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WTB yellow chromate


M3333hp

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Does anyone have some yellow chromate in crystal or liquid form left over from a project?

I don't want to buy a large amount from an industrial supplier, so I am wondering whether anyone who has done yellow chromate plating for a Z car restoration might have some left to sell.

Contact Pete at: cain@uwo.ca

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To get the right appearance, you're going to need blue chromate, too.  And brightener.  Lots of brightener.  The Canadian Ca$well outlet offers the following:

  • Blue chromate: C$32 (one is prob. enough)
  • Yellow chromate: C$48 (you may need two of these for a large bath)
  • Brightener: C$21 for 4 oz  ("Add 1/2 teaspoons per 1.5 gal of plating solution. When plate becomes dull, add another 1/2 teaspoon.")  BTW, 4 oz. = 24 tsp, so you may need 2 bottles

Factor in tax and shipping, you're looking at about C$150 - 200.

I assume you've got your electrolyte bath and zinc and power supply already.

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Thanks for the info Patcon & Namerow.

Namerow, Can you clarify why I need blue chromate in addition to yellow chriomate? I thought yellow chromate was all that was needed for the yellow iridescent look.

And when you talk about brightener are you referring to adding sugar?

Yes I have zinc, electrolyte bath, and power, and have been zinc-plating lots of parts recently, and it has been going well.

Thanks for the advice.

 

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According to the Caswell folks, the orangey-yellow-green irridescent appearance requires a two-step process: 1) dip in blue chromate, followed by; 2) dip in yellow chromate.  It worked for me.  Actually, I'm kind of partial to the appearance that the blue chromate creates all on its own -- but that's just me.  Sorry, I don't have any photos of a part going through the various stages.  I just have photos of 'after'.

BTW, I tried finishing a part by bypassing the zinc plating altogether and just dipping the part in the yellow chromate bath.  It was an unhappy result.  The chromate didn't spread evenly across the part's surface.  And it didn't adhere very well either. Even after letting the p[art dry for a day, I could wipe the chromate off with a rag.

Do not use sugar (or corn syrup) as a brightener.  No matter what you read on the internet, it will probably just poison your electrolyte.  And it doesn't work.  Just pay Mr. Ca$well the money.  I have no idea what's in the little bottle they sell, but it sure made a difference for my plating results.  Dull grey finish before adding. Shiny silver finish after.  Of course, I have no idea what you're using for your electrolyte bath.  If it's not based on Caswell's chemicals, then their brightener may not work for you.

BTW, I wasted several weekends playing around with a DIY electrolyte made from vinegar and epsom salts.  It really didn't work very well, despite meticulous parts cleaning beforehand.  So much for all the promising pictures shown by others in their web articles.

After a lot of time spent fooling around with plating, I've come to the conclusion that a healthy dose of luck or good karma is required.  If you are able to generate good results, I'm happy for you.  But if I had it all to do over again, I think I'd just go with a commercial plating shop.

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There are some blue chromate picures in my plating thread if someone would be so kind as to attach it...

I agree there is some amount of luck needed to achieve repeatable results. I suspect it is just small scale production variation but still frustrating. I still prefer plating my own stuff just because it is simpler. Big items like brake lines are a real issue though...

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