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I work offshore in Norway in the oilsector. Employed by Oceaneering as an ROVSupervisor. Education : Skilled IndustrialMechanic, Skilled Aircraft Mechanic(Boeing737) ,and a degree as a Mechanical...read more

kjegelanKjetil Egeland

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I want to shear my experience with Electroplating parts with, Copper,Nickel, andChrome.

Check in here early next week for more detailed instructions and videos about the mixingof chemicals,plating, soldering, and buffing different metals to a high quality finish.

If there's anyone interested out there, I will help out as good as I can. Sorry about the lack of pictures and video from the buffing and polishing. Iwas so focused, that i completely forgot to use the camera :)

An IMPORTANT thing, is to check out with your country's regulationsregarding these chemicals. And NEVER EVER dispose them out in the nature.Some of them are harmful to the environment, and poisonous to yourself.

The gases from the plating are odorless, but extremely corrosive. I was justslightly unaware a moment, and got some nose bleeding after this. NOTrecommended..! Show respect for the chemicals, and always read thedatasheet before start. Use goggles and gloves.

Step 1: Before dismantling.

See More

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High Quality (and Safe)Nickel Platingby A_Steingrube

High Quality (and Safe)Copper Platingby A_Steingrube

Identify Metalsby tranoxx

Clean and SimpleElectroplatingby nf119

DIY Chlorine Batteryby tngun

Here you can see the old chrome of the headlamp. Its really worn out. And the door handles are inpoor condition. Heavily infected with Zinc Pest. Had to clean out all the pitting with my dremel drill.

Step 2: Equipment you need / The Chemicals

The easiest way to get a good result, is to buy the ready made kits from companies that supply these.

The kit I ordered, I purchased from http://www.gaterosplating.co.uk/ .

I`m sure that you can get these ingredients some other places, but the prizes are ok, and the serviceand support are exellent.. :)

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I started with :

Bright Copper plating KIT

Nickel Plating KIT

Replica Chrome Plating KIT

GP Alcaline Cleaner

Acid Picle

Chrome Stripper

Step 3: Tank Setup !

I have no pictures from the mixing. It is really important to use all the safetyequipment recommended..! Use goggles,andproper gloves. Remember to have plenty of water nearby. And make sure toremove any spills.

The Chemicals :

Replica chrome 5 ltr4 litres distilled water1 kg nickel sulphate125 g cobalt sulphate220 g nickel chloride160 g boric acid230 ml nickel brightener

Copper 5 ltr4 litres distilled water560ml of 36% sulphuric acid900g copper sulphate100 g sodium chloride50ml cupracid ultra make up3ml cupracid part A3ml curpacid part B

Nickel strike 5 ltr4 litres distilled water380 g nickel sulphate380 g sodium sulphate115 g ammonium chloride

Heating

When the ambient temerature drops and the plating tanks are unheated then it istime to consider some form of tank heating. All plating electrolytes will benifitfrom tank heating of some form. Easy ways to heat the tanks are as follows:

For small tanks1) simply place them in a bowl of boiling water and wait for them to warm up.2) Fill a plastic bottle with near boiling water and place inside the tank takingcare not to overflow the tank.3) Place the tank on a heat mat normally for lower plating temperatures but willstill raise the temperature.4) Thermostatic tank heaters are the easiest method as you can preset atemperature and leave it to warm up. Remember to give it several hours from coldto get to the correct temperature.

For larger tanks1) Thermostatic tank heaters are the best method for larger tanks.

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2) Heated air agitation is sometimes used in very large tanks.3) Combined heat and filtration systems are also used.4) Heated tank jackets.

Once up to temperature the process of plating will keep the tank warm or ifcontinuous plating is done then it may be a case of cooling the tank if it gets toohot!

Temperature ranges for our plating electrolytes.

Metal Range Ideal

Zinc 15c - 40c 25c - 30c

Copper 15c - 50c 25c - 40c

Nickel 30c - 50c 30c - 40c

Rep Chrome 30c - 50c 30c - 40c

Brass 20c - 40c 25c - 35c

Cobalt 30c - 50c 35c - 45c

Step 4: Cleaning..!

Cleaning (Copy/past from Gateros Plating Home Page)

After seeing one or two customers of late with contamination problems (most of which we have beenable to solve with having to replace the electrolyte) I want to stress again just how important cleaningis to both good quality plating and to ensure that the electrolyte is kept in prime condition.

It is vital that cleaning is carried out carefully and that the items to be plated are ultra clean.

First step is a good de-grease. This can be done with a solvent type degreaser or a hot alkalinedegreaser such as our GP1 alkaline cleaner.

The next step is to remove any traces of rust, paint or dirt. This can be done by electro-cleaning, beadblasting or even buffing on a wire may be sufficient. Remember once you have started the cleaningprocess you must always wear gloves as even the grease off your fingers will cause the plating toblister at a later date!

Once you have completed the first part of the cleaning process, I would now advise a water break test.Just dip in clean water and see if the item is covered with a water film or if it beads. If it has a goodwater film all over it with no beading then it can go to the pickle stage. If you can see the waterbeading then you need to wash in detergent and water, rinse well and repeat the water break testagain until it passes.

Now onto the pickle. Some people try to skip this part but it is very important not to as it will ensure agood bond between the surface of the metal and the following plate.Our dry acid pickle is specially formulated for use as a plating pickle or as a metal activator. You canalso use HCL ideally at concentrations of about 20%. Some people use sulphuric acid but I find it a bitsmutty on some metals. We have had customers use vinegar but this is just not strong enough for thejob! Pickling time varies according to the type of metal and the strength of the pickle used. It isnormally between 1 minute to 20 minutes and remember always rinse well after pickling.

Once pickled and rinsed, you need to plate straight away. This way you will not give the metal anytime to form an oxide layer on the surface.

The better you can prepare a surface the better the results will be so spend time flatting, buffing andpolishing if needed. This is essential when brush plating as you are only putting a very thin plate onthe base metal so the more polished you can get the base metal the better. If buffing or polishingremember to remove the polish film with a solvent cleaner if needed and wash in detergent and wateragain after. Always check with the water break test before pickling.

Think about investing on a bench buffer/grinder. You should be able to buy one for as little as 35 fora 3/4 HP 220v one. The amount of time and effort it will save you will make it well worth the cost.

Remember cleanliness is next to godliness so if you want to be a plating god then clean, clean andclean again!

Step 5: Prepairing the Parts...

The plan is to strip the parts from old chrome. Then smooth the surface and fix dents. The first Plating will be a relative thick layer with copper. Then a layer of Nickel, and finally a thin layerof chrome. I had no sandblaster at the moment, so I had to sand down the surface first. One of the headlightswere badly bumped and had a crack. Had to weld it first with a silver soldering rod. I made a mistake,and used to coarse paper . So I had to put on a thicker coating of copper first. The doorhandles were badly pitted(Zink pest) , and had to be sandblasted first, and then I used aDremel tool to grind out all of the cracks. For circular objects like the headlight and rim, it is a good solution to make a jig. Then you can mountit in a handheld drill in a wise. I even used this method during buffing. Just put the felt polisher in another drill ,and counter rotate.

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Step 6: Next step, the doorhandles...aargh

The Doorhandles is made of POT Metal. This is an alloy of : zinc, lead, copper, tin,magnesium, aluminium, iron, and cadmium.( Also known as ZAMAK, and MonkeyMetal ) To plate the handles with copper, you first have to Strike Nickel plate the handle.This is to seal the surface. Other-vice the copper will kind of react with the potmetal, and peal off. The handles is best sandblasted. You can not use chrome stripper like you use onother metals. Othervice you have to sand it down by hand. The old chrome have tobe completely removed. Remember to use gloves to not contaminate the part withoil/grease. Then, the part is dipped in the Acid Picle solution for about 20 seconds.The part will now appear to be boiling! Then in to the Neutral Nickel Strike bath.The low acidity makes the nickel bind to the POT metal. When a dull even light

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gray surface is achieved, the part is rinsed and goes in to the copper bath. After auniform build up by copper, the part is rinsed and dried. Then you cover the partwith soldering flux. Be extremely consentrated while soldering to preventdisaster..! The temperature range between the solder and the parts melting pointis quite narrow. Start with the thickest part first, and work the solder towards thethinnest part. Then, sand down, strike plate with Nickel again. Then a thicker coat copper. Sanddown to a smooth surface using finer and finer sandpaper. Wet or dry sanding ..THEN its time to start buffing. I used a Felt wheel on a bench grinder for the job.The compound used is BLACK compound. HERE :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polishing_(metalworking) it is explained on Wikipediaabout polishing and buffing.

Step 7: Headlights..!

The Headlights was quite easy compared to the door handles actually. I will list up the events fromstart to finish:

Strip off the old chrome. (Sandblast if possible)

Get a smooth surface using coarse-fine sandpaper.

Plate a layer of copper.

Solder dents/cracks.

Sand down the soldering .

Plate it with another copper layer.

Start buffing, and get the surface MIRROR like,using right compounds and right feltdisks.

Clean and rinse (see previous step)

Then strike plate with Nickel.

Buff the Nickel to a mirror like surface. (What you see is what you get finally afterthe chrome)

Clean and rinse

Plate with Chrome.

Buff and Polish ...

Finished...!

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Step 8: Rust removal

I had to put in some rust removal tips here. There are many ways to removerust.You must find a way that works for you. My way is to mix Baking soda andwater. Just a couple of spoons to a gallon of hot water. I also use Caustic Soda(Sodium hydroxide) and water. REMEMBER..this is very harmful to your skin, andcan cause severe burns. So, baking soda work just fine. You will need 12V dc from a powersupply or battery. The negative lead on thepart you want to remove rust from (cathode) . As a anode(positive+), you can usewhatever of scrap iron you have. I use Lead strips also, as you only need to getthe electrons to flow through the solution. Lead wont deteriorate itself. On thevideo here, I use steel wire for concrete armoring as an anode. They completelydissolve in this process. Just connect, and leave over night.Remember to treat theparts quickly after this. Otherwise it will rust again. For my tools, I used a steelwire brush on my bench grinder. Then sandpaper, cleaning, and a layer of nickel.A good buff, and the part is ready for many years service..!

Step 9: Finally... Some results, and my car !

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I am very pleased and exited with the result myself. It was much more work that Icould even imagine. But the reward afterwards were huge. Now it is easy for meto plate almost anything, and get a predictably result. I have all of the equipmentready for the next job now. This is absolutely recommended. But you should startwith simple things first, and not with the main thing first, as I did..!!

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andrea biffi says:

kjegelan (author) in reply to andrea biffi

Well done Kjetil, in addition that's a beautiful car!!

3Jul 2, 2013. 12:33 AM Replylklunder says:

Hello again Andrea, and thank you...;)

I was lucky to get my hands on this car to "care" for.,, It have had most of its timein Belgium i believe. It is small enough to have inside my workshop. I would like toget some more space, but that will be in 2014. I need space for all my futureprojects.

Do you have any coming projects Andrea..? I follow you in here, but have spendmost of the summer at work, or trekking in the Norwegian mountains. So now it istime to work inside again. I am lucky to have a job offshore that I can combine myinterest for electronics, hydraulics, and mechanics. And, we have a LOT ofwaiting, and fast internet connection...!

i made myself a bad copy of your pcb drill stand. I bought myself a laser printer,and started to produce some pcb`s. It worked fine, but I need a better motor witha regulated powersupply, or just a cheap dremel like drill to fit to it.

My ongoing project now is to make myself a sort of visual wave generator. Theone with clear acrylic glass, blue coloured water, and clear mineral oil.

The other ongoing projects is :

A laser cutter/CNC drill/ router/ engraver

Plate and practice on more metals. And expand/ adapt to plate longer and oddparts.

A remote/wifi controlled rover car with live view transfer.

Make a small cutter for acrylic plates.

Make a pan/tilt camera stand for my sony camcorder from a cheap pan/tiltcamera.

Explore the RGB leds, and make a RGB led cube.

Explore the new powerful led`s, and be able to focus the beam.

Make myself a Pixie tube clock.

Combine my acrylic paintings with arduino and fiber optics.

And MANY more..... Most of them just to learn how they work... For many of them,I will use Arduino I think. I got myself a bunch of cards, and enjoy to explore theirpotentials.

Ok...have to pressure test my acrylic tube ;)

Have a nice day...!

Regards,

Kjetil

Hello again Kjegelan I have several parts of zamak in bad conditions, these parts needed be filled with solder,but I am confused, I understand that the first step is clean the metal with sandblast, whattype of abrasive you use to get out the chrome ?. Then the part is ready to first bath and here is my doubt between the following options: a) The first bath is dipped in the Acid Picle solution and then in to the neutral nickel strikebath and then nickel and cupper or b) The first bath is nickel to seal the pot metal and then the cupper bath to apply the solder?.

After the solder what is the next bath to apply ?? Could you tell me exactly the steps I should follow ? Thanks in a advance

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black58 says:

kjegelan (author) in reply to black58

clazman says:

kjegelan (author) in reply to clazman

clazman in reply to kjegelan

Looks fantastic. Well done.

Thank you :)

Nice for the you but what if many others take this up?

What did you do with the remaining solutions? You didn't dump them down the sewer!

It's bad enough that a business does this, but that case, the waste can be localized, ratherthan in everyones garage, and disposed of in an ecological way (hopefully).

But we don't want any more government control. We want to do what we want. Pollute howwe want...

Yes, as a kid, it bothered me when my dad, as an auto mechanic, would dump wastematerials on the ground right outside our garage and close to the house.

The car is cool though and your work looks good.

I`m sorry if you feel that way. I tried to emphasize this in the beginning,of theimportance to handle these chemical the right way. These solutions mainlycontains relatively mild hazardous chemicals, but could harm the environment ifspilled in nature. In my area, and in my country of Norway ,we got strict rulesabout this. And is by law forced to deliver all of the spills to the local wastecompany. And I,myself know that these chemicals do get the righttreatment/destruction. I earlier had a job there myself, and have collected allimaginable waste materials and chemicals from both industry, hospital, and privatehouseholds. Even radioactive waste..! Another thing. If you keep doing this plating, there will never be any waste. Youwill mainly just add chemicals like salts, acids, and alkaline solutions. The "spills"will be the drops from when you dip the parts from a bath to another. Most of thechemicals will therefore neutralize themselves. I live in a very clean country, and would like to keep it that way. It is all ourresponsibility to keep it like this. But I cant control what everybody else is doing. Iwould like to think that everybody cares about this planet after all. And I willcontinue to experiment with both plating, and other chemicals. I will encourage you to see the possibilities with this techniques, and not the socalled negative sides with it. But I see your point, and I agree in some of it.

Have a nice evening , and thanks for the input :)

Kjetil

I'm sorry for being too strong with my comments. I didn't mean to attack youpersonally. I do, however feel we need to control our waste products, whateverthey may be.

I do fear that if too many people try this and are not as environmentally cautious

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kjegelan (author) in reply to clazman

lklunder says:

kjegelan (author) in reply to lklunder

lklunder says:

justin.jackson says:

kjegelan (author) in reply to justin.jackson

as you that would indeed be a bad situation.

Again, I am sorry for attacking you personally.

That is OK my friend. I understands your concern, and I agree with you in theEnvironment issue. Many of these chemicals are "just" concentrated salts witch isfound naturally in the nature. Like Natrium Chloride.(NaCl) This is just normal saltused in food. But, like I cant made clear enough : Despite that the quantities ofthese chemicals are low, It is still hazardous to the enviroment and to yourself.! Said that, I am more concerned about other projects in here, that often make useof electronic equipment that contains far more hazardous chemicals and heavymetals..! These components are often sealed to make sure that nobody can comein contact with them. I do not want to make a joke about this, but I will also say that all the Bacon andcupcake projects also have a bad effect on the human body..!

Hello again, and thanks for your answers !! I see that you use a 12V battery to process but in some pictures I see a some like arheostat ( half reed with winding wire ); is this to limit the current in some baths and how todo this part ??? Thank's in advance

Hello....!

The current control is made by a spiralling wire provided in thew kits. This is ok touse, but if you want a more controlled current, you must use a adjustable powersupply. I use now a self made thing that uses a series of 12Volt /10 watt halogenbulbs. 10 of them makes about 10 ohms. Same as the provided current controller.I will try to show this in a video soon. Feel free to ask questions :)

Hello again, and thanks for your answers !! I see that you use a 12V battery to process but in some pictures I see a some like arheostat ( half reed with winding wire ); is this to limit the current in some baths and how todo this part ??? Thank's in advance

How much would you say this cost you?

Hello...!

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lklunder says:

kjegelan (author) in reply to lklunder

moking says:

kjegelan (author) in reply to moking

It is hard to say how much it cost me. But I think it is around 400 british pounds.You can see the prices at http://www.gaterosplating.co.uk/Home.php I have considered to get the chemicals myself from other places. But it is far moresimple and cheaper to just buy a ready Kit. It will not be easy to get hold of all thechemicals for "normal" people either. And another thing is that these Kits will last for years probably. There will be littlespill from it, and the fluid that disappear, is mostly water evaporation.

Thanks for you answer. I have a doubt about the weld type. What's type of welding you used to refill the holes on the handles, do you use silver orother type ??? Thanks in advance

Hello...!

I used a normal 60/40 soldering tin. 60% tin and 40% lead.

After the first layer of nickel, I put on a layer of copper. And then it is ready to befilled with solder. Just cover the whole surface with flux , and start heating. Whenhot enough on the thickest part, you can start filling. Just make sure that it fills allthe holes up above the surface. The tin will cover a large area of the surface.That i ok. Its better to put on to much than to little. After this you have a major jobto sand down the handle to a smooth surface, with all the access tin removed. Ihope that this was helpful :) I will make a detailed youtube instruction of this insome days. And publish here.

Considering all the pitfalls associated with metal plating, and Chrome is one of the mostdifficault metals to plate, the quality of your final result is excellent. You seem to havecottoned on to the most important aspects of chrome plating, which is to clean to themolecular level, as the new metal you plate with does bond at the molecular level and assuch the cleaning at all stages needs to be thorough. I hope the thicknesses lain down arewithin the required perameters, as I know all about the UK acid rain having spent 60 yearsthere before departing to the sunnier climes of Spain.

Hello..!

Yes, it is quite difficult to get it all right. It takes days and weeks of training. Thereplica Chrome, is not actually chrome, but Nickel with the use of cobalt salt in theelectrolyte. This makes it more brighter like chrome, but without the use ofChrome acid solutions. But it does not madder. The finish of this, is very mirrorlike, and the nickel itself is fairly resistant against acid rain. But...I am NOT an expert in this field. I started with this just 5 weeks ago. So I amstill in the trying/failing phase. But It is really fun and a rewarding hobby...! I havea background from the Aircraft industry. Otherwise I would not have started this.Now I work offshore in the North Sea, so I am quite eager to get home to providesome more instructions and videos to the Instructable here. The plan is to take apart, and follow the process straight to the last finish. The easiest job is theplating, and the hardest part is the buffing and cleaning. On the door handles, themost difficult, is the soldering of cracks and pits. I would say that 1 doorhandle ismore work than the 2 headlights together..!

Have a nice day ;)

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cnludwig says:

lklunder says:

kjegelan (author) in reply to lklunder

skwoorl says:

kjegelan (author) in reply to skwoorl

danzo321 says:

Regards, Kjetil

Great instructible! Thanks for all the awesome pictures!!

Hello, excellent instructable !!!, I have two questions. How do you make to strip off thelayer old chrome from zamac ??. The holes on zamac that you made was refilled with tin solder after the cupper layer ???? Thanks in advance

Thank you, and Good morning..;) The handles is best sandblasted. You can notuse chrome stripper like you use on other metals. Othervice you have to sand itdown by hand. The old chrome have to be completely removed. Remember to usegloves to not contaminate the part with oil/grease. Then, the part is dipped in theAcid Picle solution for about 20 seconds. The part will now appear to be boiling!Then in to the Neutral Nickel Strike bath. The low acidity makes the nickel bind tothe POT metal. When a dull even light gray surface is achieved, the part is rinsedand goes in to the copper bath. After a uniform build up by copper, the part isrinsed and dried. Then you cover the part with soldering flux. Be extremelyconsentrated while soldering to prevent disaster..! The temperature range betweenthe solder and the parts melting point is quite narrow. Start with the thickest partfirst, and work the solder towards the thinnest part.

I have worked with frp and epoxies in winter and have used everything from water bedheaters, electric blankets and therapeutic heating pads from the pharmacy to pre heat myresins. Would something like these work? If heat regulation could be achieved.

Hi there...! I also worked with composites during my work with the B737, and weused heat mats and vakuum for the molds. In this case I just use the tank heaterthat is included in the kit. It has a thermostat, and heats the tank to righttemperature within 30-45 minutes. I just throw this heater in the tank beforeplating, and remove it during plating. You do not need constant heating. The bathstays warm enough for a long time. But for the copper,witch need a longer platingtime, I think it would be enough to just wrap some kind of insulation around thetank. It is not that critical. Have a nice day, and do not hesitate to ask if there issomething else :)

What means "replica chrome"? Is it real chrome?

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kjegelan (author) in reply to danzo321

mecoman in reply to danzo321

kjegelan (author) in reply to mecoman

thinkpadt30 says:

awesomecreations says:

barefootbohemian says:

kjegelan (author) in reply to barefootbohemian

Hello...! I recon that they call it replica chrome ,because of the simplified operationof it. Normal chrome is a two stage operation, with Chromium trioxide witch ishighly toxic. Not sure about the metal used, but i suppose it is chrome. It lookssimilar to Nickel, but is definitely different after plating. Much brighter and easier tobuff and polish. But that's my experience with it.

Looking at the list of ingredients, I don't see any chromium at all. Therefore, it ismost likely a higher gloss nickel plate that looks just like chrome.

Hi... I just copy and past the answer I gave to "danzo321" : "Hello...! I recon thatthey call it replica chrome ,because of the simplified operation of it. Normalchrome is a two stage operation, with Chromium trioxide witch is highly toxic. Notsure about the metal used, but i suppose it is chrome. It looks similar to Nickel,but is definitely different after plating. Much brighter and easier to buff and polish.But that's my experience with it. "

I am very impressed, not only with the professional instructable, but with your awesomecar! Did you restore it yourself? Is that an Anglia? The paint is like a mirror, and theinterior would look at home in a Rolls Royce! If that were my car, my face would always behurting because of the wide grin I would continually have! Again, congratulations both onthe instructable and on the car.

Nice job! The country I live in is the world's biggest exporter of Chromium.

Exceptional work!! Should I just leave my address here for delivery? Ha ha. The workmade a very nice car over and above!! And not wondering if I can put some of this wellwritten information to work on my antique clocks that aren't for restoration or conservation,but so far gone I just want to see what I can do with them so they look amazingly cool. AndI definitely commend anyone and everyone who opts for conservation as a 1st choice.

Thanks ..;) Often ,the parts look much worse than they are.. So with some caution,its mostly easy to get good results. Not sure about your clocks, but it might be abrush plating job..? With my car, I dont stress to get a perfect result. The car isalmost 80 years old, and shall have a "old" look. It would be strange if your 85year grandfather suddenly got a pair of Hollywood teeth...hehe.. You work withglass..? I want to try that out for myself... but now its only this plating andacrylic/oil painting. Kjetil

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barefootbohemian in reply to kjegelan

kjegelan (author) in reply to barefootbohemian

barefootbohemian in reply to kjegelan

Iam totally with you about keeping all possible parts original and I do my best touse the original techniques the makers used in the time period. I really like it thatway. Besides always giving me new things to learn, I often get to learn a skill thathas been obscured by modern technology and substance that might come inhandy later in life :)). Having said that I guess the need to money to support my habit (doing a little ofeverything and selling little of anything) so I can keep on doing what I like doingwithout going to far in the hole financially lol. I'm known for underpricing when Ieven set a price. The reward of sharing something really cool is just so worth it!

I have a feeling you would like doing glass work. Which type have youconsidered? I started in mostly leaded and stained glass panels and repair, butwhen the opportunity came to purchase a glass kiln at a good price, my little worldof cutting and piecing spiraled into learning the art of melting, fusing and all thelittle things that aren't so little when it comes to how different glass types aremade. I was naive enough to think window pane glass was boring, it is far fromboring.

I keep up with the acrylic and oil part too, plus still go back to computer generatorgraphics on occasion. Guess the weather dictates a lot of what I do, since thesummer here means stay inside for me, and winters pass too quickly to really getanything complete.

And I just type to much ha ha!! But I will say before I go I am totally jealous!!Norway?? That has got to be so incredible, makes me think of fiords and EdvardGrieg! And then you get to play with ROV controls? Not sure I would want to belooking around at offshore well sites, more would want to just explore the oceandepths where its so cold things have just froze in time or develop in suchincredible ways to survive!

Guess you can't drive over and drop that nice looking ride off to me tho eh?

Agree with you..Feels good to preserve and keep the good old ways to do things.But I also like to explore new things in life. Thats what they did earlier also. Ourancestors had to adapt to survive. We are lucky to just do whatever we likewithout starving. Of course the majority of people in the world isn`t as lucky as asmall percentage of us that have all we need. So you do a little painting? I also dosome art when I feel like it. Made a gallery on my homepage.http://kjetilegeland.com/Galleri/index.html The glass melting and fusing must beexplored when I get the space for it. I`ve started a Instructable now to describe alittle of my techniques in painting and art projects. Just for fun. And yes. I am very privilege to live in Norway. A fantastic country to live in, and islucky to have a job that is also what I have as a hobby. The ROV business here is not only about oil. There are many other projects weare involved in. K

I do agree yet again with you. I think what I find so incredibly interesting is findingout the how to some of the ancient ways of doing things. Who ever though to eatthe inside of a prickly barb of artichoke? We're that starving so that it was anaccident to find the delectable inner heart, or did they see some animal consume itwhile spitting its way past the "choke" and they decided to try it as well. I think Ihad always thought about those things, but the first time I used shellac I reallyfound myself wanting to dig further and learn more. Who ever was it some 2000years ago even considered using beetle excrement to cover a priceless treasureand protect it. So many things that on the surface appear ludicrous for the usesand manner they ended up being.

Went and checked out your paintings. I definitely like your technique. Not so manyartist willing to get that involved in the process and get their hands dirty. Art issentient and feeling it through the body and soul should be part of the creation. Apiece speaks much louder to others when it has the imprints of the creator I think.I unfortunately am not so free in thought and creation to be that way. I do a lot of

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bpark1000 says:

kjegelan (author) in reply to bpark1000

ElvenChild says:

kjegelan (author) in reply to ElvenChild

agis68 says:

landscapes from "back home" I think keeping the memories of the mountains freshin my mind helps me tolerate the dry desolate area where I am at. Plus I haveunfortunately had to resort to painting for the sake of what others will buy morethan I would like to. Have to support my habit, and paints and pigments aren'tcheap. I would love to create in such a way that my hands were covered in thepigments of creation. I do really like the eye picture. It reminds me of aphotograph I had done of my daughters eye to study in preparation of an idea foran acrylic that I never got to. Did keep the eye photo tho and have worked it intoa photoshop creation. The overlays of people are also very intriguing. You arequite talented! And it was nice seeing your daughter working by your side on thechrome parts. DNA can't be left to its own devices for forming young minds increativity. Of course I think the United States had such a poor educational systemthat creativity is left far in the background and the lack of individual attention toeach child's strengths and desires leaves too many behind. Yes, although I have never even been to Norway, I have often thought it would bea wonderful place to live. I'm sure what my imagination pictures it as is not entirelycorrect, but it would be nice to see someday and find out just what it is like. I triedto upload a photo of a corner in the room relegated to storage so I could showyou some of my work. It stayed trying for a few minutes and I don't think ipad andinstructable programs always mesh. But if you go to pintrest you can find a fewthings I've dont I think. I am not onto the social network side of things, I don't likemuch of what shows who I am being broadcasts on the Internet. But I do post alimited amount of things especially enjoy posting instructsbles to share a little ofwhat I have learned over time. I am "Barefoot Artist" on pintrest if you ever wantto check it out. And yes I type far tooooo much ha ha

Be sure when doing electrolysis (whether plating, pickling or rust removal), to have the"other electrode" (anode for plating and rust removal), or cathode (for pickling) bedistributed and surrounding the work so the electrolytic current will be uniform all around.

Hello..! Yes..you are completely right. I didn`t got that clear in the Instructable. Butif the part is plated ,hanging in a wire under the agitation pump, you need to havean even distance to the anodes. In my case, the tank was to small for the jobactually. So I had to keep moving the part all the time. This was boring and timeconsuming, but I got a good result. And, for the first time doing this I thougt it went very well.

Kjetil

What car is that? It looks nice.

Thank you,....;) This is an Austin Ten Lichfield Deluxe - 1936 model. Produced inthe UK. Not a big car, but fun to drive..! 21 horsepowers ,4 sylinder. Around 700kilos. Have a nice day...Kjetil

this is fantastic job!!! I will try it for my classic motorcyle!!!! thnk you

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May 19, 2013. 10:29 AM Replycolargolet says:

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Wow, cool instructable. I always wanted to know how to chrome plate stuff, now I know.Thanks for the instructable.

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instructables.comChrome Plating of Car Headlights and Parts

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