On 4 Feb 2006 14:25:48 -0800, "Too_Many_Tools"
wrote:

Don,

When you get the time, could you post a picture of your plating setup?

One of my future projects is to build a mobile plating setup with tank,
power supply, heater and such. I am looking for ideas to include in the
setup.

Thanks

TMT

Plating setup? Well, not hardly! It's just a few gallon jugs of
various chemicals from Caswell, a few metal anodes, and a plastic
bucket sitting on the garage--uh, shop -- floor. I bent up some
1/4" square copper stock I found surplus to use as a "bus bar" to hang
the workpiece(s) from using bits of welding rod, stove pipe wire, #12
copper ground wire or whatever's handy. I made a current regulator
to control plating current. I think I have a Word document
describing that. I could post or email that if you'd like. I
don't plate anything that won't fit in the bucket so I don't need
much current. I even plate little stuff in a 2-liter or 4- liter
pyrex beaker.

0 to 3 amps is plenty, though the current regulator is easily
extensible to 20 amps and more. I run it off a 12 volt DC supply.
The regulator uses a 10-turn pot so I can set the current quite
precisely. A current regulator is nice because then I don't blow
meter fuses when (not if) a short happen in the bucket. I use a
cheap DVM from HF as a current meter.

Chrome needs a LOT of current. I don't mess with chrome. Chromic
acid is very nasty stuff, requiring very good positive ventilation. If
I were to do chrome I'd want a dedicated space with a good vent hood.
I don't have either the space or the need for that.

Check out Caswell's website.
www.caswellplating.com
I think there might be some photos of other folks' plating setups
that are a lot neater than my rather hodgepodge collection of jugs
etc.