(Akiit.com) Copper plating can be used in a number of ways to make products look more attractive and to add a protective layer to whatever lies underneath. If for your business this year you have decided to try your hand at some copper plating for yourself. Here are some simple tips you can take on board to make it easier.
The materials
If you have never tried copper plating before, it can be overwhelming to go online and see some of the copper plating costs there are . However, a lot of the time you will surprised at how little it can cost you to get what you need and to make your object appear with a lovely layer of copper over the top. For this you will need all of the following things:
- AA Battery
- AA Battery holder
- red core wire
- black core wire
- wire strippers
- Alligator Clip
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- Scotch Tape
- Plastic or glass tub
- 10mm copper wire (stripped)
Once you have all of the things above, you can set out some time for yourself and then start to prepare the battery.
Prepare your battery
When you have all of the things you need laid out in front of you, you can start looking into preparing the battery for the plating process. To do this you will need your battery, battery holder, the red and black wires and also the stripped copper wire. Start off by placing your battery inside the holder. You can then take the black wire and attach it to the black part of the holderm attach an alligator clip to the wire. Do the same thing with the red but don’t attach an alligator clip. Once you have done all of this, take the copper wire and attach it to the red wire by twisting them together. Don’t let the leads touch.
Get the container ready
Once your battery is all ready, you can take your lemon juice and pour this into the container. Bend the copper wire which is attached to your red wire and make sure it is totally submerged in the lemon juice. Leave enough room in the container for your plating item (for example a penny) and your alligator clip. Wash the item you want to plate with copper thoroughly. Use some steel wool to buff the item and rough it up ever so slightly. Wash it once more to rid the surface of any loose material and then you will be ready for the coating process. Attach the item to your alligator clip which is attached to the black wire, and place into the container.
You will start to see after a few minutes that the water turns blue-green. Check the item and if it is looking a little black, take it out and wash with steel wool before placing back into the container. After about 30 minutes you will see a lovely layer of copper on your item. Its that easy and you can do this with lots of different items!
Staff Writer; Terry Parker