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RE: [TCML] keeping primary copper tubing nice and shiny
Now I *need* to plate my primary with gold. The colour must be great.
Frank, I'd love to have your nickel plating recipe. If anyone has a gold
plating recipe, I'd be interested as well
Many thanks
Thomas
-----Original Message-----
From: tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Paul Brodie
Sent: 15 January 2010 06:48
To: Tesla Coil Mailing List
Subject: Re: [TCML] keeping primary copper tubing nice and shiny
I have another plating solution, no pun intended. All Electronics sells a
plating powder that you mix and heat and simply place the part to be tin
plated in the solution with no electric current required. The powder costs
$9.50 part number ER-18. I can't remember how much solution one packet makes
but it plates 600 sq. inches. It is actually made for plating circuit
boards. It would probably be impossible to plate the coil and you would have
to plate the tubing prior to making the primary coil. I don't believe you
would want to disassemble the coil in order to plate the tubing.
www.allelectronics.com
Also, Micro-mark tools sells a plating kit that includes a small swab you
use to apply the plating solution but it does use electric current and I
think it is expensive. The way it looks in the catalog, you attach the
cathode to the part to be plated and the swab is the anode that you dip in
the solution and then "paint" the plating onto the part. I may have the
anode and cathode backwards but you get the general idea. www.micromark.com
I do not own stock in either company. :-)
Paul
Think Positive
----- Original Message -----
From: "Frank" <fxrays@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Tesla Coil Mailing List" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, January 14, 2010 6:53 PM
Subject: Re: [TCML] keeping primary copper tubing nice and shiny
> LOTS of elbow grease to polish.
> I use only Brasso, I have found this to be the best polish, and follow it
> with Flitz to give a final shine. You will be amazed how much it makes a
> difference.
> BUT and this is a big BUT, I have also found Flitz will tarnish quicker!
> The copper will tarnish faster on a coil than elsewhere due to the corona
> and ozone. Additional factors that will accelerate tarnish are cigarette
> smoke, pollution and wood smoke from stoves to name a few.
> Then use Zinger spray shellac and spray the tubing.
>
> Pretty much once you have the coil tuned you should not need to keep
> changing the tap, however, if you are always wanting to adjust the tap
> then put a good quality car wax on the tubing. This will keep the
> oxidation down for a good amount of time but you will have to repeat the
> process on a routine basis. The time between polishing and waxing strictly
> depends on your local area and how much you run the coil.
>
> A more long term solution is to nickle plate the copper. This is actually
> easier than you think and can be done at home, you just need the plating
> chemicals, an adjustable low voltage current source (an old time battery
> eliminator works great) and a small paint brush.
>
> I can send anyone my plating formula I found in an antique plating book.
> It works great! The chemicals are still available but very expensive now.
> I got mine many years ago as a fluke and cheap!
>
> Frank
>
> At 02:14 PM 1/14/2010 -0600, you wrote:
>>Sure, Flitz will clean it up nice, but it never stays that way. Anyway i
>>prefer this cheap stuff called "bar-keepers friend" or something like
>>that,
>>i think i get it at home depot or menards. Its a powder and is extremely
>>effective at ripping the oxide right off the copper, and as noted, its
>>really cheap.
>>
>>I found that putting a lexan plate over my primaries tends to increase the
>>"lifetime" before it looks like crap, but i suspect thats mostly due to
>>handling (you dont get your oils all over it). Even still, give it enough
>>time and it will start turning darker.
>>
>>Steve
>>
>>On Wed, Jan 13, 2010 at 7:59 PM, DC Cox <resonance@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>> > Flitz works great. Get at boat marinas.
>> >
>> > DC
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > On Wed, Jan 13, 2010 at 2:49 PM, Thomas Ryckmans <
>> > thomas.ryckmans@xxxxxxxxxx
>> > > wrote:
>> >
>> > > Hi,
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > Any ideas of how I could keep my primary copper tubing nice and
>> > > shiny? I
>> > > need it conductive so I can tap it at different points - but would
>> > > like
>> > to
>> > > have a protective layer on it to keep the nice sheen. New copper is
>> > > so
>> > much
>> > > prettier than the oxidized one
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > Many thanks
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > Thomas
>> > >
>> > > _______________________________________________
>> > > Tesla mailing list
>> > > Tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
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>> > >
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>> >
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