We used to call those 8AG (back when AGC-3 was 3AG). I
don't know the current nomenclature.

Ignoramus4546 wrote:
I have a Mastech HY3005 power supply (ex military). It's kind of
cute. does both constant voltage and constant current and could be
used for plating, etc.

It seems to be fine, except that it is missing a fuse. I tried puching
in a regular Buss fuse and it would not fit. I think that it uses some
smaller fuses, not sure what kind.

So... What are those fuses that are slightly smaller than regular
little Buss fuses sold at Ace hardware etc.

thanks

i

On Wed, 15 Mar 2006 17:22:20 GMT, Ignoramus26498
wrote:

Thanks to all. I really needed 5x20 fuses. The ones I got yesterday
were wrong size, but the power supply shows healthy signs of life.

i

On Wed, 15 Mar 2006 10:22:01 -0600, Mike Berger wrote:
We used to call those 8AG (back when AGC-3 was 3AG). I
don't know the current nomenclature.

Ignoramus4546 wrote:
I have a Mastech HY3005 power supply (ex military). It's kind of
cute. does both constant voltage and constant current and could be
used for plating, etc.

It seems to be fine, except that it is missing a fuse. I tried puching
in a regular Buss fuse and it would not fit. I think that it uses some
smaller fuses, not sure what kind.

So... What are those fuses that are slightly smaller than regular
little Buss fuses sold at Ace hardware etc.

thanks

If it is prone to blowing, you can always outboard a 3AG
inline fuse holder in its place. Hard to beat the price of
3AG fuses...
--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
Remove no.spam for email

On Wed, 15 Mar 2006 20:27:59 GMT, Ignoramus26498
wrote:

On Wed, 15 Mar 2006 14:42:13 -0500, Leon Fisk wrote:
On Wed, 15 Mar 2006 17:22:20 GMT, Ignoramus26498
wrote:

Thanks to all. I really needed 5x20 fuses. The ones I got yesterday
were wrong size, but the power supply shows healthy signs of life.

i

On Wed, 15 Mar 2006 10:22:01 -0600, Mike Berger wrote:
We used to call those 8AG (back when AGC-3 was 3AG). I
don't know the current nomenclature.

Ignoramus4546 wrote:
I have a Mastech HY3005 power supply (ex military). It's kind of
cute. does both constant voltage and constant current and could be
used for plating, etc.

It seems to be fine, except that it is missing a fuse. I tried puching
in a regular Buss fuse and it would not fit. I think that it uses some
smaller fuses, not sure what kind.

So... What are those fuses that are slightly smaller than regular
little Buss fuses sold at Ace hardware etc.

thanks

If it is prone to blowing, you can always outboard a 3AG
inline fuse holder in its place. Hard to beat the price of
3AG fuses...

If it keeps blowing, I will get the voltage and current meter out of the
supply and toss it to garbage. I bought 2a fuses and I learned that I
need 6a fuses (the 2a one lasted for a few minutes of messing
around). I already bought the 6a fuses and will try them tomorrow, as
today someone is going to visit me.

Does anyone own a similar power supply? I could not properly switch it
to constant current mode.

i

There is no switch.

Set the voltage to the maximum that is acceptable for your
application. Turn the current knob all the way CCW. Then turn off
the supply and connect the load. When you turn the supply back on,
advance the current knob until current reaches the desired level.

On Thu, 16 Mar 2006 05:28:28 GMT, Ignoramus26498
wrote:

On Wed, 15 Mar 2006 20:41:57 -0600, Don Foreman wrote:
Does anyone own a similar power supply? I could not properly switch it
to constant current mode.

i

There is no switch.

Set the voltage to the maximum that is acceptable for your
application. Turn the current knob all the way CCW. Then turn off
the supply and connect the load. When you turn the supply back on,
advance the current knob until current reaches the desired level.

Thanks Don. Worked great, with a resistor. I set current with the
resistor in the circuit, then shorted outputs, and the current did not
change but voltage dropped to almost zero.

So, I think, this supply is quite suitable for tasks such as plating
small objects.

I appreciate your advice, it helped.

i

Da nada.

Yes, that supply should work nicely for plating and anodizing small
objects. Matter of fact, Caswell Plating sells Mastech supplies for
that use. The integral meters are a nice feature. I don't know how
well the Mastech supplies regulate current, but plating and anodizing
aren't that fussy.

Constant current is definitely the way to go because current is the
relevant parameter in these processes. Figure your surface area, dial
in the appropriate current, look at your watch and go do something
else while things progress.

On Thu, 16 Mar 2006 11:50:29 GMT, Ignoramus2206
wrote:

On Thu, 16 Mar 2006 01:00:42 -0600, Don Foreman wrote:
On Thu, 16 Mar 2006 05:28:28 GMT, Ignoramus26498
wrote:

On Wed, 15 Mar 2006 20:41:57 -0600, Don Foreman wrote:
Does anyone own a similar power supply? I could not properly switch it
to constant current mode.

i

There is no switch.

Set the voltage to the maximum that is acceptable for your
application. Turn the current knob all the way CCW. Then turn off
the supply and connect the load. When you turn the supply back on,
advance the current knob until current reaches the desired level.

Thanks Don. Worked great, with a resistor. I set current with the
resistor in the circuit, then shorted outputs, and the current did not
change but voltage dropped to almost zero.

So, I think, this supply is quite suitable for tasks such as plating
small objects.

I appreciate your advice, it helped.

i

Da nada.

Yes, that supply should work nicely for plating and anodizing small
objects. Matter of fact, Caswell Plating sells Mastech supplies for
that use. The integral meters are a nice feature. I don't know how
well the Mastech supplies regulate current, but plating and anodizing
aren't that fussy.

The numbers cited in ebay auctions for new mastech supplies are very
impressive. Check this auction: 7599501997:

#

Two level of control for both current and voltage outputs: coarse and
fine for ease of use
# Adjustable outputs: 0-30V and 0-5A
# Input voltage: 110V AC and 220V AC switchable
# Line regulation: CV = 0.01% + 1 mV, CC = 0.2% + 1 mA
# Load Regulation: CV = 0.01% + 3mV, CC = 0.2% + 3 mA
# Ripple noise: CV = 0.5 mV RMS, CC = 3 mA RMS
# Protection: constant current and short-circuit protection
# LCD reading accuracy: +/-1% for voltage and +/-2% for current
# Environment: 0-40C, relative humidity 90%
# Size: 11.5" x 6.5" x 5.5"
# Weight: 13 lbs

I am not sure if I should believe these numbers, but as you said,
plating does not require that sort of precision.

It's quite easy to design a linearly-regulated supply with those
specs. You won't see that level of performance on the bench, though.
Example: just 300 micro-ohms of contact resistance at each connection
will produce more than 3 mV of drop at 5 amps. Banana jacks aren't
nearly that good. (Not that it matters.....)

Constant current is definitely the way to go because current is the
relevant parameter in these processes. Figure your surface area, dial
in the appropriate current, look at your watch and go do something
else while things progress.

Yes... I will be checking out the easiest process to start off with.

i

Zinc, copper and nickle are all pretty easy. Zinc is probably easiest
but none of them are difficult. Chrome is fussy, takes a LOT of
current, and the chemicals are very nasty. I don't mess with chrome.

On Thu, 16 Mar 2006 17:42:16 GMT, Ignoramus2206
wrote:

On Thu, 16 Mar 2006 11:21:56 -0600, Don Foreman wrote:
Yes... I will be checking out the easiest process to start off with.


Zinc, copper and nickle are all pretty easy. Zinc is probably easiest
but none of them are difficult. Chrome is fussy, takes a LOT of
current, and the chemicals are very nasty. I don't mess with chrome.

Thanks... I checked out Caswell and they do not have a "zinc plating
kit", as such. Probably for some good reason.

They certainly do!
http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/zinc.htm

Just get the zinc crystals, the anode, and the zinc brightener stuff.
You probably already have everything else you need. The brightener
makes a big difference in how things turn out.

Is it true that for copper plating, all I need is copper sulphate
(sulfate), and a copper anode? Also, can steel be copper plated? If
so, I would like to try that first.

I have done it years ago with copper sulphate, but I was
copper-cladding carbons. I don't know if it would work on steel.

Caswell's bright acid copper (which I think is copper sulphate with a
brightener and some sulfuric acid you supply) does not work on
steel. The steel must be flashed with nickle first. His alkaline
"flash" copper does work on steel, also on potmetal -- or zinc-plated
steel. It's also useful as a flash for nickle-plating potmetal. The
acid copper is better where you want heavy build -- a lot of copper
thickness.

I will try to read a little about plating, as Caswell sells components
that I already have (such as water heaters and plastic buckets and
power supplies). I would prefer to buy chemicals alone.

Yup. Caswell does offer just the chemicals. You can probably buy
many of the chemicals locally, but the Caswell stuff has additives
that make the chemicals capable of really excellent plating results.
For example, I think the zinc juice is mostly ammonium chloride, but I
can tell you that straight ammonium chloride doesn't work nearly as
well. If you follow his directions and add a few ml of brightener
each time, the zinc plate comes out as bright as new bolts at the
hardware store -- and you can put on as much as you want rather than
just enough to keep it from rusting on the shelf until sold.

One crucial key to successful plating is having the metal absolutely
spotlessly water-break-free clean. If water forms drops on the metal,
it isn't clean enough. Water must sheet on the metal. Clean with
solvents, abrasives and blasting if necessary. Then, handling only
with gloves or tongs from this point forward, rinse in an alkaline
degreaser, rinse in tap water and then spray-rinse (squeeze bottle)
with distilled water. Caswell sells an alkaline degreaser that is
undoubtedly excellent, but I just use a solution of lye, sodium
carbonate and TSP. Works great. For really stubbornly-adherent
grease or wax, Soft-Scrub often does the job.

Many of my little projects include a welding or soldering operation.
The heat from that reduces oils and waxes to carbon, which can then
be removed by beadblasting. I usually then have zero problem with
getting them waterbreak clean in prep for plating. Stuff that has
been buffed can be a bitch to get clean because of the wax in the
buffing compounds. Machined parts where cutting or tapping oil was
used usually respond to a soak in lacquer thinner, blow off,
Brake-Kleen, blow off, then a trip to the alky jug and rinses.
Cleaning and prep is 90% of the job in plating.

According to Don Foreman :
On Thu, 16 Mar 2006 11:50:29 GMT, Ignoramus2206
wrote:

[ ... ]

The numbers cited in ebay auctions for new mastech supplies are very
impressive. Check this auction: 7599501997:

#

Two level of control for both current and voltage outputs: coarse and
fine for ease of use
# Adjustable outputs: 0-30V and 0-5A
# Input voltage: 110V AC and 220V AC switchable
# Line regulation: CV = 0.01% + 1 mV, CC = 0.2% + 1 mA
# Load Regulation: CV = 0.01% + 3mV, CC = 0.2% + 3 mA
# Ripple noise: CV = 0.5 mV RMS, CC = 3 mA RMS
# Protection: constant current and short-circuit protection
# LCD reading accuracy: +/-1% for voltage and +/-2% for current
# Environment: 0-40C, relative humidity 90%
# Size: 11.5" x 6.5" x 5.5"
# Weight: 13 lbs

I am not sure if I should believe these numbers, but as you said,
plating does not require that sort of precision.

It's quite easy to design a linearly-regulated supply with those
specs. You won't see that level of performance on the bench, though.
Example: just 300 micro-ohms of contact resistance at each connection
will produce more than 3 mV of drop at 5 amps. Banana jacks aren't
nearly that good. (Not that it matters.....)

Agreed ... not that it matters for *this* application.

However, there is another feature which could be a part of this
which would allow this king of regulation at the *load*, instead of at
the output terminals. That is -- if the supply has remote sense
terminals along with duplicate output terminals on the back panel. If
so, run heavy wires from the outputs to the load, and run a shielded
twisted pair from the remote sense terminals to the load, and bingo, the
supply adjusts for voltage losses in the output connections.

I've got some supplies by Power Designs, 0-20V, 0-500mA, which
have four switches in two concentric pairs which let me dial in voltage
in 1V steps, 0.1V steps, 0.01V steps, and 0.001V steps, plus a pot for
trimming between 0 mv and 1mv added. Also, there is a toggle switch to
add 10 V to the dialed in output voltage.

These things have an oven-stabiLized zener reference in them, so
they don't give the specified accuracy until they have been powered on
for a half hour or so. :-)

But really nice to be able to dial that accurate an output
voltage. And a lot easier to reach a selected voltage than twiddling
with a 10-turn pot. :-)

BTW I got two of them mounted to a shared rack mount panel at a
hamfest. The price was really cheap, because they "didn't work
right".

A glance at the back panel told me why. They had been set up to
use the remote sense and the rear panel outputs, and the wires
had simply been cut at the terminal strip. Without the remote
sense wires, there should have been jumpers connecting the sense
and the output terminals, so they were sensing locally.

They worked perfectly, once that minor factor had been dealt
with. :-)

Here is a slightly later design. Mine had standard face type
panel meters, not the edge-on style used in this, and the
location of the binding posts was different. Also, it seems to
have lost the convenient output short button for the current
limit setting. The light just above and to the left of the
current adjust pot comes on when it switches to constant current
mode.

http://www.sphere.bc.ca/test/power-s...s/pd-2005a.jpg

Of course -- I knew these from work, where I had used them, and
the larger 0-36V 0-5A ones with no such switches. That one had
a Variac inside connected to the same shaft as the voltage
selection dial, so there was not as much power being wasted in
the regulator circuitry when it was set for low voltage and high
current.

Both styles also had constant current output mode available.
And the smaller ones even had a button to short the output from
the front panel, so you could more easily set the current
limits.

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

According to Don Foreman :
On Thu, 16 Mar 2006 17:42:16 GMT, Ignoramus2206
wrote:

[ ... ]

Is it true that for copper plating, all I need is copper sulphate
(sulfate), and a copper anode? Also, can steel be copper plated? If
so, I would like to try that first.

I have done it years ago with copper sulphate, but I was
copper-cladding carbons. I don't know if it would work on steel.

It will work so easily that if you just dip a clean bright nail
into the copper sulfate with no anode, and no current, you will get a
light copper plate on the steel. I did that back in junior high school,
IIRC.

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

On Fri, 17 Mar 2006 06:04:36 +0000, (DoN.
Nichols) wrote:

According to Don Foreman :
On Thu, 16 Mar 2006 17:42:16 GMT, Ignoramus2206
wrote:

[ ... ]

Is it true that for copper plating, all I need is copper sulphate
(sulfate), and a copper anode? Also, can steel be copper plated? If
so, I would like to try that first.

I have done it years ago with copper sulphate, but I was
copper-cladding carbons. I don't know if it would work on steel.

It will work so easily that if you just dip a clean bright nail
into the copper sulfate with no anode, and no current, you will get a
light copper plate on the steel. I did that back in junior high school,
IIRC.

Enjoy,
DoN.

Try scrubbing that to see how adherent it is.

According to Don Foreman :
On Fri, 17 Mar 2006 06:04:36 +0000, (DoN.
Nichols) wrote:

According to Don Foreman :

[ ... copper plating ... ]

I have done it years ago with copper sulphate, but I was
copper-cladding carbons. I don't know if it would work on steel.

It will work so easily that if you just dip a clean bright nail
into the copper sulfate with no anode, and no current, you will get a
light copper plate on the steel. I did that back in junior high school,
IIRC.

Try scrubbing that to see how adherent it is.

I remember -- it only took my fingers to rub it off -- but it
*did* plate and look pretty for a short while. :-)

Presumably, the current increases the plating thickness, and
perhaps some additives increase the binding.

Enjoy,
DoN.
--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---