Small scale cadmium plating

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Patrick M

Patrick M

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Jul 14, 2011
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I'd like to have a few pounds of hardware cad plated. I've come across many industrial-level platers but am looking for suggestions for platers that will do a small batch (state side, preferably). Does anyone have any experience or recommendations?
 
I used a company in Salt Lake City when I restored my 750. I think the business name was Quality Plating. That was ten years ago and I have no idea if they are still in business. Most of the shops that did cad plating have shut down due to EPA regulations.

There is also a business called Aero Propeller in Broomfield, CO (Denver area) that might be able to do it. I think they are still in business. You might give them a call and see if they will do it.

Good luck, let us know who you end up using.
 
You are not likely to find any small scale Cadmium platers, because its toxicity makes it closely regulated by EPA standards ..... just too expensive for any but large industrial/military specialty plating shops.

If you do find a shop willing to do small lot work, be prepared to pay for it.

Why do you need cadmium?

Slick
 
I don't need cadmium, per se, but I would prefer it. I understand that zinc chromate could accomplish nearly equivalent corrosion resistance. However, on a vintage bike, it doesn't look as proper as cad plating.
 
What about Trivalent (environmentally friendly chrome) coating, looks good and supposed to be as good as or better than zinc. Ask your local plating company, and get to look at some samples. I have seen a coating that looks like the finished article is made from Alloy that is not polished - very clean period look to the item.
 
Sand blasting stainless gives good results, and these days actually works out less expensive!
 
I hadn't heard of trivalent, but it looks like a potential option.

As for stainless being less expensive, I'd have to politely disagree with that. Replacing all hardware with stainless, then blasting it would cost quite a bit more than a small batch of plating. I'm also not into the potential for galvanic corrosion on the aluminum from the dissimilar metals.

Debby mentioned a place in Broomfield CO that looks like they can do the plating for me. Their website is www.cadplating.com . I'll post some photos here once I get the parts back (though I'm doing some BMW hardware first).
 
Stainless is quite expensive and shouldn't be used for things that require bigger torque values such as brakes and bolts that need the strength of steel. A pal in Ottawa , Can. just showed me a 1 ft. x 1 ft. bin full of cadmium plated bolts done for $ 25. He had to wire wheel them all clean first or it would have cost much more. Less labour = less cost.
 
On option over wire brushing is tumbling with media. Various reloading (firearms) supply companies sell tumblers that are the exact same munfacture as ones sold in automotive restoration such as Eastwood.

Noteworthy also is the fact that one can cad plate with a battery and solution, it's been done by a few folks I believe, look it up. I was involved with Toyota Land Cruisers for years and cad plate faster nerd are all over those trucks. A forum to research for data would be IH8MUD.com. It's dedicated to the Land Cruiser community and full of information on metalwork and rust removal.

Eastwood used to sell a cad plate spray in a can, I don't believe it did anything but replicate the finish and perhaps offer some corrosion protection. Also try Caswell Plating, I've purchased epoxy costing from them for fuel tanks.
 
I used aero propellor a few years ago, I would use them again, great price good quality and fast turn around.
 
You want clear zinc plated. Cadmium is a bad chemical. Chromate is that gold color additive that looks strange on a Norton. I believe caswell has a do it yourself kit if that is your cup of tea.
 
Many of the British bike restorers in the Cincinnati-Dayton area have used B&N Plating (613 Daniel Street, Dayton - 937-228-2963) for many years. A small shop that does white cad. I haven't had any done for years, but I've never met anyone who was not satisfied.
 
I've been using the Eastwood Zinc plating kit for a long time and I'm very happy with it.
I usually dip each part for 2-3 minutes depending on the size of the part. For nuts and bolts it works well.
I usually bead blast the parts first, but I've cleaned things with a wire wheel followed by some spray detergent and drying.
Good prep work is the key to a nice plating job. It's a somewhat slow process if you have a lot of parts though and you're limited to how big a part you can dip in the plastic bucket they sell you. I've used the included brush for plating things like brake rods and it seems to work ok. Overall I'm very happy with the results.

http://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-s-tin- ... ystem.html
 
Eastwood Zinc plating kit is a good choice, I used to use but now use Caswell Copy Cad® & Zinc Concentrate. Its cheaper and you can mix up what ever amount you need. The parts come out a dull gray, I lightly brush it on a wire wheel, you can almost make it look like chrome if you use a softer medium.
To get the plating to stick, The Key is buffing on a wire wheel and cleaning, cleaning and did I say clean, even finger grease will effect the outcome.
http://www.caswellplating.com/copy-cadr-zinc-concentrate-1-5-gal.html

Here's some before and after pics, also I use a a/c adapter for the power, 5V and 1amp seems to work good.
The anode I use is for Evaporative coolers,
http://www.homedepot.com/p/DIAL-Evaporative-Cooler-Zinc-Anode-5157/100575324

Small scale cadmium plating

Small scale cadmium plating

Small scale cadmium plating
 
I used to work in defence manufacturing in Australia and we used to cad plate to DTD904 (I think). Cadmium is very toxic and an environmental hazard, If you want the job done properly look for a defence sub-contractor. If you a plating fasteners with cad, you need to get the correct hydrogen embrittlement relief - heat treatment. We used to plate unbrako screws to one tenth, heat treat for 8 hours at 130 deg. C, plate to thickness then heat for another 16 hours. We had the experience of the head of a screw rolling out of a rocket motor onto the deck of a ship. It was one of those which held the two halves of the motor together.
 
Aero Propeller in Broomfield, CO is good. East coast Hutchinson in MA will do a lot at a time but the price is the same for all your bits or just one. Take
a look at their page or call them.
I have found that the cad you get now is somehow softer than original. After you spanner the heads only a few times it wears.
Im inclined to go with the SS and bead blast it with real fine beads.
 
Aero Propeller in CO is indeed still doing small batch work very reasonably.

I used to use Burbank plating, but thier minimum lot price has jumped (although it's a BIG mimum, at 160 lbs)
 
I Zinc electro plated a LOT of stuff for my recent Ct200 resto. Came out great. Materials weren't that bad wrt price. Just time consuming and prep is everything, just like painting.

Tons of articles on line on DIY zinc plating.
 
To tell the difference between cad and zinc plating, the easy way is to immerse plated parts in dilute hydrochloric acid. Zinc plated parts fizz much more than cad plated parts. What does that say about corrosion resistance in acidic environments relevant to the two types of plating ?
 
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