Hey guys - getting ready to send some stuff off to get chromed - but I also have a lot of smaller parts that I think could do well with being zinc plated. Have seen several of these home zinc plating kits and the reviews look very promising. Has anyone ever used any of these?

Here is the one I am looking at. http://www.caswellplating.com/electroplating-anodizing/zinc-plating-kits/copy-cad-zinc-plating-kit-3-gal.html

Also was wondering about this one - the elctroless version. http://www.caswellplating.com/electroplating-anodizing/electroless-plating-kits/electroless-nickel-jumbo-kit-5-gals.html

What are your thoughts? Good results? Also - for the electric version - I have heard getting a power supply is the right answer. Can anyone recommend one?

Exactly - it's all under playfield parts - for example the two 4 bank drop targets on Mata Hari. Caswell also has several other finishes available in kits as well - Nickel for example is a pretty nice finish that looks good and is fairly durable.

Just wondering if anyone has any experience with these kits.

Heater is only required if you purchase the electroless. And in that kit - they give you a glass bowl you put on the stove for the heat I believe. Thinking this might be nice - especially for those under the playfield parts that are plated - but don't have to be chromed. The target banks for instance - look like they were either zinc or nickel plated to begin with.

Think I'm going to get the 2.5 gal electroless nickel kit from Caswell. It's about $200 but should be able to plate about 600 sqin of parts. That's not a crap ton, but it should give me an idea of how it works.
http://www.caswellplating.com/electroplating-anodizing/nickel-plating-kits/electroless-nickel-plating-kits/electroless-nickel-deluxe-kit-2-5-gals.html

That's what I'm worried about and frankly - though I know how to prep the parts, it is time consuming and labor intensive if you don't have the right stuff. The professional platers have specific processes and baths they use to make it a little less painful prepping the stuff. still time consuming - but I have a bum shoulder so sanding and polishing is getting more and more painful. So I am looking for a way to avoid that. I have a sand/bead blast cabinet and can get the parts smooth - but they will also be dull. From what i understand - if you want really shiny plated parts - you kind of need to shine them before you plate them - i.e. the shinier the product you start with the shinier you end up with when plated.

I have even given some thoughts to just spray painting them after sand blasting them...blaspheme!

Ok - bit the bullet and bought this kit - http://www.caswellplating.com/electroplating-anodizing/nickel-plating-kits/electroless-nickel-plating-kits/electroless-nickel-deluxe-kit-2-5-gals.html

Should be here next week sometime. Can't wait to try it!

Arrived today. Ridiculously quick. Ordered the 31st and here today. One of the pots was damaged so I'll be getting a hold of them Monday to send me another one. Also have to get a couple of hot plates this week. Then I'll be in business. Goal is to be trying it by next weekend.

Ok, well I finally got around to plating some stuff. Took a bit to get started because in addition to the kit, I had to buy a couple of hot plates. You can use a stove if you have burners but I have a glass top which won't work. Anyway, they were $20 a piece. I also bought two new thermometers. The kit comes with one but it arrived broke. I could have had Caswell send me another but for $5 on Amazon I just bought two new ones. You really need two anyone because you have to keep both pots at temp. I'll post a full review of this process eventually but here you go, before and after.
image-763.jpgimage-75.jpgimage.jpg
image-72.jpgimage-785.jpgimage-394.jpg

Ok, so as promised - a short review. First the goods:
1 - The kit is pretty complete. So you really don't need much more to get started plating.
2 - The instructions are pretty clear. You do have to do some calculations which they show you how to do. But overall, easy to understand.
3 - The results are very good. I had a couple of streaks initially in my first batch but I'm pretty sure it's because I didn't rinse properly after I degreased the parts. Newbie mistake. Even still, the results were outstanding.
4 - Caswell's customer service is very good and shipping was quick. It was two days to my doorstep. When the kit arrived, one of my pots was damaged. I called them and they sent another with no questions. Also, when I was ordering I asked A LOT of questions. They answered everyone and were very knowledgable.

Now for the others (not so goods)
1 - It is a little labor intensive and time consuming. You have to clean the parts before you degrease them. In my case I have a blast cabinet and blasted the parts with glass bead. The smoother the parts are before you plate, the shinier they will be.
2 - This is not a set it and forget it process. You have to watch it for the entire 30-60 minute cook time. Which is not an issue, but you should not plan on multitasking too much.
3 - Cost. Still not sure it's cost effective because you can only plate so many parts before you have to order new chemicals. To put it in context, I think I'll be able to plate both four bank drop targets as well as the flipper mechs but then will have to buy more chemicals. But...I am doing it at home without having to send it out and getting very good results operating on my own timeline.

Here's a pic of my setup. My 16 yr old son came in and said I had been watching too many episodes of Breaking Bad..
image-371.jpg

When you have completely used up the useable zinc in the solution, they provide you some steel wool pads and a separate solution to "plate out" the rest of the zinc and make the solution safe for the drain. So basically you just have to throw away the steel wool pads and dump the pots down the drain when you're done.

I haven't completed the drop banks yet, just the flipper mechs. Drop target number one though is blasted, cleaned, and ready to plate. Took some time off to watch the game

That said, I believe I'll be able to plate both drops with the stuff I have left - that came in the original kit. That said, I plated the flipper mechs with a mil - which is a little overboard. You actually only need about .5 mil. So I am going to try the drops with .5 mil. Hopefully post more pics tomorrow!

Well, results are pretty nice. Not perfect, but nice. Think I am still getting the hang of this stuff. Jury is still out on cost. Was only able to get one of the Drops done. So - one 4 bank drop and 2 flipper mechs for about $200. Definitely too expensive. That said, I know I am wayy over plating. These should all only have .5 mil. Industry standard is between .3 and .5 mil. On the mechs I had 1 mil. Mainly because the finish "looks" better with 1 than with .5 mil. Anyway, think I can get the cost down for those times I just can't wait and I don't want to send something out to be plated, but not sure I can recommend it yet. Mike does a better job and for cheaper! Anyways - here are some before and after of the drop.
Before:
IMG_0686.jpg
IMG_0692.jpgIMG_0695.jpgIMG_0697.jpg
After:
IMG_1011.JPGIMG_1010.jpgIMG_1009.jpgIMG_1008.jpg

I do - I'll post them shortly

That is correct, but the chemicals are pretty expensive and don't plate as much as expected. The surface area of these parts adds up. The pots, hot plates, thermometers, etc are one time costs - the chemicals alone for this batch are about $110. Which does make it more palatable - but still spendy.

I am going to experiment today a little just for grins. I have technically used up all of the usable nickel. The solution is not supposed to get below 80% nickel - which is why you periodically add solution throughout. I am going to try to just plate using what's left and see what happens. Worst case scenario it doesn't work and i just have to blast those parts again. Not a big deal.

Here you go.
IMG_0998.jpgIMG_0999.jpg

Ok - so, having run out of the additive chemicals, I decided to keep plating to see how far I could get. So bsically - one 4 bank drop target was done adding chemicals as required during the process. And the other was done just using what was left in the pot. The results are actually pretty nice. There is no question that when you add chemicals as required the result is shinier, apparently as the nickel level drops, so does the shine. That said, I have no doubt that if I had wanted to - I could have shined the second drop as well. I did not feel a need as it still came out really nice. You'll notice some circles/shadows on the top of the second one where the switches mount. This is because I tried something new and sanded the piece before plating and after sandblasting. Time to order more stuff!IMG_1015.JPG
IMG_1016.JPGIMG_1017.JPGIMG_1018.JPGIMG_1019.JPGIMG_1020.JPGIMG_1021.JPG