Nickel Plating - Step by step guide

Welcome to my new channel! With this video, I hope to show you how you can electroplate at home for pennies. Well, maybe more than a few pennies but its super easy. This channel will ultimately be about watch restorations—complete restorations from scratch. I am brand new to horology so this will be a trip you can take with me.

The following are affiliate links. They help me out a ton and do not cost you a single penny more when used:

[samjohnson]

Well done. I've watched numerous videos on this subject. You are straight forward without the BS. Thanks.

[gustavcarlsson]

Best nickel plating tutorial on YouTube! Thanks heaps. I started fluffing around making viking axes and electro etching them. I was toying around with the idea of nickel plating them. Just to see how they'd look and will try now after watching this. I found all the nickel I needed on Ali express and I've also bought a 30v DC supply there. Great upload. Good luck with your channel. Cheers Gus

[LeoGodYT]

Thanks for the video. I just finished buying everything to nickel plate. Your video was very helpful.

[larsfrandsen]

Perfect. Finally! Subscribes and will watch regularly. Great work! Thank you!

[travisspradling]

Great clear video that explains the process. I love it!!!

[michaelcannon]

Excellent tutorial. From a fellow plater with a identical setup. Keep up the good work.

[neiladams]

Thank you very much for this helpful video, i'm just starting my electroplating and this has helped my journey so much

[Trent]

Greetings … I would encourage you to keep making videos … you do a good job communicating and explaining processes … I know YouTube takes a lot of time but I think you can do well. Don’t give up! The 37 subs will turn into 1000 very quickly 😊

[Mr_Ravee]

Whoa! Just one video got you 300ish sub's thats phenomenal IMO..I myself want to try out paint on style nickel plating on a bike frame to see what I can do...sadly, no one had done that on YT or atleast I cant find one.

[MarkAzzolino]

Thank you, your video really helped me. Thanks again

[BrilliantDesignOnline]

Just stopping by curious about nickel plating. VERY well done video, spells it out perfectly for the DIYer, and is encouraging in that I will be committing to my channel startup. Your voice over of the steps is great, and it is well filmed. WHAT? Just looked, the only video; get on it, you have great potential, subbed anyway. I will be purchasing a stirring plate to make my own solution.

[CP-odtr]

Well done. Subscribed! Continue the good work.

[NordicDan]

Great video! I plan to follow this method on a larger scale for an antique Perfection kerosene heater I'm in the process of restoring. I'll have to do an initial copper plate before I can do nickel though so it'll be a longer process in my case.

[patreilly]

Thanks for the video! I’m restoring a 50-year-old Schwinn 10 speed and the chrome is rough. I plan to de-chrome its parts and plate in nickel.

[dmar]

I have nickel plated and also zinc, etc. I understand why we need electrolytes but I have never really heard anyone explain why we use a mild acid as a base. Ideas? I have everything to create an alkaline bath for zinc next to try for shinier zinc finishes. Nickel is such a great finish!

[hubbsllc]

My first attempts were a pair of steel end bells from a transformer - steel stampings with a depression in the middle, roughly 2.5
Inches by 3. They were blackened in manufacture but had become rust-pitted. Overnight in EvapoRust got rid of the rust and the blackening. I went over the outside with steel wool, degreased with Simple Green, and gave them each five minutes in half muriatic acid from a hardware store and half water. The first plate didn’t do all that well; there was a lot of cracking and flaking. The second time there was less of that but I think bubbles and positioning kept there from being even deposition. I’m not going to try to redo them but for the next two end bells that are larger (4-5/8 x 3-7/8 x 1-1/2”) I have a new container that is cube shaped and about 7-8” across so I can hang the end bell vertically on one side facing a pair of nickel strips on the other side.

[Prepperian]

Lovely magic bubbles!
Looking forward to upcoming videos!

[gadbois]

We clean in my plate factory with hcl acid and nitric acids and i plate using zinc balls with ammonium chloride and sodium muriate potash great video boss

[gustavohenao]

Another suggestion, this time technical: clean the object to be nickel-plated with sulfuric acid if you have it available, or with vinegar, which I see you do have. Don't rely on your fingers being clean just because you used alcohol, as skin is always secreting oils.

[zakhiks]

I'm thinking about nickel plating one of my guns. This is very informative thank you