Ammunition & Hand Loading > Cartridge and Shotshell reloading
Copper Plating
unfy:
--- Quote from: DangerousDrummer on April 03, 2013, 07:47:18 PM ---Here is what I have found so far about brighteners.. Still don't know of a suitable substitute, but brighteners with low voltage and max amperage of 2 amps seem to be the magic combination. The brightner is attracted to the point of highest conductivity (which would allow for the greatest stacking of metal) and act as a blocker, which forces the material elsewhere until a new place of high conductivity develops, which then attracts the brightner/blocker. Lack of a brightner is what causes the "fingers" or hairs of plating matrial to build up.
--- End quote ---
I have never visibly seen fingers. Some of the earlier posts and some bullets do get a crystaline appearance of left in the bath too long or possibly around the bend between ogive/flat part of the TC bullet.
Having not used any brighteners or levelers I can't attest to their suitability.
Janus Green B looks to be $20 a bottle.
Poly-glycol might also be cheaper as this or something like it:
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=686&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_content=pla&utm_campaign=PLA&gclid=CNP79tPwr7YCFQvnnAodgWEAWA
Dunno what else it might contain, but it's probably "more concentrated" than what you'd find in the medicine aisle.
--- Quote ---I hooked up the power supply a little while ago, works great. Now to calculate how many bullets 5 amp will plate.
--- End quote ---
Earlier in the thread I mention the formulas used. You need to pick an amperage per square foot and go from there. 10-30 amps per square foot seems pretty common, so 5 amps might get you half a square foot of coverage ? I know it's square relation not linear, but whatever.
Figure out the size of your bullet, for my 401 180gr or so i kinda winged it with a cylinder with a half inch diameter and half inch height. Divide 'possibly 72' by that number that should be a theoretical max for '1/2 a square foot'.
Depending on how you're retaining the bullets in the CuSO4, ya might have to include surface area of the retention mechanism.
--- Quote ---Here is where I got it.
www.eimodule.com
--- End quote ---
So... a door bell or some other AC transformer into your power supply ? Cheap and workable.
unfy:
Edit:
actually...
http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=369129&catid=184260&aid=338666&aparam=goobase_filler&device=c&network=g&matchtype=
Looking at it... it's 238g, it claims to have 14 treatments, active ingredients are claimed to be 17g of PEG, 238/14 = 17.
So... medical stuff will work just fine. Yay.
DangerousDrummer:
Door bell might not be enough watts and is 24 volt. PC power supply is good, especially since you want to match the input close to the output voltage. In other words, 5 volt in for 2 volt out is perfect and much better than 12 v in and 2 v out as the bigger the differential between input and output, the more heat the regulator has to displace. I tested with a power supply used for an old laptop that died. I need to dig out a regular PC power supply. There is a uTube video on tying the different wires together, and which wires are needed for power on. Creates a multi volt high wattage (200 or more) precision power supply. That coupled with the variable power supply, and you've got a unit that will work as good as an expensive lab power supply. Still need to get some big wire wound resistors for current limiting. I imagine if it's bubbling, it is too fast, so too much current.
I have been thinking about the bullet holding and have an idea. Going to drill a plastic cutting board with the required number of holes for the corrct current draw. Feed romex through the holes stripped back just enough to set hollow points on nose down the way I did the PC bullets. I will then make an anode board out of another piece of cutting board, but it will be set up to hold pieces of short copper pipe that are in line with the cathode/bullets. Place the cathode board in the tank first, then place the anode board on top of the cathode board with the bullets in the pipes. Some alignment pins to keep the boards from moving around and causing a short and distances should be optimal for plating with each bullet the equidistant from it's anode.
Tomorrow, I will get the materials for the solution, some copper pipe caps should be perfect for the anodes. I will start with a single bullet first in order to not waste materials in case I have to change anything. I still have to cast my 458s yet, but I got 150# wheel weight lead (mixed) yesterday, and then it started raining. I have heard hot lead and water don't mix so tonight was devoted to more research.
unfy:
I like the approach you're taking. I think. Not sure, but I think :). Curious how it comes out. As always, post lots of pics. The thought of placing everything then pouring the CuSO4 in is completely opposite of the approaches I've taken and I'll admit to being intrigued.
You could test with the copper tubing , but if you can find it in local hardware stores... check the roofing area for copper flashing. It's relatively inexpensive and offers much more surface area and is easier to work with.
Concerning power supplies - you sound like you're doing DC <> DC ... the power supply you liked already had a AC -> DC rectifier apart of it. Are you talking about taking the AC transformer stuff out of a PC power supply ? Or is this two different power supply options you're discussing ?
Also -- the 24 hour coat ya mentioned -- if it produces awesome coats, then it might be feasible. 24 hours to coat, say, 100 bullets is a tad extreme though. I suppose you could just set aside 10pm as 'change out copper plating stuff' though.
unfy:
The more I think about the cutting board with holes and wire sticking through it, the more I like it. I'm really curious how your wiring layout under neat and pics of everything turns out (let alone what you do for the plating itself and how it turns out).
For me, this wouldn't necessarily be for cast bullets - mostly because I'm not a fan of drilling into lead with a case trimmer.
With that said, it'd either be swaging or a hollow point mold.
Concerning hollow point molds, I've never cared for the screw in hollow pointers... but... this:
I don't particularly see why someone with a drill press couldn't create something like this out of a cheap Lee mold. Maybe brass vs the rolled steel thermal expansion (instead of aluminum) ? I think I've seen someone else make one of these (either pics or YT, can't recall).
So... a rolled steel rod in with two legs attached for a |= shape. Wonder how to go about attaching these legs without a a welder or being able to cast the |= shape yourself. Hmmmm.
My own plating setup has been semi-boxed up just to get it out of the way. I need to water test all of the cells, figure out how to patch cells that leak, and then try again. I wanna get the powder coat jig completed first, though.
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