DIY Pickeling Solution for Nickel Plating Steel in small quantities

I've fabricated a replacement door handle for a 1930's refrigerator out of tool steel.

The raw steel has a bright clean surface finish but for long-term appearance, wear resistance, and corrosion protection I'd like to nickel plate the piece.

I've got an electroplate kit from Caldwell with the nickel plating solution, but I'm guessing that beyond degreasing and cleaning (with some acetone) prior to plating, it would benefit from a light pickling prior to plating. It's a freebie project for a friend so unfortunately I can't send it out for plating.

Any suggestions for a suitable home-brew pickling solution? White vinegar and salt? Alkaline (like sodium hydroxide)? Skip the pickling and call it good-enough?

Thanks in advance.

I've nickel plated a fair few steel items, I've always used a dilute HCl or muriatic acid solution, works very well.

Thanks eKretz. I'll pick up some muriatic acid tonight. Much obliged.

Please let us know how it turns out. Pics would be great. I have a couple of similar projects in mind.

Dumpster_diving said:

I've fabricated a replacement door handle for a 1930's refrigerator out of tool steel.

The raw steel has a bright clean surface finish but for long-term appearance, wear resistance, and corrosion protection I'd like to nickel plate the piece.

I've got an electroplate kit from Caldwell with the nickel plating solution, but I'm guessing that beyond degreasing and cleaning (with some acetone) prior to plating, it would benefit from a light pickling prior to plating. It's a freebie project for a friend so unfortunately I can't send it out for plating.

Any suggestions for a suitable home-brew pickling solution? White vinegar and salt? Alkaline (like sodium hydroxide)? Skip the pickling and call it good-enough?

Thanks in advance.

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I have downloaded and read a short ton of Caswell's technical data and instructions but not YET used their kits.

First place I'd look, their own kit most of all, is at what they recommend!

I tested the kit on a vintage Richardson level (brass substrate) that came out good but not great. My prep was poor, however, and didn't include pickle...so I'm going to redo that as well. I'll post pics of both when done.

Thanks all.

The nickel plating solution can be electroless plating or electroplating. In both case the part needs to be totally clean and free from any grease or oil, but electroless is usually more forgiving than electroplating, especially when using the standard Watts electroplating solution that requires absolute cleanness. Hot water and detergent or scouring powder (like Comet) are a good start for cleaning and the test is a continuous film of water without beading on the work-piece. I do not use acid to pickle steel though a weak boric acid dip can sometimes be beneficial before electroplating and after cleaning.

Dumpster_diving said:

I tested the kit on a vintage Richardson level (brass substrate) that came out good but not great. My prep was poor, however, and didn't include pickle...so I'm going to redo that as well. I'll post pics of both when done.

Thanks all.

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I don't think you really WANT any other chemistry in there.

My preference is to exit reverse electrolyis under a reduced/no Oxygen regime, de-ionized rinse the same way to not contaminate the plating bath, enter the plating bath with "virgin" base-metal presented to the electrolyte, no intervening players, friendly or not. Or to at least strive for that to the extent I can still BREATH.

Work the transfer down in a well or tented with a shot of purge if the parts are small. It is only for the transfer 'til the goods are safely immersed, not for the whole plating process.

Send it OUT if too hairy. Their Day Job, not mine.

Photos above are the results.

First is the Richardson level. Thermite you are probably correct that I've contaminated my plating solution using it on a mix of brass and steel. Good to know for the future. I used tap water not distilled, which was probably also a mistake.

Second is the handle, prior to plating for a sense for what the project was about.

Third is the full handle assembly. The original (broken) part is at the top (thin worn nickel-plated brass pinned to a small piece of steel). The two pieces I plated were the replacement handle (solid tool steel) and the original escutcheon (which had worn down to brass when I started).

Overall I'd say the results were acceptable but not great. Good-enough for a 100 year-old level and a friend's otherwise broken refrigerator. To me, all look a bit dull and the plating on the escutcheon never really built to a sufficiently thick coating. Polishing with Wenall removed some of the tarnish but the results were certainly not professional.

I'm pleased with the results as a first attempt and learned a lot. Much thanks all.

billzweig said:

The nickel plating solution can be electroless plating or electroplating. In both case the part needs to be totally clean and free from any grease or oil, but electroless is usually more forgiving than electroplating, especially when using the standard Watts electroplating solution that requires absolute cleanness. Hot water and detergent or scouring powder (like Comet) are a good start for cleaning and the test is a continuous film of water without beading on the work-piece. I do not use acid to pickle steel though a weak boric acid dip can sometimes be beneficial before electroplating and after cleaning.

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Spoken like a man who knows plating. Plating lives and dies (frequently) on cleanliness and purity.

The nickel plate will darken in time. Most decorative chrome plating is actually a comparatively thick layer of bright nickel with a thin chrome layer to keep it bright. Chrome increases defects while nickel with brighteners will smooth out imperfections. The finish goes on with the nickel and the chrome keeps it pretty.

Bill

Cleaning well works just as well, pickling is just simpler/easier. Reverse electrolysis is just complicated cleaning. If you keep a home plating setup always ready for use that is a good solution. Setting up a plating bath and a reverse electrolysis bath and a gas curtain isn't something I'd consider for a few simple parts once in a long while though. In that case pickling or good mechanical cleaning followed by a dish soap scrub so the water doesn't bead is pretty good. Also it's important to make sure you get a good thick porosity-free coat of nickel on there if you want durability - nickel is more noble than steel so the steel will be sacrificed if corrosion starts in areas where there are plating imperfections..