much
> lower current now...  I can probably get sulfuric acid from the pharmacy.
> One of the local pharmacists looks like he personally tests everything
> before he sells it... he probably has the right attitude about ordering
> "anything" I need :-))
>
> A guy at work did a beautiful perfect shiny copper plating job a few
months
> back on his desk.  He was explaining it all to me but one of the main
> ingredients of the plating bath was human urine...  and then I didn't want
> to know anymore :-p  I'll go ask him more now that I know the true value
of
> such information...
>
> I just checked the 1/2 inch long bit of 1/8 inch rod in the solution at
> 10mA.  A "little" better but still rubs off...  I think the solution
> contents are probably a bit critical...  Needs more research on how one
can
> make the bath with readily available chemicals.  I do have a nice gram
> scale...  Seems to need better chemicals....
>
> Chemystery was never my strong subject, but doing me best :-))
>
> I also got some stuff to try some silver brazing and all that.  Wow!, you
> think I am bad at chemystery!!  I solder extremely well.  But welding...
I
> can incinerate just about anything with a MIG welder and my fancy MAPP gas
> torch has a "ludicrous" heat setting...  So I am all ready to go!!! :-D
> The guys at the welding shop have now learned to try and keep the crazy
> long haired guy in the suit on the premises while I am asking for a few
> boxes of acetylene and a few bags of liquid oxygen cause "I want to heat
> something up really bad"...  While the guy in back frantically calls the
> BATF ;-)))  Fortunately the day job gets a ton of $$$$ stuff from there so
> they are super nice no mater what...  They usually give me fun dewars of
> LN2 nice and cheap just to get rid of me...  When needed, asking for an
> MSDS sheet for leather welding gloves always works :-)))
>
> I have some pals that can do this stuff for me, but having too much fun
> myself :-)))
>
> Cheers,
>
> Terry
>
>
>
> >At 06:46 PM 8/12/2001 -0400, you wrote:
> >  Yes, copper sulfate is a commonly used algicide.   Although all the
> >plating baths I have ever used contained sulfuric acid, I don't know that
it
> >is really necessary.  I think it merely adds to the conductivity of the
> >solution and increases the efficiency.  That probably doesn't really
matter
> >if one is just plating a small piece or two.
> >  Actually,  if you want to take the time to do it, you can make a
saturated
> >solution of copper sulfate and use a lead anode(+ electrode for anyone
> >unfamiliar with the term).  You will deposit copper metal on the cathode,
> >release oxygen bubbles from the lead anode and generate sulfuric acid.
The
> >hydrogen ions (from splitting water molecules) replace the copper ions in
the
> >solution.  Once you have generated a bit of sulfuric acid, you can
replace
> >the lead anode with a hunk of copper to continue plating forever with
that
> >solution.  You might want to add a bit more copper sulfate crystals if
the
> >concentration get very low from the acid generation.
> >Mike
> >
> >
>
>
>